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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 01 August 2008

Brandon King (Phillippe) is a sergeant in the United States Army.  He’s just returned to his family’s home in Texas after a difficult tour of duty in Iraq.  He puts on a brave face but Brandon is a scarred man.  Some of the troops under his command were killed in Iraq and Brandon blames himself for their deaths.  He is struggling to clear these horrifying memories from his mind.

Brandon knows the time has come to get out.  He believes the Iraq war is a lost cause and he’s no longer prepared to risk the lives of himself and his men.  He wants to live a quieter life on his parent’s ranch.  It won’t be that easy however.  When he hands in his resignation notice at the army base, Brandon is “stop-lossed”.

Let me explain this term.  Stop-loss is a policy of the U.S. government and applies to the armed forces.  A military person’s set term of service can be forcibly extended in the interests of national security during times of war.

I’m not questioning this policy.  If the United States were under attack, I can understand the government’s need to use experienced troops to help protect the country.  However, how does it apply to the war in Iraq?  Congress never officially declared it as a “war” and public support for George W. Bush’s actions have been waning.  Should the military be able to force soldiers to return to the Iraqi battlefields against their will?

This new movie from director Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry) will have you thinking about these questions.  It certainly opened my eyes to the concept of “stop-loss”.  Peirce is hoping that it will increase awareness of the issue and help get something done.  There have been many protests and legal challenges against the policy but it still remains.

The film follows Brandon’s efforts to have his stop-loss overturned.  There’s more to the story however.  We see Brandon confront his inner-demons and we also see the effect that the war has had on his close friends.  These include those who served with him in Iraq as well as the family members who waited back home.

There’s a lot going on the film… perhaps too much so.  There are certain people who I wanted to know more about but the movie doesn’t delve very deep.  The most significant would be Tommy (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt).  He too was traumatised by the war and is now on a lonely path of self-destruction.

Whilst it is a bit wishy-washy at times, I did like Stop-Loss for its ending and its overall message.  The performances are great also.  Ryan Phillippe (Crash) continues to develop as an actor and Australian Abbie Cornish (Candy) is great in her biggest role to date.  Iraq war films are a turn-off for some people (as box-office figures show) but this will appreciated by those interested in the subject matter.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 21 July 2008

Four years ago, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock created one of the most influential documentaries of all time.  He starred in his own film and attempted to eat nothing but McDonalds for an entire month.  The film was Super Size Me and if you’ve seen it, you’ll know that it doesn’t paint a good picture for lovers of fast food.  It was no coincidence that McDonalds released its new healthy range that same year.

When Spurlock was last in Australia, I ran into him and his wife at an AFL match in Brisbane.  He was very friendly and he was interested to know what I thought of his movie (thankfully I liked it).  I’m happy to report that he’s put together a new documentary which is even better.

In Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden?, Spurlock travels to countries including Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan.  He speaks with the people of these Middle Eastern countries to find out what they think about the Taliban and also about the United States.  Oh, and yes, he’s hoping to find Osama Bin Laden in the process.  If he asks enough people, he figures that he’s bound to find the answer eventually.

This is a great film because Spurlock keeps things simple.  It’s shot similar to Super Size Me with Spurlock both the central character and the narrator.  He and his cameraman obtain some enlightening interviews with varying classes of people.  These discussions show a different side to the “war on terror” and will leave many viewers questioning the strategy of the U.S. government.

Now you might be asking yourself what’s the point of seeing this movie?  The majority of Australians are already against the war in Iraq.  Isn’t it just rehashing what we already know?  It does to a small extent but there’s a lot of interesting material that Spurlock uses to make his argument.  Even if you are opposed to war, you might learn new things to help reinforce your moral position.

I need to be careful though because when it comes to movies like this.  There are two very sensitive subject matters – politics and religion.  This film has something to say about both.  There will be some moviegoers who will be infuriated with Spurlock’s “propaganda”.

Regardless of how you stand on the issue, the film is sure to generate discussion.  That’s what makes it worth watching.  You’re still getting value-for-money after you’ve left the cinema.  Morgan Spurlock is a talented documentarian who loves to speak freely.  I look forward to hearing what he has to say next.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 30 July 2008

There’s no justice like vigilante justice.  I guess that went through the minds of those people behind this film.  Taken is a ludicrous action-thriller about a guy who kills just about everyone in pursuit of his kidnapped daughter.  Hmmm, the things we do for family…

Bryan Mills (Neeson) is our central figure.  He’s divorced and he lives alone.  He also seems to be very paranoid.  When his 17-year-old daughter (Grace) tells him that she’s going with a friend to France for a holiday, Bryan freaks out.  He doesn’t think she’s old enough to be travelling overseas.  The world is not a safe place.

It turns out that he’s right.  His daughter is kidnapped by a bunch of Albanians within hours of landing in Paris.  Who could have predicted that?  Anyway, Bryan knows his daughter is in trouble because he was on the phone with her as events unfolded.  He heard her screams and the foreign accents of those who took her.

These bad guys don’t know who they’re messing with.  It turns out that Bryan was once a spy for the U.S. government.  Once you’ve seen him in action, you’ll realise he’s got all the skills of Jason Bourne.  The only difference is that he has a few more wrinkles.

Bryan jumps on plane to Paris and immediately starts tracking down the kidnappers.  He does so with brute force.  You’ll find out quickly enough that he’s not afraid to harm or kill.  All he wants is to find his daughter.

I must say this is a strange role for Liam Neeson (Schindler’s List, Michael Collins).  It’s a stock standard action movie with few surprises.  I’d have thought he’d have gone for a script with a little more depth.  That said, he’s the best thing in this film.  The passion and relentlessness he brought to his character had me rooting for him.

I don’t have quite as much admiration for the screenwriters.  As I’ve already indicated, Taken is a movie which takes no chances.  We’ve seen this before and I’m sure we’ll see it again.  Bryan gets himself out of one too many perilous situations.  How long can he keep dodging bullets?  How long can he keep defeating large groups of armed men?  How long can he keep predicting how his adversaries will next act?

The bottom line is that the film lacks suspense.  I wouldn’t call it waste of time but I don’t think it’s a film you’ll remember too much about in a week’s time.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 18 July 2008

Jason Tripitikas (Angarano) is a teenager who loves kung fu.  When you see his bedroom, you’ll appreciate just how obsessed he is.  There are posters all over his walls he has a large collection of old martial arts movies.  He buys them from an old man who owns a run-down Chinese pawnshop.

Whilst he loves kung fu, Jason has no idea how to perform it.  He’s a scrawny looking kid and he’s never had any proper training.  His whole world is about to change… literally!  In attempting to escape from a group of bullies, Jason falls off the roof of a building and wakes up in ancient China.  In his hand is a bo staff that he took from the pawnshop owner.

Jason soon learns that there’s a story behind the weapon he carries.  It once belonged to a playful warrior known as The Monkey King (Li).  Five hundred years ago, The Monkey King was defeated in a duel with The Jade Warlord (Chou), an evil, power-hungry leader.  The Monkey King has been entrapped in a stone statue ever since.  The only way he can be freed is if precious staff is returned to his outstretched hand.

When The Jade Warlord learns that Jason has this weapon, he immediately sends in his army to get it back.  He wants to make sure that it is never returned to The Monkey King.  Jason will be helped by an unlikely new friend – a drunken warrior named Lu Yan (Chan).  Lu protects Jason from danger and starts teaching him a few kung fu basics.  Can they get the staff back The Monkey King or will The Jade Warlord stop them first?

The film is boosted by the presence of Jet Li and Jackie Chan.  They are the two most familiar names in Hollywood when it comes to martial arts movies.  You may be surprised to known that this is the first time they’ve appeared together in a major film.  They are joined by 20-year-old Michael Angarano who plays Jason.  I’ve been a fan of Angarano since I saw him in Sky High (released in 2005) and he’s great in this film too.  It’s a difficult age for any budding actor and I hope he continues to find good roles in the future.  He has talent.

When you size it up, The Forbidden Kingdom is best described as a family orientated martial arts film.  Younger audience will probably like it but adults may be let down by the limited storyline.  There are plenty of clichés and it’s all very predictable.  I know it’s what you’d expect from such a film but I was still hoping for something a little better.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 26 July 2008

I need to see a therapist because I just don’t “get” films like this.  I think it is absolute rubbish.  Yet, I’ve said the same thing about so many over-the-top action movies.  I’m becoming as predictable as the films themselves.  How does this flick make $130m at the U.S. box-office and score a 7 out of 10 rating from the public on the Internet Movie Database?  What’s wrong with me?

When it comes to farcical action, there’s one film that you must see.  It’s called Crank and it stars Jason Statham from the Transporter movies.  They’re actually making a sequel which will be released next year.  I never fully reviewed Crank on my website but let me say that it’s FUN.  It subscribes to a theory that I’ve long believed in – if you’re going to create a crazy action film then it can’t take itself too seriously.  It should be light-hearted and entertaining.  Check it out if you haven’t seen it already.

You should now have an idea as to why I hated this film.  The storyline is silly and convoluted.  Were there any jokes at all?  I can’t remember laughing very often.  Instead of fixing the holes in the screenplay, Russian director Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch) has spent the time showing off.  He tries to get our adrenalin flowing with crazy action sequences.  It didn’t work for me.  The special effects are blatantly obvious and it makes the whole thing look fake.  Was the whole movie made on a computer?  Are any of the actors even real?

It’s all about an ordinary guy named Wesley Gibson (McAvoy) who has a crummy job as an accountant.  His life changes when he is brought into the world of The Fraternity.  They are a secret organisation of assassins who kill people to help maintain world order.  What makes them special is that they can fire a gun and curve the bullets.  They can therefore shoot someone who is around a corner.  Don’t ask me how they can do this.

There’s a lot more to this story but I can’t be bothered going into it.  The reason that Wesley has been recruited by The Fraternity is too complicated to explain.  How this organisation continues to operate is also a mystery.  Wouldn’t the police be a little suspicious about all these killings?  Wesley is involved in a shootout early in the film and his face appears on the front page of the paper.  You’d think he’d be identified by someone but it doesn’t happen.  He continues to walk down busy streets and travel on public transport.

I respect James McAvoy as actor and can understand why he’s made a film like this.  After terrific performances in The Last King Of Scotland and Atonement, McAvoy is considered the “next big thing”.  Wanted is the Hollywood blockbuster that will launch his career in the United States and see his face plastered on huge billboards and magazine covers.  I hope he has a great career but this is not a role that I will remember him fondly for.  The same can be said for Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart) who plays a fellow member of The Fraternity.  You can tell that she’s been cast in this film for her looks rather than her acting ability.

I “wanted” to walk out of the cinema after about 20 minutes.  I regretted not doing so.