Movie reviews

Movie reviews this week looks at the thriller Uncertainty.

It stars the gorgeous Lynn Collins (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) as Kate and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) as Bobby, two young couple, going about their normal day who decide on the toss of a coin whether to spend 4th of July at the home of one of their parents or together, the movie follows them as they spend it together, when they happen to find a mobile phone at the back of a taxi, against suggestions from Kate to hand the phone over to the driver of the taxi, Bobby refuses, and tries to be the good Samaritan, by calling random numbers on the phone, telling them he happens to have found the phone at the back of a taxi giving his name and personal mobile number, as well as his address, to contact him so he can return the phone.

Soon afterwards someone calls saying they will arrange to pick up the phone from Bobby's location, and that they will be identified in a red shirt, while Bobby says they can identify him as he is wearing a yellow shirt.

It turns out that some shady characters are dead set on getting the phone, and much to Kate, and Bobby's horror, the fellow who came in the red shirt is shot in broad day light, while someone else phones Bobby on the same phone telling them his name is Dmitri claiming that the phone is his and he wants it back.

The young couple flee for their lives, as the assassin scans around looking for who the man in the red shirt came to meet. The first instinct of the couple is to rush over to the nearest police station and report what has happened, and to mention that it has something to do with the phone they found at the back of a taxi. Whilst at the police station they begin searching on the Internet with the names the know in connection with the phone so far, and happen to come upon some information that the phone might contain some financial figures to do with the lottery, and it could be worth several millions in the right hands.

The couple begin to wonder what on earth is so vitally important on the phone that someone is prepared to kill for it, and they decide to send a text message to Dmitri (switching on the phone for a short time as they are worried they may be some kind of trace on it) with an anonymous email account to email them on (so they can check it publicly), where they ask for $500,000 to give back the phone.

At first the man calling himself Dmitri, refuses stating this is his phone, and threatening them, Bobby calmly tells Kate he will pay, while Kate says it doesn't look as if he is prepared to pay, however the last email sent from Dmitri says he will pay, and the young couple set about trying to find a safe location for them to meet.

What sets this movie apart is that it follows two different alternate scenarios, which the viewer sees simultaneously, instead of Kate and Bobby happening to find the phone at the back of a taxi, they alternate scenario is that they visit Kate's parents home to celebrate the 4th of July, where Kate's mother Sylvia played by Assumpta Serna (Henry the VIII) is trying to talk some sense into Kate's sister Sophie played by the gorgeous Olivia Thirlby (Juno), and Bobby tries to impress Kate's mother, father and very close knit family, amidst some interesting news the couple haven't yet found the strength to let Kate's parents know about.

Uncertainty is a very interesting movie of cat and mouse, with superb and energetic performances from the brilliant cast.
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Labels: Action, alternative scenario, Assumpta Serna, film review, film reviews, films, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lynn Collins, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, movies, Olivia Thirlby, romance, thriller, Uncertainty

Movie Reviews this week looks at the drama The Men Who Stare At Goats. The title of this movie itself is intriguing as it doesn't give a clue what the movie is about.

It stars Ewan McGregor (the younger Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace) as Bob Wilton, a journalist whose wife has just left him for his boss, he is feeling sorry for himself, and contemplates going to Iraq on a hunch after finding out about some psychic division of the U.S. military, he hopes to write about this that will get him recognition, and that doing this will stand him in good stead with his wife, and maybe she can see that he is doing something of major importance, so he can initiate a reconciliation with her. Whilst in Iraq he comes across Lyn Cassady played by the stalwart George Clooney (Ocean's Eleven, Up In The Air). At first glance with the stories Lyn tells Bob, the audience just as Bob, begins to wonder about the mental well being of Lyn.

Lyn constantly refers to himself as being a Jedi, while Bob dismisses it as absurd (I am sure the irony of Ewan McGregor playing a Jedi in the last three Star Wars movies is not lost on the audience). After a while you realise Lyn did indeed work for a special branch of the U.S. military called New Earth Army, led by the charismatic Bill Django played by the legendary Jeff Bridges (Star Man), Bill soon after the Vietnam war tried various aspects of the hippy lifestyle, and is recruited to lead the New Earth Army, where amongst other things the students were taught remote viewing: Being able to tell the exact location of where someone is just by thinking about them, Lyn reveals the military kept goats in an abandoned medical centre, which were used to train soldiers on how to dress a wound, he also reveals his psychic ability was tested on goats, hence the name of the movie.

The New Earth Army had Lyn as its star pupil, and one of Bill's ingenuous techniques was to get his pupils to dance, and even say a little prayer to the Earth for eating its produce, these new age techniques, were found to be a little irritating to one of the other recruits Larry Hooper played by the dependable Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects), who has plans to launch a coup to take over the New Earth Army, not to mention being a little jealous of Lyn for his impressive psychic abilities.

Whilst in Iraq there is a little bit of reality for Bob, when on a journey with Lyn, their car breaks down in the desert, and as luck would have it someone comes along to pick them up, but they are taken as hostages instead, while Lyn calmly states nothing is going to happen to them, at this point the audience will no doubt be wondering just as Bob is, if Lyn has blurred the line between reality and fantasy.

This is an intriguing movie, and you are left wondering just how much of this story does the author himself believe as true. The opening credits does state most of the story in the movie is truer than you would believe, it is an interesting point of view, and regardless of its veracity it is compelling to watch.

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Labels: Action, biographical, drama, Ewan MacGregor, film review, film reviews, films, George Clooney, hippy, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, military, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, movies, The Men Who Stare At Goats, true story

This the fourth installment of this well loved science fiction drama.
We join the movie finding Marcus Wright played by Sam Worthington (Hart's war) about to be put to death in a Federal penitentiary, but not before he signs his body over to Cybernet (the precursor to Skynet) headed by Dr. Serena Kogan played by Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club).

We next see him in the year 2013 where he wakes up as if from a long dream, and happens to come across Kyle Reese played by Anton Yelchin (Star Trek), who lets him know that there is serious danger about in the form of various types of machines, terminators, special machine bikes, as well as harvesters, taking humans to some kind of prison, and even underwater machines. This is where we also meet John Connor with the war with the machines well underway. He is already a highly ranked commander in "The Resistance", and the pockets of humanity listening to his broadcasts are already slowing turning their allegiance to him, especially when one of the generals of the Resistance General Ashdown played by the veteran Michael Ironside (Total Recall) has found a new weapon that could turn the war for humanity; by disabling a machine by some kind of electromagnetic pulse however he is bent on winning the war regardless of the human cost. He has given use of the weapon to John Connor and a test outing seems to show that the weapon works.

Unfortunately Kyle Reese is captured along with his quiet associate Star played pretty well by the adorable Jadagrace, and they are placed in a harvester headed to one of Skynet's headquarters, but Marcus escapes. He runs into a female Resistance fighter, Blair Williams who eventually takes him to John Connor, but not before he saves her from some savages, there is a lovely scene where she says she is cold and would like to lie down next to him, she lays her head on his chest and says she hasn't heard a heartbeat in a while, and says his heartbeat is strong really strong, however something very strange is revealed that makes for edge of the seat excitement. Marcus tells John that Kyle Reese has been captured and is headed to Skynet's headquarters, knowing what John already knows of the future, he is adamant to save Kyle regardless of the commands of his superiors which is going to lead to the inevitable confrontation that could divide the entire Resistance.

It stars Christian Bale (Batman Begins) as our eponymous hero, and the gorgeous Moon Bloodgood (that name alone just sounds like she belongs in science fiction [it wouldn't be out of place in one of the Twilight saga], however the name isn't American Indian but Dutch and Korean) as Blair Williams, her character is very similar to that of Jessie Flores played by Stephanie Jacobsen in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

We also get to see a terminator that looks frightening just like Arnold Schwarzenegger, the audience may do a double take if it is really him. Schwarzenegger's trademark phrase is repeated by none other than John Connor in a scene that is nostalgic for the fans.

The movie is as exciting as the previous sequels, with some great scenes and hopefully more sequels are in the pipeline.

Labels: Action, Anton Yelchin, Christian Bale, drama, film review, film reviews, films, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Ironside, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, movies, Sam Worthington, science fiction, Terminator Salvation

This is a fantastic science fiction movie that served as a template to launch a new action star in Vin Diesel (Saving Private Ryan, something about his voice reminds me of an engine).

He stars as Richard B. Riddick, a no-nonsense convict, who is being transported by an equally rugged bounty hunter William J. Johns played by Cole Hauser (Too Fast Too Furious). The rest of the crew headed by the captain Carolyn Fry, played by the lovely Radha Mitchell (Phone Booth), are all told to steer clear of Riddick as he is considered extremely dangerous, hence the very large bounty on his head, and are told Riddick would sooner take the ship and leave every one stranded if he could, in order to save his skin.

They crash land on an apparently desert planet, with supplies running low, and the crew of the ship made up of an Imam, Abu Al Walid played by Keith David (Crash) and his disciples searching for New Mecca. In a desperate search for water, they happen to come across what looks like trees from a distance but on closer inspection it seems it is the skull of a dead animal almost like a dinosaur. It soon becomes obvious to the rest of crew that there is life on this planet, and eerily, this particular night, an eclipse will occur which would mean the nightlife will come out in search of food, seeking out fresh victims in the crew.

The captain makes a decision that they must all work together if they are to successfully get out of this planet, and that involves freeing Riddick, while Riddick's bounty hunter William keeps a close guard, weapon at the ready in case Riddick tries anything.

Riddick seems to have gotten a fan in the midst of the crew, which could end up ominously for all involved.

In the midst of all this Riddick does have a little advantage over all the other members of the crew, his eyesight is superb in the dark, however he is extremely sensitive to light not unlike the creatures on the planet, and he has to wear some made to order goggles to protect his eyesight. Since Riddick is the only one able to navigate at night when the creatures on the planet are hunting, he is the only one best equipped to gather the equipment needed to fix the ship, so they can all fly out of this dangerous planet, but Riddick seems to only look out for himself, unless Fry can convince him to show some humanity, which is not one of his strong traits.

Labels: Action, Cole Hauser, drama, fantasy, film review, film reviews, films, Keith David, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, movies, Pitch Black, Radha Mitchell, Rhianna Griffith, sci-fi, science fiction, suspense, Vin Diesel

This is a magical fantasy movie starring Hong Kong Kung fu Legends Jackie Chan, and Jet Li in their first collaboration, Jackie Chan(Police story, Drunken Master, The Myth) plays Old Hop in the real world and Lu Yan in the fantasy Forbidden Kingdom, while Jet Li(Romeo must die, Hero) plays The Monkey King, and also stars as The Silent Monk.

The story surrounds Jason Tripitikas played by Michael Angarano(24, Will and Grace) being bullied by a gang, and his love of Kung fu movies, which he rents from an elderly Old Hop(Jackie Chang), during one particular night, Old Hop is robbed, and in the event of trying to protect Old Hop, he gets hold of an old staff, which transports him into the realm of the magical Forbidden Kingdom, where an evil Jade Warlord played by well known Kung fu Star Collin Chou. The Jade Warlord has taken over the Forbidden Kingdom while the King of Heaven is away.

This magical kingdom has a select number of Immortals, who cannot be killed except by a jade poison dart. It turns out that there was an immortal a Monkey King(also played by Jet Li), who had been challenged to a duel by the evil Jade Warlord, who was growing increasingly bitter over the favouritism shown to the Monkey King by the King of Heaven, as the King of Heaven left the Forbidden Kingdom into the hands of the Jade Warlord until his return, the Jade Warlord saw the opportunity to end the Monkey King once and for all, by attempting to kill him during the duel, just in time before he is killed the Monkey King freezes into stone, and sends out his magical staff out of the Forbidden Kingdom, and a prophecy was born that one will come that will return the Monkey King's staff to the rightful owner.

Our young protagonist suddenly finds himself in the Forbidden Kingdom, where he, Lu Yan, his associate Golden Sparrow played by the lovely Yifei Liu and a monk known as The Silent Monk (also played by Jet Li) have to get the staff to the Monkey King, however he is still immortalised in stone, in the lair of the Jade King.

The cinematography gives the impression of being in a fantasy world, where everything is possible.

It has some classic funny moments, especially where Lu Yan is trying to summon rain while the stern faced Silent Monk makes a mockery of his attempt.

This is a great action movie with fantastic comedy moments, and the fans are no doubt clamouring for a sequel.

Labels: Action, Collin Chou, fantasy, film review, film reviews, films, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Kung fu, Michael Angarano, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, movies, romance, The Forbidden Kingdom, Yifei Liu

This is a strangely enjoyable sci-fi movie. I half expected it to be similar to Jumper, and Wanted with james McAvoy and Angelina Jolie, and the plot does get a little convoluted.

It stars the lovely Dakota Fanning(The secret lives of Bees, I believe that was her sister in Phoebe in Wonderland) as Cassie Holmes and Chris Evans(Street Kings, 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four) as Nick Gant. Two Americans who have found themselves in Hong Kong, in a race against time to find another girl Kira Bird played by the lovely Camille Belle( you might find something about her eyes being strangely familiar, ofcourse she was Evolet in 10,000 BC) in the hope to bring down the secret agency that has been hunting them down, and making their lives and those of their families hell.

They all have special abilities, and this is where it can get a little confusing, Pushers can push thoughts into people making them believe what they want, and do what they want, Movers can move objects, Watchers can predict the future(ofcourse the future is subject to change), Stitchers can stitch people back together that have been injured even those injured by Bleeders, who have the ability to echo high auditory screams that can smash glasses, damage ear drums, blood vessels, and literally move objects and people, Sniffers can literally find anyone just from touching their belongings, just like a dog, Wipers can wipe memories, Shifters can move patterns of light around objects to change the shape and appearance, we get to meet a shifter played by the fantastic Cliff "The Chameleon" Curtis as Hook Waters, and Shadows can prevent people by being found by Sniffers.

From the all action beginning where the young Nick Gant has to run away from the antagonist Henry Carver played by Djimon Hounsou(Amistad, Never Back Down), to the confrontations between Nick and Victor Budarin played by Neil Jackson(Quantun of Solace, Blade: The series), it is a non-stop action flick, with interesting plot twists many are sure to enjoy.

Labels: Action, Camille Belle, Chris Evans, Cliff Curtis, Dakota fanning, Djimon Hounsou, drama, film reviews, films, Movie Reviews, movies, Neil Harris, psychokinesis, Push, sci-fi, science fiction

I was surprised by how much I liked this movie, it tells the story of a 300 spartans war against a million persians, it is based on a Frank Miller's comic fiction about the true story, of 300 of the Greek King Leoniades fight against a foe of ginormous proportions in a million Persians, although in reality the 300 were supported by a few thousand locals, reality aside, this is a fascinating movie, the callousness of war and murder, are put aside in the spirit of freedom, and the fight from slavery, being seen as a prelude to the era of indepence and democracy we enjoy today. Released when the war following September 11 was at still in it's most fearsome this movie no doubt fueled the surge in many joining the war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The lead is played effectively by Gerald Butler( Dracula 2000), and the lovely Lena Headley(The Sarah Connor Chronicles) plays his queen Gorgo, David Wenham (Faramir in Lord of the Rings the two towers)plays Dilios, as well as Michael Fassbender(Azazel in Hex) as Stelios, and Rodrigo Santoro(Scarface the world is yours) as the arch nemesis Xerxes.

I was impressed by the direction, and the beautiful pictureque scenery. It seems everybody in there were in tip top physical shape, as I don't recall a movie where everybody had a six pack. The ability to pump your blood in the mood of the spartans ultimate war with impossible odds against the Persians is what makes this enthralling.

Labels: 300, Action, Frank Miller, Gerald Butler, History, Lena Headey, Leonidas, Movie Reviews, Myth, Persian, War