Mini Reviews
The Spy Next Door (out now) is a boring family flick starring Jackie Chan as a CIA agent trying to catch bad guys (who all seem to have Russian accents). He has to keep all this a secret though from his girlfriend and her three kids. The stunts were lame (so obvious they're not hitting each other) and the storyline has a "seen it all before" feel. Not my thing. Grade: C.
Clash Of The Titans (out now) is lucky it has a loud soundtrack. Helps drown out the laughter from the audience. This action epic about men battling gods has a big cast but the dialogue is dreadful, the accents are horrendous and the storyline is weak. Seeing it in 3D does nothing either (except taking more money out of your wallet). Grade: C.
Kick-Ass (out Apr 8) is about a nerdy kid who thinks he can become a superhero by fighting crime. He's not very good but he becomes caught up in a much bigger fight between real superheroes and a real supervillain. The storyline is great with plenty of laughs and surprises. Not for everyone with its strong language and violence but it certainly met my high standards. Grade: A-.
Micmacs (out Apr 1) is the latest film from Jean-Pierre Jeunet (director of Amelie). It's a black comedy about a bystander shot in the head after a shoot-out in the middle of the street. He lives to tell the tale and now seeks revenge against two huge weapons manufacturers. This is definitely quirky (usually a plus) but it didn't appeal to my own sense of humour. Expected a lot more. Grade: B-.
Welcome (out Apr 1) is a moving French drama about an Iraqi teenager trying to get to London to be with his girlfriend. He has made his way to the French coast and intends on swimming the English Channel to avoid detection by the authorities. The film makes some powerful (allbeit not very subtle) observations about immigration laws. Worth seeing. Grade: A-.
Nanny McPhee & The Big Bang (out Apr 1) didn't offer much of a bang if you ask me. It's just your stock standard sequel which borrows heavily from the original film and doesn't do anything new. Grade: C+.
Cop Out (out now) was excruciating. Did Kevin Smith really direct this? The same guy behind the brilliant Clerks? Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan play two cops caught up in a ridiculous case. I don't think I laughed once. Grade: C.
She's Out Of My League (out Apr 1) is a romantic comedy... and yet I liked it! What's going on? It's about a guy that's a "5" who starts going out with a girl that's a "10". Why's she dating him? Can he get past his own insecurities? His friends sure aren't helping! The ending doesn't quite work but the are enough laughs and likeable characters to make this a very entertaining movie. Grade: B+.
The Last Station (out Apr 1) looks at final year in the life of Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer). It centres on his strained relationship with his wife (Helen Mirren) and what he wants to leave behind as his legacy. Performances are superb but knowing very little about Tolstoy, I struggled to maintain interest. Grade: B.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (out Mar 25) is a Swedish thriller about an investigative journalist who has been asked by a high profile businessman to look into the disappearance of his niece 40 years ago. There are a few gaps in the story (always the trouble with a book adaptation) but it kept me thinking for the full 2.5 hours. Violent and confronting in places. Very good. Grade: A-.
Brothers (out now) is the remake of a 2004 Dutch film. A young married man (Tobey Maguire) goes off to war and is presumed dead after a helicopter crash. His wife (Natalie Portman) finds comfort in the arms of his husband's brother (Jake Gyllenhaal). See where this is going? The story chops and changes. I wasn't sure who or what it was really about. Performances good though. Grade: B-.
