Dinner For Schmucks: DVD Review

Dinner For Schmucks: DVD Review

Dinner for Schmucks
Released by Universal
Rating: M
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.

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

Rating: 6/10 

Planet Earth: DVD Review

Planet Earth: DVD Review

Planet Earth
Released by BBC
Rating: PG
6 discs, a 24 page booklet and some truly gorgeous footage make up this stunning natural history release.
Narrated as ever by David Attenborough and made from the BBC unit, you know this is a quality release from the start - but what you never fully expect is to be blown away time and time again by the footage.
Produced some five years ago, each 50 minute episode covers the majesty of the world we live in - from the poles to the mountains; from the rivers of the world to caves, every nook and cranny of the planet is explored here - and what a stunning journey.
Its value to the history of the world is unquestionable - and Planet Earth is well worth seeing on the biggest television screen you can find.

What's more vital about it though is its tool as a resource; perfect viewing for all the family, its educational value cannot be faulted - and with creatures and environments for all to marvel at, this is one Planet Earth to savour.

Rating: 8/10 

The Adjustment Bureau: Movie Review

The Adjustment Bureau: Movie Review

The Adjustment Bureau
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terence Stamp
Director: George Nolfi
Matt Damon and Emily Blunt team up for this romance-drama with a twist of sci fi and mysticism.
Damon is David Norris, an American wannabe senator who falls for Emily Blunt's ballerina Elise after a chance meeting.
But when he tries to meet up with her again, he's taken captive by a group of shadowy men in suits and hats - they tell him he's never to see her again because it's not "part of the plan."
Despite his protestations, and against advice from this group (who resemble the Observers in Fringe in behaviour), Norris does whatever he can to find Elise - and the powers that be try their best to keep the two apart.
That's probably not the kind of synopsis which does this film justice to be honest - but it's quite a complex film to condense down.
Essentially, what it boils down to is - two people, who have a strong attraction, are kept apart by mysterious forces who may have a hidden agenda.
If I then add that it's from a short story by Philip K Dick, you may get some idea of the layers that are starting to build up.
But that shouldn't put you off.
It's a rare joy to find a film which is original and tries to do something different but The Adjustment Bureau is certainly that.
Blessed with two great leads, it's a conventional love story told in an unconventional - and novel way.
Damon uses his everyman appeal to great effect and Blunt is alluring right from the start - and director Nolfi (who wrote the screenplay) teases out the mystery elements and the motives of the shadowy cabal well.
There's a spiritual element too which bubbles under and adds another smart layer of sophistication again; free will, pre-destiny, true love, moral conundrums - they all play a big part in this film.
Sure there's a level of hokum and frustration toward the end, but the debate the film provokes just about makes up for that.
The Adjustment Bureau defies real description - it's witty, funny, clever and intelligent and not one genre (be it the love story or the scifi) is over indulged.

Worth seeing twice to appreciate, The Adjustment Bureau is one of the freshest films I've seen in a while.

Hall Pass: Movie Review

Hall Pass: Movie Review

Hall Pass
Rating: 4/10
Cast: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate, Jenna Fischer, Richard Jenkins
Director: The Farrelly Brothers
So the guys behind There's Something About Mary bring us a new comedy where a couple of dudes get given a week off their marital obligations to do whatever they want.
Owen Wilson is Rick, who's been married to high school sweetheart Maggie (Fischer); Jason Sudeikis is Fred, married to Christina Applegate's Grace.
The pair love their wives but are constantly on the look out whenever anything female crosses their paths.
So, sick of their visual straying, the wives grant them a "hall pass", a magic ticket for a week off marriage and any obligations so these guys can get their urges out.
With seven days free, Rick and Fred head back to their single ways...
I'm afraid Hall Pass is one of those cases of the funniest bits being in the trailer - and the most shocking bits saved for the film itself.
Don't get me wrong; I'm no prude but this uneven and at times flat and unfunny film feels like it tries to shock simply because it's a Farrelly Brothers' joint. It does little to propel what plot there is along and simply serves to show the guys can still offend and gross out if they so desire.
Owen Wilson is likeable enough as the middle aged schlub who actually loves his wife and can't cut it when "back on the scene" - and when paired with Sudeikis, the duo are completely clueless when it comes to the dating game (a scene of them trying some pick up lines is painful for the wrong reasons). As a serial womanizer and icon to the guys, Richard Jenkins turns in another admirable character performance.
And there's a nice idea here - the philosophical idea of what would you do if you could and get away with it - but the moral conundrum is buried in such inanity and long periods of a laughter drought that it struggles to breathe.
Thank goodness for Stephen Merchant's (relative) cameo which enlivens the affair (make sure you stay after the end for the funniest bit) but doesn't make up for what goes before.

Hall Pass is probably one for the boys - a couple of humourous moments but overall, way too patchy for a great night out.

The Last Exorcism: Movie Review

The Last Exorcism: Movie Review

The Last Exorcism
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Louis Herthum, Caleb Jones
Director: Daniel Stamm
'Tis the season for horror again - what with Paranormal Activity 2 currently scaring them up on DVD, there's still the market for a good spooking.
In this "documentary" filmed in Louisiana, Reverend Cotton Marcus (Fabian) is a man tired of the church milking those who believe in exorcism. He knows the act is a scam and one day, randomly selects a letter from someone begging for help to use a way to end the charade.
With a doco crew in tow, he heads to the Sweetzer farm in deep dark rural Louisiana, bible belt territory to help a family who claim their daughter Ashley is possessed by a devil.
But when they get there, despite the Rev's time spent debunking the exorcism "myth" and the tricks of the trade, they soon discover there's more to this case than meets the eye....
The idea of a preacher who's lost his faith and has to face evil is not a new one - but The Last Exorcism is a spooky, freaky and frightening ride.
Part improvised, the story is brought to life by an engagingly likeable Fabian as the Rev who's determined to give the church back its credibility. We watch as he debunks the theory and shows the tricks of the trade (using wire to shake walls and pictures); it's thanks to his underacting that the whole thing feels so real - and when the frights come at the Sweetzer farm, you really do feel that the event is unfolding in horrific ways.
Ashley Bell also deserves credit for her performance as the innocent girl who finds herself in the middle of a ghastly situation. From her naïve ways initially to her eventual contortions during her possession, it's unsettling and spooky; a genuinely convincing turn from a relative newcomer.
The gathering crescendo and resulting storm that plays out on the deserted farm leads to a slightly grotesque ending - and unfortunately one that falls foul of its own narrative device. The documentary works well but the subsequent ending falls short.
Without revealing too much, the denouement is frustrating and will be as polarizing as the end to The Blair Witch Project all those years ago - while it's an inevitable end and one which is in keeping with the film's tone, there will be some who'll feel it's a little hysterical.

That said, overall The Last Exorcism is a welcome original entry into the horror genre; it reinvigorates the brand and will leave you glad when the lights go up at the end.

Ashes to Ashes Season two: DVD Review

Ashes to Ashes Season two: DVD Review

Ashes To Ashes
Season Two
Rating: M
Released by BBC and Roadshow
It's back to the 80s (1982 to be precise) for this second series of the sequel to the truly brilliant Life On Mars.
Keeley Hawes reprises her role as DCI Alex Drake, a present day copper apparently shot in the line of duty who wakes in 1982 - and in sexist pig DCI Gene Hunt's (Philip Glenister) world.
Desperately trying to make her way back to her daughter, Drake and the rest of the permed hair team take on a series of cases as she tries to piece together how she can get home.
Animal rights, murder, loan sharks - the entire seedy underbelly of the 80s is played out on screen again - but don't let that give you reason to dismiss Ashes To Ashes.
Brilliantly acted (Hawes and Glenister shine in their leading roles) and with a superb ensemble cast, this BBC drama is one of the contemporary best. The writers revel in their chance to vent their non PC script spleens and the result is hilarious, engrossing and compelling drama.
Throw in a confounding cliffhanger and I for one can't wait to see how the final series plays out.

Rating: 8/10

Dr Who: Meglos DVD Review

Dr Who: Meglos DVD Review

Dr Who Meglos
Rating: PG
Released by BBC
Essentially remembered as that serial with Dr Who as a cactus, this tale from 1980s and Tom Baker's final stint as the fourth Doctor remains more scorned for what it didn't achieve than what it did.
The Doc and Romana land on the planet Tigella, where two sides are fighting over an energy source. Trapped in a time loop by the evil cactus like creature Meglos (yes I know how that sounds) the floppy haired Doctor is stuck in the middle as he tries to ensure his own survival as well as that of his companions.
Meglos isn't a bad romp for Who - sure, it creaks at times with some dodgy acting but there's an attempt at some serious science too. It doesn't work as well as it could - as the doco with the writers attests to but it still remains an iconic piece of Who with Jacqueline Hill (aka Barbara from 1960s Who) appearing as one of the main players. With some reasonable production values, this four parter zips along (with a few groans here and there) amiably enough.
Extras: Commentary, docos on the writers as well as a very tasteful tribute to Jacqueline Hill who appeared in this and in the first ever series of Who

Rating: 6/10