The IT Crowd: Version 4.0 DVD Review

The IT Crowd: Version 4.0 DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

The last full series of the comedy The IT Crowd shows once again that absurdist silliness can pay off.

6 episodes of comedy mayhem with Chris O'Dowd's Roy, Richard Ayoade's Moss and Katherine Parkinson's Jen are all glorious in their own way. Concentrating on the group's IT world and then thrusting them into the real world and watching them flounder in various ways proves to be a tonic.

From Moss getting involved in Street Countdown (a parody of the long-running word and number based UK gameshow for intellectuals) to Roy being caught in a bomb scare, there's so much to enjoy about this series which showcases Father Ted writer Graham Linehan at his very best.

These episodes were made back in 2010 but have shown no sign of ageing in the slightest and while the show is purely at its peak, it's sad to say this (aside from the finale) is the last season shout. But it's well worth your time and is sitcom fun at its best.

Extras: On location, outtakes, hidden extras

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Taken 3: Film Review

Taken 3: Film Review

Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace, Dougray Scott
Director: Olivier Megaton

It all ends here.

Well, so the marketing for Taken 3 promises anyway.

Liam Neeson returns as Bryan Mills, who finds his life is once again thrown into disarray by violence and mobsters in this latest outing.

Mills is forced on the run and becomes the hunted (The Fugitive anyone?) after he finds his ex-wife murdered in his own house. The police, led by Forest Whitaker's Inspector Franck Dotzler, are closing in, but Mills is determined to clear his name and protect his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace).

The geriaction franchise promised this time around that nobody would be Taken again - and that it would be a different story.

But this time around with the hook of the series removed, Taken manages to feel flat, soulless and completely formulaic.

Neeson manages some warmth as the gruff but softly spoken and exhausted Mills; and in a nice touch, he appears to show his weary age during some of the fight scenes giving this latest slice of preposterousness a touch of much needed grounded reality. In fact, his is the sole reason to watch.

The problem with Taken 3 comes in those who orbit around Mills; every single cop - aside from Dotzler - is a complete dunce who lack the basic skills to even remotely do their job competently. Even Whitaker's Dotzler is majorly underwritten - a genius detective who spends his time looking left and right, while twirling either an elastic band or handling a white knight chess piece; he's less an enigma, more a barely fleshed-out cliche.

Equally Megaton has hardly made things enticing to watch - choppy brisk editing during action sequences using a bevvy of cameras and an abundance of over-shaky cam means that you can't actually focus on what's happening without the director's ADD kicking in and showing you 17 different angles simultaneously rather than showing us something impressive.

Formulaic and lacking any real tension, the flat Taken 3 even finally resorts to having someone taken (again) - but in between you'll have to endure Neeson's talking to a stuffed panda (the SNL sketch Mark Wahlberg talks to animals springs to mind), Neeson's dispatching of relationship advice or talking puppies.

Believe it or not, the seeds for a fourth Taken (T4ken anyone?) are sown, with a potential new generation of Mills' family siblings possibly facing threat, but when all is said and done, the uninspired, unexciting and over-long Taken 3 is quite simply Taken The Mickey.

Rating:

Ant - Man Trailer is here

Ant - Man Trailer is here

You don't need a magnifying glass, because here's your first look at the Ant-Man trailer, starring Paul Rudd!

The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man.” Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Marvel’s “Ant-Man” stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, Corey Stoll as Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket, Bobby Cannavale as Paxton, Michael Peña as Luis, Judy Greer as Maggie, Tip “Ti” Harris as Dave, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, Wood Harris as Gale, Jordi Mollà as Castillo and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.

Peyton Reed directs Marvel’s “Ant-Man” with Kevin Feige producing and Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Michael Grillo, Edgar Wright and Stan Lee serving as executive producers. The story is by Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish and the screenplay is by Adam McKay & Paul Rudd. Marvel’s “Ant-Man” delivers a high-stakes, tension-filled adventure on July 16, 2015.

Rating: TBC

Dumb and Dumber To: Movie Review

Dumb and Dumber To: Movie Review

Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Rob Riggle, Laurie Holden, Kathleen Turner, Rachel Melvin
Director: Bobby and Peter Farrelly

"Comedy's all about timing"

These words uttered by Jim Carrey's Lloyd in this sequel couldn't be more prescient or pertinent when it comes to Dumb and Dumber To.

Over 20 years ago, Dumb and Dumber stole my heart; a sweet, unabashed film about two idiots whose stupidly sweet innocence seemed a throwback to the prat-falling silent schtick of a Hollywood from yesteryear.

Needless to say, 20 years on and the sequel rides roughshod over any nostalgic glow I may have had for the first.

In this latest, Jeff Daniels' Harry discovers he has a daughter and sets out with Jim Carrey's gurning Lloyd to find her - because he's in dire need of a new kidney. So begins another road trip....

In some ways, it's pointless to rail about how unfunny and crassly crude Dumb and Dumber To is - not to mention casually racist, because it's all done by these two leads who are supposed to be nothing more than a pair of loveable knuckleheads blundering from one encounter to the next.

But in updating the adventures of Harry and Lloyd and re-teaming with the Farrelly Brothers, those involved have actually lost sight of what made the original pair so successful and so amusing - their naivete and sheer chutzpah for any given situation propelled it along its sweet and endearingly dumb journey. This time around, by making the pair so stupid and occasionally offensive (perhaps a sign of the times we now live in), they've lost that audience empathy from the start, preferring to concentrate on a series of silly pranks over everything else. (Even those were present in the first, but dialled down)

Equally, there are plenty of scenes within the film that seem aimless with nary a punchline or moment to punctuate them; it's almost as if the writers lost sight of the actual gags they were trying to aim for. I'm not suggesting there's a sophistication with the Dumb and Dumber series at all - or even needs to be - in fact, it works better because of a lack of it. But an excessive number of flat jokes really stand out as this road trip "comedy" saunters onto its destination.

Carrey, Daniels and even Turner have their moments (possibly more Carrey as he does manic moments such as scoffing down a hotdog and greeting a dog at a gas station) - but they're too few and far in between a scattered plot that's lacking in real gags with warmth and heart; Melvin appears to be playing a brunette bimbo as the daughter and even Rob Riggle looks a little lost as the film tries to match some of the comic highs and even plot points of the first. (A fact made even more pertinent when the closing credits replay scenes from the first movie, making you realise all the more what you've missed)

All in all, Dumb and Dumber To is a massive comic disappointment - I hadn't expected the world but to see the legacy of Harry and Lloyd dumbed down a step too far after too many years too late makes this a contender for one of the worst films of 2015 already.

Rating:

The Inbetweeners 2: Blu Ray Review

The Inbetweeners 2: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

The boys are back for one last blast.

Having torn up the UK box office with their first cinematic outing (widely condemned for encouraging laddish behaviour and drunken escapades in Magaluf), a second was perhaps inevitable.

This time, when Jay (James Buckley) sends the remaining trio of Will (Bird), Neil (Harrison) and Simon (Thomas) an email bragging of his escapades during his gap year in Australia, the over-sexed trio of losers decide to go and join him.

So, putting life on hold, the mates plunge into the world of backpacking, dealing with those on a gap year and generally head for humiliation all over again.

Sad to say, The Inbetweeners 2 is not a patch on the first movie, which, while mining vulgarity also showcased the bond between the boys to excellent effect.

This latest has ramped up the gross out gags as far as they can go, so that you end up cringing in your seats. An impressively directed sequence which sees Will the victim of Neil's irritable bowel syndrome at a water park sets a new record for being both laugh out loud funny and uncomfortably excessive. Equally, an act of desperation when the boys become lost in the outback is the same mix of cringe and crude. There's plenty of swearing, objectification of women and general offensiveness on show - which you'd expect to a degree, but the writers have really gone for it this time, meaning non-fans of the show may feel somewhat alienated.

And yet, under all the low brow moments, there's a level of heart and warmth that writers and directors Beesley and Morris have brought to this that helps you through what feels like quite an episodic film. It lessens the offensive and really makes you appreciate the boys' bond and the way the writers have so excellently managed to transpose the awkward relationships of groups of boys to the big screen. Also, this time around, there's a degree of life actually figuring into their best laid plans - with not everything going to plan.

Will's flirtation with a fellow traveller, Katie (Berrington) is sweetly handled (even if she's relatively underwritten as a one-note female character) and leads to some absurdly amusing consequences; likewise, his relationship with another pompous traveller who's determined to mine his spirituality and pretentiousness of so many on a gap year trying to discover themselves is brilliantly satirical. Simon's psychotic girlfriend back in the UK gives Thomas another chance to mine his embarrassed beyond belief routine and frustration which was so perfectly honed during the TV series and Harrison's gormless one-liner Neil gets a fair share of the laughs thanks to the unpredictability of what's coming out of his mouth. But it's Buckley's character who gets the biggest journey here as his over-sexed, over-desperate and under-achieving Jay discovers more of his sensitive side and gives a sweetness to dull the offensive and non-stop lavatorial humour.

Thankfully, directors Morris and Beesley haven't completely forgotten the bromance and banter between the quartet that helped the series become such a success; scenes with just them in it sparkle and crackle with the hidden emotions that lads hide and the jibes that they throw at each other through their formative lives. They're a welcome addition because, in parts, the movie feels a little flat - especially given how the boys are split up.

If this is the end of the road for The Inbetweeners (and the creators and stars say it is), this second film is perhaps a summation of everything that made them great and also repelled others - scatalogical decadence and puerile smutty grossness with some potty mouthed laugh out loud moments.

To be honest, it won't win any new fans and even the fans of the show may find it a bit of a slog in places, but a nostalgic glow of the characters and the actors will leave you either amused or appalled.

Rating:

Hercules: Blu Ray Review

Hercules: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent

Thrace yourselves because this Hercules has its tongue so far in its cheek throughout.

In a move that rips up the mythology of the man, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is Hercules, a sword for hire, who's taken on by Lord Cotys (John Hurt) to rid his kingdom of the horror that is Rhesus, a warlord apparently wreaking havoc on the world.

But when Hercules and his team investigate, they find there's more to Cotys' story than meets the eye....

Deciding to take on the myth of Hercules, using the graphic novel as the basis and giving him a team of mercenaries to help is a clever touch, but it gives way to an ongoing cheesy message of self-belief that's more irritating than galvanising in director Brett Ratner's take on the myth.

With a knowing wink to the audience - none more so than Ian McShane's soothsayer who keeps prophesying his own death and then getting it wrong- the film is tonally unsure of what direction it ultimately wants to head in. Choosing to remove the myth and the mystical may have been a bold narrative stroke but replacing it with nothing of merit is disastrous.

Dismissing the twelve labours tasks in favour of a political power struggle and corruption story is a storytelling back peddle given that nothing about the plot helps propel it compellingly from one battle shot to the next.

And talking of those, while the science behind it all is very sound, the action is incredibly workmanlike and uneventful, with no directorial flourishes on hand to help lift its game. 3D this time makes things a lot more murky than necessary and seems a little pointless in places.

Dwayne Johnson does his best but his troubled Hercules sits at odds with the rest of the happy go lucky mercenary team he has around him; plus a woman and adoring kid are simply brought in to  offer up some emotional pull for The Rock but fail to lift any stakes at all.

Elsewhere, his team fail to really hit the mark, offering a few quips here and there but generally are overshadowed by the glistening oiled up pecs on show, despite all their attempts to make this the H Team / Greek Expendables. Joseph Fiennes risks the wrath of the gods with one of the hammiest performances ever and Hurt puts Caligula to shame as the king of Thrace. 

All in all, Hercules is not preposterous enough to carry it off and not original enough to stand out from the swords and sandals pantheon.

Rating:

Planes 2: Blu Ray Review

Planes: Fire And Rescue: Blu Ray Review

Rating: G
Released by Disney

It's back to the skies for the second outing for the franchise Planes.

In this latest, which is dedicated to the work done by firefighters all around the world, Dane Cook returns as Dusty Crophopper.

After winning the round the world race from the first film, life's looking good for ole Dusty. But on learning that his gearbox is on the way out if he continues to race, he's forced into an early retirement and his rise to fame is grounded before it's really begun.

However, rather than accept retirement, Dusty heads into the world of aerial firefighting after starting a major blaze and causing the airfield to close down. But Dusty faces a rough ride as he tries to persuade the leader of the unit Blade Ranger (Ed Harris) that he's good enough for the job...

Planes: Fire And Rescue is a depressingly dull piece of formulaic computer animation that seems to have been put together by committee rather than with passion, vim and vigour.

The whole thing feels flat, lacks any real oomph and fails to remotely get off the ground, even though the creators are obsessed with using as many shots of the characters hurtling through the air to a piece of middle of the road music.

Despite throwing in a few corny puns here and there (quick gags about a boat superstar called Boat Reynolds being one of the more memorable), there's not enough to really grab hold of; and there are certainly not enough memorable characters to resonate with the kids long after the movie's done.

DisneyToons has certainly fired enough different kinds of creations to populate this world - from fire trucks, to daredevil young firefighters to a loving old RV couple - but it's stopped short of breathing any real life into them and injecting any kind of character, which proves to be the piece's fatal flaw.

Outside of some truly beautiful firefighting sequences within the National Park as Dusty's training, there's very little to satiate the eyes or the brain which is a real shame. Once again, the message of self-belief and pushing yourself get a look in, but the 3D in the piece feels largely wasted and redundant - both in the visuals and also in the characters themselves. It's hard to believe that this is executive produced by John Lassetter of Pixar because there's hardly any real heart within or anything to lift into life high above the skies.

The very younger end of the spectrum may enjoy parts of Planes: Fire and Rescue, and it's certainly good intentioned (although the dedication to the firefighters would have been better served up at the end), but it's just that this movie isn't cleared for lift off on the runway before it's even begun to taxi.

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