Mini Reviews
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (out Sep 23) was a let down. It focuses on an ambitious broker who develops a friendship with his soon to be father-in-law, Gordon Gekko. This film doesn't know what it wants to say. It offers no new insight on the financial crisis and its characters are poorly developed. It kept my attention (maybe because I loved the original) but the ending is pitiful. Grade: B-.
The Other Guys (out Sep 9) is about two hapless cops who try to prove their colleagues wrong by solving a big case. Yes, I know this kind of movie has been made before but Will Ferrell and Whalberg make a great comedy team. There are plenty of "laugh out loud" moments. A little long though. Grade: B+.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice (out Sep 9) is a family-orientated action flick about a 19 y/o with magical powers who must defeat an evil sorcerer. I couldn't get into this. It's a weak plot. There are just too many "convenient" tricks that the good magicians use to get out of tough situations. Further, Jay Baruchel irritated the living hell of me with his voice and mannerisms. Grade: C+.
The Disappearance Of Alice Creed (out Sep 9) is a creative UK thriller with just 3 members in the cast. Two guys kidnap a young woman and demand a huge ransom from her wealthy father. If you like your movies with a twist, then don't miss this! This one has plenty. Grade: A-.
Despicable Me (out Sep 9) is an animated film about a struggling villain who tries to pull off his most evil act yet – stealing the moon. There are some fun moments and I’d recommend it for young kids over the school holidays. That said, it’s a notch below the high benchmark set by other animated films this year such as How To Train Your Dragon and Toy Story 3. Grade: B+.
The Kids Are All Right (out Sep 2) revolves around a family with two mums and two teenagers. Out of curiosity, the kids track down their father (who donated his sperm years ago) and it throws the family dynamic into chaos. There are some great individual scenes but I didn't think it added up to much. The film tries to cover too much material. Grade: B.
Vampires Suck (out now) well, um, sucked! If you think that joke is lame, wait until you see this pathetic excuse for a movie. You have been warned. Grade: C-.
Going The Distance (out Sep 2) is a romantic comedy starring Justin Long and Drew Barrymore. It's pretty predictable and I didn't think much of the supporting characters. That said, it does a nice job differentiating itself from other rom-coms with its sexual content. Long and Barrymore work well off each other too. Grade: B.
Tomorrow When The War Began (out Sep 2) is based on the book which seems to have been read by every teenager at school. The film is a little rough around the edges (dialogue needed work) but it's still quite suspenseful. It's made in Australia but it's as if they've tried to make it look un-Australian. The characters have a variety accents and the marketing makes it look very "Hollywood". Grade: B+.
Piranha 3D (out Aug 26) is a textbook B-grade horror film. Blood? Tick. Gore? Tick. Nudity? Tick. Scary music? Tick. Laughable dialogue? Tick. It's complete and utter trash but at least its not pretending to be something else. Grade: B-.
4.3.2.1 (out now) is a waste. It's about 4 girls who get caught up in a convoluted diamond heist. Their stories are told separately and then come together in the end. The film's style (which isn't all that original) masks the stupid storyline. Grade: C.
