Mini Reviews
The Tree (out now) is another Australian drama which will struggle at the box-office. It's about a young girl who develops an unusual attachment to a huge tree in her backyard following the death of her father. I was mildly interested in this story and the way it explores dealing with loss. We've seen this sort of stuff before though. Grade: B-.
Buried (Oct 7) is a refreshingly original film in what has been a boring cinematic year (filled with remakes, sequels). It's a 95 minute movie set entirely with a coffin. Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) has been kidnapped in Iraq and buried alive. He has a torch, a lighter, a knife and a phone. Can he find a way out? This was very suspenseful and will stick with you after you've left the cinema. Check it out! Grade: A-.
Dinner For Schmucks (out Sep 30) is about a guy who is asked to invite an "idiot" to a special dinner party hosted his boss. These guests will be the subject of ridicule with biggest loser getting a trophy. Was this meant to be a farcical comedy or a black comedy? I was hoping for the later... but I didn't get it. Grade: B-.
Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga'Hoole (out Sep 30) features some of the finest animation you will see. It's about a group of nice owls who try to stop a group of evil owls from taking over their world. The story was more complex than I thought it'd be. Hard to differentiate between all the characters too. Will it keep the attention of young kids? I'm not sure. Grade: B-.
The Reluctant Infidel (out now) is a farce about a Muslim guy living in London who learns that he was adopted. It turns out his birth parents were Jewish! There are some very funny scenes which poke fun at religion and those who take it so seriously (making it my kind of movie). The ending is silly though. Grade: B.
Charlie St. Cloud (out now) will be included in my worst 10 films of 2010. Zac Efron has potential as an actor but this was horrendous. I didn't feel a single emotion (well, maybe relief on leaving the cinema) during its 99 minutes. I've heard the book is worth a read but it definitely doesn't translate onto the big screen. Grade: C-.
Easy A (out now) is a teen comedy which is loosely based on The Scarlet Letter. A girl at high school pretends that she's slept with a guy she's just met. It kick starts a chain of events which turn her into the school's most talked about student. The plot is uneven but this is a very likeable movie. Emma Stone is great in the lead but so too are the adult stars. Grade: B+.
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore (out now) will put most adults to sleep. I found it very boring but let's face it, I'm not in the target audience. I hope kids like it. Grade: C.
The Last Airbender (out now) is terrible. It's about a young boy who has the power to control air. He will use it as a weapon to defeat an army of "firebenders" who threaten to take over the world. This story is poorly told. It's hard to work out what's going on. Further, the dialogue is laughable. The only positive would be James Newton Howard's film score. Grade: C.
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid (out Sep 23) is centred on a young guy and his attempts to climb the popularity ladder during his first year of middle school (around grade 6). Adults won't find too much entertainment here but pre-teens should be able to relate. 12 year old Zachary Gordon is nice in the leading role. Ending a little weak. Grade: B-.
The Girl Who Played With Fire (out Sep 23) isn't as good as the first film (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) but I'm still a fan of this Swedish series. In this instalment, Mikael is trying to find who is responsible for the murder of a young journalist. Grade: B.
