Topic: Never Ending Movie Marathon (short reviews)

[samuelrichardscott]

Starship Troopers (1997) Region 2 United Kingdom

Overview:
The Federation needs you for an urgent do-or-die mission in STARSHIP TROOPERS, the ultimate sci-fi action thriller from the director of Total Recall... hailed for its mind-blowing special effects and amazing futuristic settings. The new millennium brings man face to face with the deadliest enemy of all... an intelligent race of alien bugs, some thirty-feet tall, some that fly and all capable of destroying every living thing on Earth. That's where brave young freedom fighter Johnny Rico comes in. While Johnny trains in an elite infantry unit, his stunning girlfriend Carmen becomes a top fighter pilot - but is seduced by a suave flight instructor. Join their mission to the aliens' home planet where an all out intergalactic war is about to begin and with the future of mankind on the line.

My Thoughts:
If you have never seen Starship Troopers before and believe this is just another 'sci-fi' movie, look again. It contains some fantastic special effects, dodgy but lovable acting, overly enjoyable hammy script and some great little political commentary from the director, Paul Verhoeven, in the same way his RoboCop includes an underlying political commentary. There is something here for everyone, be it action, thriller... and even a little romance. Of course, this is action as only Verhoeven can do it and I have to highly recommend this for being enjoyable from beginning to end. It shouldn't be this good, but it is. 4.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Vanishing on 7th Street (2010) Region 2 United Kingdom

Overview:
When a massive power outage plunges the city of Detroit into total darkness, a disparate group of individuals find themselves alone. The entire city’s population has vanished into thin air, leaving behind heaps of empty clothing, abandoned cars and lengthening shadows. Soon the daylight begins to disappear completely, and as the survivors gather in an abandoned tavern, they realise the darkness is out to get them. But as their light fades, how long can they survive before the shadows devour them?

My Thoughts:
I've enjoyed the two movies I have seen so far from Brad Anderson, Transsiberian and The Machinist, so I thought I would give Vanishing on 7th Street a viewing. Unfortunately it was a bit disappointing and not as good as either of the aforementioned movies. It stars Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton, John Leguizamo and Jacob Latimore as people who meet together after the 'darkness' takes the lives of most of Detroit. In order to stay alive they must keep some form of light with them, and always turned on in order to keep the 'darkness' away but of course, that is easier said than done. The direction is quite good and some of the scenes do well to build the tension, but the story is weak and feels unfinished, with he ending not wrapping up anything at all. The main cast are ok, but all are capable of better performances though the young Jacob Latimore, if given the opportunity, could be one to look out for in the future. Overall, it is a good idea with a flawed final act but some well worked tension in the lead up. Low end rent it. 2.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Fright Night (2011) Region B United Kingdom

Overview:
Meet the sexy new neighbour, Jerry Dandrige (Colin Farrell). He’s dangerously charming – and utterly lethal. That's because he just happens to be a vampire, and out for blood…buckets of it. After high school senior Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) makes the connection between Jerry’s suspicious activity and a steadily rising body count, he vows to end the reign of terror next door. But he can’t do it alone. His only hope is Las Vegas magician / vampire-slayer Peter Vincent (David Tennant). Together, this unlikely duo set out to end Jerry's evil rampage. But Jerry is a ruthless, relentless killer, and he’s not going down without a fight. Get set to sink your teeth into this thrilling re-vamp of the terrifying horror classic. Featuring a star-studded cast and crawling with bonus, Fright Night will captivate you from the very first bite!

My Thoughts:
I really like the original Fright Night and although I'm sure I heard Colin Farrell say he thought this wasn't very good (well, he said "shit"), I'm one of those people who will never say never to a remake, no matter how much I liked the original. In this case, I think the remake is actually on a par. Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots and Christopher Mintz-Plasse were spot on in their roles and although I think Colin Farrell, David Tennant and Toni Collette are all generally overrated, I have to give credit where credit is due here. The writing was good, with some nice little references and I loved the music, particularly the 'countryfied' version of Jay-Z's 99 Problems over the end credits. Special effects were done well also, especially the changing mouth shapes of the vampires. Recommended. A solid 4/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Real Steel (2011) Region B United Kingdom

Overview:
A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech, Real Steel, stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goya) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.

My Thoughts:
A few years ago it seemed like a few movie studios were spending big on old but well known toy and board game properties. Some that were bandied about included movie versions of Connect 4 and Operation but whilst most seemed to go away quietly, a couple have been made, despite a poor general opinion on the ideas during the announcements. Real Steel is one of these movies and is based upon the old toy of the "Rock 'Em Sock 'Em" robots. Hugh Jackman plays the lead, with Dakota Goya putting in a very impressive performance as his son Max. Supporting cast members include Evangeline Lily, Hope Davis and Anthony Mackie, all of whom suit their roles well also. The main part of the movie is of course the robot fights though and they look very impressive. I have to admit, I was blown away at how good the fight between a robot and a 2000lb bull looked! Surprisingly, the film also has a reasonably strong story, if very formulaic, to go with the outstanding effects. Call me surprised, but I find myself very much looking forward to the sequel in 2014. Recommended. 4/5

[Najemikon]

I really enjoyed this film too. Absolutely as predictable as you can imagine, but it was a huge amount of fun.

[samuelrichardscott]

College Road Trip (2008) Region 2 United Kingdom

Overview:
Get ready for a wildly hilarious ride with Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symone in Disney's caotic comedy College Road Trip. Ambitious and confident Melanie Porter (Raven-Symone) is eagerly looking forward to her first big step towards independence — a girls-only road trip to check out colleges. But this rite of passage takes a wrong turn when her overprotective father (Martin Lawrence) insists on escorting her instead — and Melanie's dream trip quickly turns into a nightmare of wild and wacky curves. So fasten your seat belts for a nonstop, laugh-out-loud, madcap adventure that'll drive you silly.

My Thoughts:
Martin Lawrence's career has certainly been waivering over the last decade or so. In fact, outside of the Bad Boys films, he has been in dire need of a hit. Because of this, I think he decided to try and play it safe in this Disney original TV movie, which ironically, has no originality. Raven-Symone plays Lawrence's university bound daughter, and as expected she is rather awful. The jokes are quite lame throughout and the scripting is lazy. The supporting cast includes Disney regular Brenda Song amongst others, none of which put in particularly good performances, but wait! Donny Osmond is beyond brilliant. His character is the one thing that almost saves this otherwise dire mess but he isn't in it enough. Skip it. 2/5

[samuelrichardscott]

No Reservations (2007) Region 2 United Kingdom

Overview:
Want a perfectly prepared dish of tender quail in truffle sauce? Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a workoholic master chef, can do that. But don't ask her what to do about the free-spirited, opera-loving sous chef (Aaron Eckhart) who joins the staff of her upscale Manhattan restaurant. Or what to do about the orphaned niece (Abigail Breslin), more partial to fish sticks than foie gras, who comes to live with her. "I wish there was a cookbook for life, with recipes telling us exactly what to do," Kate tells her therapist (Bob Balaban).
A love of life (and of great food!) spices up this warm-hearted and funny tale about a woman discovering a world bigger than her kitchen. Come on in. Something new and different is cooking at Kate's place.

My Thoughts:
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart star alongside Abigail Breslin, Bob Balaban and Patricia Clarkson in what is a perfect example of an average, formulaic romantic comedy. Zeta-Jones and Eckhart get through the usual circumstances, meet each other in a work situation, slowly fall in love with each other, thanks to a helping hand from Breslin's Zoe, break up, realise their mistakes and get back together. As a date movie, this is good, but it isn't anything we haven't seen a million times before. It does have a couple of quite funny moments between Zeta-Jones and Clarkson though that make it worth a rental. 3/5

[Danae Cassandra]

The original Bella Martha was quite good.  Didn't bother to see the remake No Reservations.

[goodguy]

For a decidedly different take on the chef romance, I recommend David Mackenzie's Perfect Sense (Trailer).

[samuelrichardscott]

Danae> Thanks. I never realised this was actually a remake.

goodguy> Added to my rental list. I'm a fan of both Green and McGregor also, so looks of interest.

[samuelrichardscott]

Elephant White (2011) Region 2 United Kingdom

Overview:
When the daughter of a powerful businessman is kidnapped and murdered by a notorious gang of Thai sex-traffickers, skilled mercenary Curtie Church (Djimon Hounsou) along with ruthless weapons dealer Jimmy The Brit (Kevin Bacon) are hired to hunt the gang down and take them out. However, what starts out as a paying job soon turns into an outright war between two rival gangs and Church finds himself face-to-face with the corrupt world that surrounds him and the truth behind the man who hired him....

My Thoughts:
A friend gave me this because he said, and I quote: "This is a pile of crap". After watching it, I have to disagree. It isn't a very good film, in fact it's far from it, but it does have some moments that does make it slightly better than a "pile of crap". It stars Djimon Hounsou as a hitman who has been hired to take out a gang of human sex traffickers, unaware he is actually being employed by the son of the gang leader so that he can look good to his Dad when he takes Hounsou out, and eventually leads the gang. For the most part, the story is ok, but certainly loses the way a little towards the end when it becomes overly spiritual. Kevin Bacon, one of my favourite actors of all times, plays an English arms dealer but his accent is atrocious and he should be embarrassed about what may be the poorest role he has ever done in his career. He makes Dick van Dyke's accent in Mary Poppins sound Oscar worthy. Saying that, if you can get past Bacon and the 'spirituality', then this is worth a look for fans of action films in the same ilk of the recent DTV efforts of Christian Bale and Cuba Gooding Jr. Low end rental. 2.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Frankenstein (2004) Region 2 Germany

Overview:
Two hundred years after Mary Shelley's novel the brilliant but mad Doctor has sustained his creature and himself over two centuries through genetic experimentation. In present-day America Detective O'Connor is investigating a series of horrific murders which leads her to the doctor and his creature. What she uncovers reveals the strange evolution the doctor and his creation undergo over the course of two centuries and the divergent paths creator and monster take in pursuing good or evil.

My Thoughts:
Parker Posey, Adam Goldberg and Michael Madsen play detectives who are investigating a spate of deaths where various body parts are being removed. It's a TV-movie and was originally going to be a series developed for USA Networks by Dean Koontz, but they decided to make a movie instead and Koontz left the project. Although the special effects are generally mediocre, the mood set and the dark locations suit the storyline very well. The acting isn't up to much and the dialogue is your standard murder/suspense/thriller affair, but of course with the back-up of a story loosely based on the Frankenstein monster, it does have one or two things to add. Unfortunately, the ending doesn't really lead anywhere and it feels more like a pilot with the intention of the series eventually being developed. Quite frankly, I expected much more from a project with Martin Scorsese's name attached (he was an executive producer). Skip it. 2/5

Note: This German release isn't 100% English friendly. There are a couple of lines of non-English dialogue at the start but not available with English subtitles (German only). It does NOT remove any vital information from what I could make out though.

[samuelrichardscott]

Born Yesterday (1993) Region 2 United Kingdom

Overview:
BORN YESTERDAY stars screen favourite Melanie Griffith (Working Girl) as Billie Dawn, a Las Vegas showgirl whose lack of sophistication makes for some hilariously embarrassing moments in the Washington, D.C., social scene. That's when her overbearing boyfriend (John Goodman – The Babe) hires a well-educated and handsome journalist (Don Johnson – Guilty As Sin) to smarten her up. The improbable romance that blossoms between Billie and her tutor turns all of their lives – and Washington, D.C. – upside down!

My Thoughts:
Born Yesterday is Luis Mandoki's remake of the 1950 George Cukor film of the same name for which Judy Holliday won an Academy Award for best actress. In this version, her role is played by Melanie Griffifth who is unfortunately, slightly miscast. She plays the character very well for the most part but does not do well enough playing 'smarter' Billie and it does show during the story. John Goodman takes on William Holden's role as Brock and puts in his usual strong performance, with Don Johnson also a welcome addition. Whilst the story is quite fun, the laughs don't really flow very well and that is where the film faulters. I've heard the original is an absolute blast, so I've put it on my wishlist, but this remake is merely worth a rental only. 2.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

First Daughter (2004) Region 2 United Kingdom

Overview:
Once Upon A Time... there lived a lovely girl named Samantha. She had everything she could possibly wish for and lived in a beautiful white house. The White House... Katie Holmes stars as Samantha Mackenzie – a sheltered young woman who just wants a normal school experience away from the influence of her parents. Only trouble is, her dad (Michael Keaton) is the President of the United States! But nothing will stop her, so, under Secret Service surveillance and a non-stop media glare, Samantha meets – and falls hard for – a handsome college student... who has a secret existence of his own.

My Thoughts:
You only need to look at the cover and the title for this one to know exactly what you're going to get. Katie Holmes plays the daughter of the US president (Michael Keaton) who wants a normal college experience, and falls in love. The first half of the movie is quite enjoyable as she goes to a frat party, and has to deal with all of the attention from not only the press, but other students and the faculty. When the love story comes into play though, it loses its way a little and becomes a little boring. Katie Holmes is an actress I can't make my mind up about but here she does fine, and her roommate is played by singer Amerie, who also puts in a fairly standard performance. I'm surprised that this film was directed by Forest Whitaker as I would've thought he would pick something with a bit more substance, but First Daughter is what it is. 2.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Robin Hood: Beyond Sherwood Forest (2009) Region 2 United Kingdom

Overview:
12th Century England: It is a deadly time of dark tyranny, black magic and the outlaw archer know as Robin Hood (Robin Dunne of "SANCTUARY"). But when the Sheriff of Nottingham (Julian Sands of "24" and WARLOCK) unleashes a winged monster upon the town and woods to massacre Robin's men and capture Maid Marian (Erica Durance of "SMALLVILLE"), hearts run cold with fear and streeds red with blood. Before he can rob from the rich or give to the poor, can The Prince Of Thieves survive the demonic onslaught of a winged beast from another world? Katherine Isabelle (GINGER SNAPS) and David Richmond-Peck ("V") co-star in this chilling new take on the infamous hero from director Peter DeLuise, filled with valour, vengeance and nightmare creatures that take you behind the legend and BEYOND SHERWOOD FOREST.

My Thoughts:
The whole Robin Hood thing has been done to death. There is the great (The Adventures of Robin Hood), the good (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) and the bad (Robin Hood Junior). Of course, as well as the more traditional telling of stealing from the rich to give to the poor, production studios have tried new elements in an attempt to keep the story fresh. Syfy Channels' Robin Hood: Beyond Sherwood Forest decides to add an element of fantasy by including a dragon in their low budget effort. Compared to your typical Syfy movie, a rather good cast has been gathered here. We have Robin Dunne as Robin Hood, Erica Durance as Maid Marian, Katherine Isabelle as the human form of the dragon and Julian Sands as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Sands is easily the best here, but the rest of the main cast are adequate and the supporting cast aren't as bad as usual for a movie of this ilk. Considering the low budget, the dragon looks surprisingly good. It won't win any awards for special effects but it's passable and not overbearingly fake. The story, well, it isn't great, but it is an interesting take and it didn't bore me. Rent it. A generous 3/5.