The Watch: Movie Review

The Watch: Movie Review

Cast: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayoade, Rosemarie DeWitt
Director: Akiva Schaffer

In this latest aliens invade comedy, we find ourselves back in middle America.

A dialled-down Ben Stiller plays Evan Trautwig, a local guy who lives in Glenview, Ohio and who's terribly proud of his community. He's head of a stack of different hobby clubs, works as a manager of a local supermarket after years of slowly climbing up the ladder and is proud of what he's achieved and the people he lives with.

But when the night guard of his store is murdered, the uptight Evan decides to step up to show his love for the community and form a neighbourhood watch.

Having recruited only three others - boorish Bob (Vaughan), a rejected trigger happy wannabe cop (Hill) and a mild mannered, socially awkward Brit, Jamarcus (Ayoade) - the whole thing appears to be more of an excuse for lonely guys to socialise rather than patrol the streets, despite Evan's best intentions.

However, when the four of them discover that aliens have invaded and are about to take over Glenview, it becomes more of Evan's mission to try and convince everyone outside the watch and save his beloved community.

What to say about The Watch?

If you're after a slightly vulgar, occasionally puerile and hit and miss laugh out loud experience, then this film is for you.

Sure, this kind of film's been done plenty of times before (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Men in Black et al) but the central ensemble cast seemed to promise more than they actually delivered. On paper, it's a dream team - Stiller, Vaughn and Hill have great comic chops and CVs and the adding into the mix of the brilliant Ayoade seemed to hint at freshening things up between them all.

But what emerges on the screen is a patchy, scrappily funny affair with a few generally amusing lines which punctuate the unevenness of the overall script. Scenes meander on with very few punchlines worthy of their set up - or they're entirely predictable as this suspicion of suburbanites alien invasion story progresses.

Stiller's the straight man to Vaughn's overprotective, just-wanna-hang-with-the-guys boor; and Hill adds a level of funny with his edgy, rejected cop who threatens to overflow into violence. But the star of the film (and who gets the admittedly slim lion's share of the best lines) is the IT Crowd's Richard Ayoade who punctures and peppers the "comedy" with moments of awkwardness and unpredictability. Sadly, though, there's just not enough of those scattered through the film - although it is a star debut.

With horrendous product placement once again on show and the film really reneging on the promise of a group of mismatched guys coming together and enforced bonding, The Watch proves to be a picking at low hanging fruit kind of film - and if you're in the mood for that (or have a teenage boy mentality to cope with the vulgar jokes) then it's the film for you.

Everyone else will just want The Watch to disband and never reform.

Rating:

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: Blu Ray Review

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment


Based on a book by Paul Torday, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen stars Ewan McGregor as Dr Fred Jones, a scientist who works for the British fisheries. With a crumbling marriage and a tedious job thanks to civil service bureaucracy, Dr Jones is a cynic who's seen it all and can't be convinced of anything new.

Enter into his life, Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) a consultant who works for a corporation employed by a sheik named Muhammed (Waked). Chetwode-Talbot has just recently started seeing a soldier and has been tasked by the sheik to research the possibility of a project to bring salmon to the Yemen so that he can hold a fishing competition. (See, I told you it was all in the title).

Gradually, despite Dr Jones' reservations, the pair begin work on the project while fielding other crises in their lives - he a marriage about to fail and she the fact her soldier boy is missing in action...Factor in the UK's Prime minister's Press Secretary (a wickedly tart Scott Thomas) who's after a good news story...

Salmon Fishing in The Yemen is quite a sweet film which has a gentle disarming charm and some truly funny moments.

McGregor is brilliant as the cardiganed slightly Aspergers' doctor - given the lion's share of some funny lines and a dialled down performance gives the whole thing a very realistic feel. Likewise, Blunt is the perfect foil for this slightly uptight doctor - and gives her Harriet Chetwode-Talbot a likeability and humanity which stretches beyond the story. The two have a nice easy chemistry and work well together as their friendship and inevitable relationship/ courtship begins to grow.

Narratively, the story is predictably what you'd expect and I have to admit to feeling once the romance angle came into play, complete with some shoehorned scenes of marital discord and a returning soldier, I could feel the directorial and story cliches being rolled out and checked off a list. Throw in some shots of a salmon swimming against the rest of the run and you're really veering into formulaic territory.

Which is a real shame because all in all, thanks in part to Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt's performance, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a refreshingly breezy little charmer of a feel good film which is funny, realistic and human - and can bring joy to even the most cynical of hearts.

Extras: Making of piece

Rating:

Brand new Taken 2 Trailer

Brand new Taken 2 trailer sees Liam Neeson threatening you...

Something a little direct for a Thursday perhaps...

The brand new Taken 2 Trailer just released sees Liam Neeson taking a somewhat direct approach to the marketing of his film.




I quite like how Neeson's embraced this side of the character and is playing up to it, given it's the strongest marketing tool for the film.

Taken hits New Zealand cinemas October 11th.

My advice, you'd best show - or he'll hunt you down.

Dredd 3D Comic reveals Ma-Ma origins

Dredd 3D Comic reveals Ma-Ma origins

Something for everyone excited by Karl Urban's upcoming film Dredd 3D here.

Lionsgate's released a prelude comic detailing the origins of Ma-Ma, played in the upcoming Dredd 3D movie by Lena Headey.

It first appeared on the Scribd website - so head on there for the extra content they've provided.

But here's the basic comic below for fans of Judge Dredd and for those who're awaiting the NZ release of Dredd 3D on October 4th...

First trailer for Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters

First trailer for Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters

Hot off the press this morning is the first trailer for Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters.

The film starring Gemma Arterton and Jeremy Renner is due to hit NZ cinemas in January 2013.

Take a look at the new trailer for Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters:

Haywire: DVD Review

Haywire: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment

Action thriller from Steven Soderbergh, with a strong female lead.

MMA's Gina Carano plays Mallory, a Black Ops who's betrayed while on a mission in Dublin. When she's double crossed, the freelancer tries to work out why and who's behind it before it's too late.

This is not your average frenetically paced action thriller - it's a taut piece, strung together by a good story telling pace and some very real feeling fight scenes. It's also blessed with an impressive cast - from the likes of Ewan McGregor as Mallory's handler, to Michael Fassbender's fellow agent, it's a cast which oozes class.

Carano's impressive in the lead - even if she does occasionally have a few acting wobbles.

Soderbergh's pulled together a credible spy piece which has a different pace to the usual blockbuster and one which is ever so slightly indie as well. If it doesn't quite hit the full mark, it's mainly because the story's not quite original enough to match the director's intentions.

Extras: The men of Haywire.

Rating:

Goon: DVD Review

Goon: DVD Review

Rating: R16
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment

How much do you like to watch sports films where the protagonists bash the bits out of each other?

Because depending on that answer, hangs your decision on whether you'll love this or not.

Seann William Scott, in an unusually dialled down performance, plays Doug Glatt, a bouncer who's a bit of an embarrassment to his family. So, when he gets a job in the ice hockey leagues, he's destined to become a rising star. That is if he can keep his temper in check.

Packed with profanity and violence, Goon is a real mish mash of a film and to be honest, you have to be in a certain type of mood to watch it. While William Scott is actually not bad in this, there's very little to do except watch the fights and follow what little story there is.

Ultimately, Goon will appeal to those who want a boys' night in and revel in the bloody beatings.

Rating: