Prometheus Trailer

This looks fairly epic.

From director Ridley Scott - and so far, no-one's confirming it's an Alien Prequel.

Yet.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Trailer

Here's the first look at The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey trailer. The film releases in New Zealand in December 2012.

Can't wait to see what the return to Middle Earth will be like on the big screen...

The Dark Knight Rises trailer

I couldn't be more excited about this final flick in the Batman series.

The prologue's playing before Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

But here's a look at the Bane vs Batman showdown hitting cinemas this winter in New Zealand....

Colombiana - Blu Ray Review

Colombiana
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment

Zoe Saldana heads into the territory of the vengeful female, a trail which has been blazed by the likes of La Femme Nikita and Leon.

She stars as Cataleya, who, as a young girl growing up in Colombia, saw her mother and father killed off by a Colombian cartel. So ending up in the USA, she takes up with uncle Tio (Cliff Curtis) who decides to help when she pleads with him to become a killer.

However, as Cataleya edges ever closer to wiping out targets from the cartel to draw out Mr Big, she attracts the attention of Lennie James' FBI agent - and an artist who falls in love with her.
If you're after a kick ass babe with guns and an attitude but little emotional depth, then Colombiana is for you. I'm actually surprised how much I bought into this film despite the at times ludicrous plot developments.

That's because Zoe Saldana delivers a focused performance which delivers the action but little emoting - and also because Luc Besson was involved too.

Colombiana is a taut action thriller, with the prerequisite bangs and whistles - and explosions - and is perfectly serviceable for these rainy summer days we're getting. And it scores for the Xena reference subtly thrown in too.

RATING:

The Devil's Rock: DVD Review

The Devil's Rock
Rating: M
Released by Vendetta Film

Horror and Nazis combine in this Kiwi flick.

Craig Hall stars as Captain Ben Grogan, who along with his comrade Sergeant Joseph Tane (Karlos Drinkwater) is on a top secret government mission to destroy positions on the eve of D Day.

But when the pair end up on an apparently deserted bunker in Guernsey, they find more than they can handle - a series of bodies with entrails hanging out, a sole Nazi officer and a woman chained up.

The Devil's Rock is a pacy attempt at a good psychological horror; in many ways, the tense quiet opening as the pair negotiate the beaches is a traditional tale of any duo who find themselves in a minefield.

But when they get inside the bunker, it's here Campion abandons a lot of the war tenets and heads into horror territory as we hear screams, shots of tortured and mutilated bodies and see blood all over the walls.

Yet, it doesn't veer into OTT territory either with Campion preferring to give the film a more intimate and psychological feel as Hall and Sunderland's characters match wits and engage in verbal sparring initially as part of a two hander conversation. Gina Varela manages the right level of seductive menace as the Devilish woman chained up as the film heads into Exorcist meets Saving Private Ryan boundaries. Sure, you could argue it becomes a two hander because of budgetary constraints, but it manages to get by ok - even if there's some dodgy dialogue here and there.

There's a lot of gore in this outing and that may put some off but as a well researched horror which is based on a degree of fact, it really does offer something a little different to the genre and may impress more than you'd initially expect.

Horrible Bosses: Blu Ray Review

Horrible Bosses - Totally Inappropriate Edition

Rating: R16
Released by Warner Home Video

Jason Bateman stars as Nick Hendricks who despises his boss Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey) after he's passed up for promotion; his pals Dale (Charlie Day) and Kurt (Jason Sudekis) who have issues with their bosses played by Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell respectively

Perhaps Dale has it worst with his sexually suggestive and lecherous dental boss Julia (played with delicious relish by Aniston) as she's always trying to seduce him and continually sexually harasses him.

So the trio decides enough is enough and plot to off their big bad bosses to ensure their continual happiness.
But because they're inept, things go seriously awry.

Much like the film itself, to be brutally frank.

Bitterly disappointing and horribly flat at times, Horrible Bosses is crushingly unfunny which is a real shock given the talent involved. Don't get me wrong, the main trio work well and have a good dynamic but the dark comedy of this premise goes largely unexplored and becomes quite wasted as the time wears on.

Aniston clearly has fun, putting to bed the good girl image she's spent years on - and some of the language out of that potty mouthed character will surprise some and will make force casting agents to look at other darker roles for her. Spacey is menacing as one boss but Farrell's barely on screen for long enough to warrant anything more than a cameo appearance in this.
Bateman, Day and Sudekis gel well on the screen and there are some laugh out loud funny moments - but they're too few and far between for this version of the Three Stooges

Ultimately Horrible Bosses runs out of steam and its uninspired denouement is clearly sign posted well in advance.
Extras: A Good bunch of an extended cut, interviews and snippets here and there

Conan The Barbarian: Blu Ray Review

Conan
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow

Oh dear.

If you've ever wanted to erase the Schwarzenegger version of the Conan story, then this could be the one for you. For all the wrong reasons.

Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa stars as Conan in this swords and sorcery take on the tale which sees Conan trapped in a fight to avenge his murdered father as well as save the world.

Relentlessly violent, gory and bloody, Conan is, I guess, in some ways exactly what you'd expect from the film. The problem is there's little sensible dialogue and characterization - all of which appears to have been jettisoned for some admittedly cool action and fight sequences (the majority of which were clearly aimed at 3D effects).

If you want to check your brain at the door, you'll love this blood and blades (spattered with a few breasts) fantasy tale.