Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

Sleeper hits are often the surprise of the summer. The huge blockbusters go by, make a bit of cash and disappear into the sunset. The opening weekends are massive, then everyone tells everyone else how it wasn't really that good, and the following weekend the figures have plummeted, and the obligatory sequel is put on hold. Sleepers pop up from no where, open slowly and then continue to grow over the forthcoming weeks as word of mouth grows. So, the question is Where the hell did Dodgeball come from?

It's usual that films released in one month have been really heavily promoted from months before. Websites, teaser trailers, posters, magazine interviews, causing pr guru's across the land to spend huge amounts of money. The first time I heard about Dodgeball was when it flew into the USA movie charts at number one. Steven's Spielberg's film The Terminal was beaten to the top spot, which also gave Spielberg his worst opening weekend since Amistad. Now, Spielberg must be pretty pissed, because even he must of wondered where Dodgeball had come from.

Dodgeball: A true underdog story (to give it it's full title) is fairly standard in structure and plot wise it reminded me a lot of Kingpin. Although, the outcome is never in doubt, the storyline races along with too many hilarious moments to mention. Stiller plays White Goodman, the owner of a rather large gym called Globo gym. The persona is completely over the top and Stiller manages to squeeze every last laugh from this sleazeball of a character. On the other side of the street is Average Joe's gym owned by Peter Da Fleur (Vince Vaughn). The gym is run down and the punters are of all shapes and sizes. Peter doesn't really have a goal in life and just likes ambling on without worrying about anything. Because of this the gym has suffered and subsquently is in danger of being bought out by Globo gym. Unless, of course, Peter can come up with $50,000 to pay off the second mortgage.

Peter and his motley crew decide to enter the national Dodgeball competition to try to win the grand prize of.......Guess for it.........$50,000!!! Thus starts the film on its merry way to the joyful conclusion. The appearance of Rip Torn as Patches O'Houlihan, a national Dodgeball hero, brings some of the funniest moments of the film. His foul mouth and dodgeball training techniques are hilarious, and Torn manages to steal a lot of the funniest one liners (similar to his appearance in Men in Black). The team members involving a fat man with a male order bride, a wannabe pirate(Alan Tudyk, Sunny from I,Robot (honestly)), a dweeb who's looking for love and a cheerleading love struck teen (Justin Long from Jeepers Creepers). Each character brings about its individual laughs and manage to bounce off each other well.

The actual sport is pretty silly and involves throwing a ball as hard as you can at your opponents. It really is amazing how seeing someone getting smacked in the face or the balls can be funny. It's obvious a lot of thought has gone into the rules and spectacle of the Dodgeball tournament. The ESPN channel section is great and the commentaters are so enthusiastic its cringing! There are so many little jokes that this film should still be funny after several watches because you'll laugh at different things.

This leads us on to the age old question is Ben Stiller funny? At times, his Goldman character is ridicously over the top. I was worried at the start of the film if I was going to find this funny after seeing Starksy and Hutch earlier this year. Luckily, my doubts were seen off right at the start of the film. The opening sequence immediately gives you an idea of Stiller's character. Pompous, arrogant, rich, sleazy and slimy. But, ultimately very funny. A definite contender for funniest character of the year. As, for the film its probably managed to offend every different section of the American community so lets just let it do it here and laugh while it happens!

Ben Stiller camps it up in Dodgeball 

The Village

The Village

The Sixth Sense rocked the world. The cries of 'no way he's dead' could be heard throughout the universe, and proved that Bruce Willis could truly act. Unbreakable followed a similar slow methodical pace with a really devious twist that caught the majority of people by surprise. Signs brought an alien invasion to earth, yet still managed to make you leave the cinema shaking your head questioning everything you'd just seen. Welcome to the world of M.Night Shyamalan.

The Village is the fourth film by M.Night Shyamalan, and the setting is completely different to anything that has come before it. Now, its very difficult to write about a film of this nature as the smallest piece of information could enable you to guess the twist. But, here lies a problem. When the Sixth Sense was released, no one thought for a minute that Bruce was dead. No-one was expecting it and that's what made the film so clever. The more films, that you have seen of Shymalan, the more you start to question what your actually watching. What's real? What's not? Where's the twist? The slow pacing involved in all of the previous films allows the viewer to be drawn into the film and this makes the twist hit home harder than it possibly should. And this is the contencious issue, some people love his work and others hate it, and there's very little room in between. A certain amount of patience is required to stick with the characters and actions that build up to the reveal, and people expecting a scary film that will constantly have you jumping out of your seat should not go and watch this movie.

The film is based in a segregated community similar to the omish or Mormon societies. Next to the village is a large section of woodland which is inhabited by some kind of creature. The villagers do not enter the wood, and the creatures do not enter the village. An amicable agreement between the differing parties. The Village is led by a group of elders who act as a council, making decisions on behalf of their own community. William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver make up a section of the council, and it's their son and daughter which form the integral relationship of the film. Hurt's daughter is in love with Weaver's son (Joaquin Phoenix) and the feeling is mutual but difficult surroundings make it hard for their relationship to form. Bryce Dallas Howard (Ron Howard's daughter) makes her film debut as Hurt's daughter, Ivy. This is the standout performance of the film. Ivy is blind but has an amazing sense of here surroundings whether it be by smell, hearing or the colours that her eyes can identify.

The rest of the supporting cast all have there bit parts, but the talent available in the film isn't given the fullest opportunity to express themselves. Weaver is under used. Brendan Gleeson is also lacking in screen time. Adrian Brody stars as a mentally challenged young man, in a similar vain to Leonardo Di Caprio in What's eating Gilbert grape? Great physical acting, and an emotional side which demonstrates Brody's Oscar winning talents. Ultimately though, the ensemble feel does pay off, as the final twist incorporates everyone.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film and found it to be a very clever and thoughtful movie. The twist will not be liked by all, and this was evident in the bemused faces of some patrons as I left the local cinema. It's difficult to say much more, as you have to just become involved in the film to truly appreciate the ending. The only advise I can offer is go in with an open mind and try to absorb the film, don't look to hard for the twist and you should be pleasantly surprised or totally amazed.

The Village 

Christmas Cheer! Not this year!

Lemony Snicket

The Grinch that stole christmas was the biggest grossing film of 2000. It was a massive hit and had Jim Carrey in full on mental mode! 7 hours of make up to transform him into the evil Grinch. Now, most people in work know that i think Jim Carrey is the greatest and i also get ribbed a lot for this. But, Jim's new film is looking to repeat the huge box office take of the Grinch with Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate events.

Based on a series of kid's books which are huge in the USA, Jim stars as Count Olaf. Go to the link and watch the trailer, you can already see that it looks like Jim's back to his best. After, a couple of years of being fairly quite, this could be the film that keeps Jim at the top of the comedy box office.

Along Came Polly

Along Came Polly

Romantic comedies seem to pop up everywhere these days, and unfortunately the majority of them are carbon copies of others. It's pretty difficult to come up with new situations for people to fall in love. Jennifer Aniston has already starred in a fair few of these rom-coms none of which have been very good. Stiller on the other hand has made a living playing the geek, the awkward mumbler who comes a cropper at all the wrong times.

Along came polly is a fairly simple story which you will already know the ending from ten minutes in, but the route along the way is the fun part, and there are laughs to be had. Ben Stiller is Reuben Feffer, the happiest man on the planet as he marries his partner and goes off for an amazing honeymoon. The trouble is that his now wife cheats on him on the first day with a scuba driving instructor. Reuben is devastated and returns to America to try to get on with his life. His job as a risk accessor has turned him into an analytical nightmare. He's nervous, and scared of taking any chances. His life changes though when he bumps into Polly Prince (Jennifer Aniston), a friend from his much younger school days. Polly is the exact opposite of Reuben, she is indecisive and afraid of commitment, yet that manage to form a friendship.

After Starksy and Hutch, I had started to wonder if Ben Stiller was funny any more. Sometime his awkward comedy style just doesn't fit with me and find my self cringing at the screen and wanting to turn the channel. Meet the Parents is another example, of Stiller playing a loser who encounters various accidents. Along came polly doesn't seem to have as much of the cringing American comedy style, but the comedy set pieces are similar to those that have come to before. Think Harry on the toilet in Dumb and Dumber and you'll be pretty close.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman puts in another very funny supporting role as Reuben's wingman, Sandy Lyle. Sandy is famous for starring in a film when he was child, but the acting work has now dried up, yet Sandy's ego has managed to grow! Hoffman comes out with some brilliantly funny lines, and his timing is perfect. Another supporting character also manages to bag himself some of the best scenes of the film. Bryan Brown (Doug Coughlin from Cocktail) plays Leland Van Lew, an extreme sport loving , danger hunting executive who needs to get life insurance in order to take over his company. Ultimately, the decision lies with Reuben and his computer software.

Aniston puts in another average performance, and seems very similar to all of her other film roles. Although, Aniston has had the best film run out of the 'Friends' cast, she hasn't exactly had a sure fit hit. This is probably her best film to date.

I was pleasantly surprised by this film and did laugh out loud on several occasions, but like I mentioned before it just seemed that every scene could of been taken from a different movie. Stiller does manage to be funny without making you cringe, whilst the story skips along at a fair pace. It was perfect for watching on a Sunday afternoon when you don't have to think to hard to follow on. Nothing spectacular, but a funny solid effort.

Bryan Brown Goes EXTREME in Along came Polly!!

Dark Water

Dark Water

It's amazing how watching one foreign film has opened by eyes to some amazing films over the last couple of months. The film to blame for this is the American version of Ringu, The Ring. Having loved this film so much I went out and bought my first foreign film on DVD. The Ringu trilogy are all great films, and Dark Water is almost an extension of these films. Hideo Nakata the director of the first two Ringu's has created another masterpiece of tension with an underlying film which brings about a sadness that very few films manage to achieve. Dark Water is also based on a book by Kôji Suzuki who wrote the Ring, which explains the similarities in tone and themes.

The storyline is simple, a mother involved in divorce proceedings moves into an old apartment block with her 6 year old daughter. The weather at the time is awful and water starts to leak through the ceiling of the flat. As the mother tries to rebuild her life and get a job, she unknowlingly neglects her daughter in the very same way that she was a child. As the water coming through the ceiling gets worse and worse, a small child is seen prowling within the apartment building. The tension is bulit through simple techniques of slow building scenes, very little sound and dialogue and most of the time you create the creepiness within your own head. Some aspects of the film really do mirror Ringu, with the back story to the small child very similar to Sadako (the girl in the well). But beneath it all, the maternal aspects of life and a feeling of safety through motherhood shines through for a feel good ending.

It'll be amazing to see what the American version of this film will be like starring Jennifer Connolly and Tim Roth, as you certainly require a certain amount of patience to watch this version due to the lack of action. I'm certain that it will be acceralated in terms of story and shock horrors, but will probably remove the 'having to use your brain' aspects of the film which will be a great shame.

Deep Rising

Deep Rising

It's Friday night, I turn on the television and see a film starting. I start watching without knowing the name or the story. Great, I think. Twenty minutes in I was starting to get annoyed because I still didn't know what the film was called. Then, I start to get an inkling that it was Deep Rising. How? I hear you cry. Crap direction and god damn awful special effects that would be better off on a spectrum. That's how.

The first Stephen Sommers film I ever saw was The Mummy. I enjoyed it, cheesy one liners, average acting, good set pieces and pretty good CGI. It reminded me of Indianna Jones and Romancing the stone. Then came the sequel, cheesy one liners, average acting and one of the worst displays of CGI ever and a storyline fit for the bin. Recently, I caught Van Helsing. Another film by Sommers, with a similar theme! The answer seems to be that if the story is suffering, whack some CGI in and everything will be ok. The problem is, if your CGI looks like a pile of garbage, then nobody's going to get excited. No one is going to believe in the film, and the rest of it suffers accordingly.

Deep Rising is without a doubt, AWFUL. The acting is dreadful. Every Single stereotypical character that is normally present in a action/monster/horror film is here, the normal guy who manages to kick ass, the female love interest and a untrustworthy rich man! The actors aren't A-list and the film looks like it could of been made for channel 5.

Treat Williams (WHO?) takes the lead as John Finnegan. A man who is forced to join a gang of hi-jackers trying to take over a luxury cruise ship. Jason Flemyng (Lock, Stock and The league of extraodinary gentlemen) appears as one of the henchmen, as does Wes Studi (Sagat from Street fighter:the movie). As I said A-list this aint! The only real recognizable actor is Famke Janssen (Goldeneye and X-men) who stars as Trillian St. James. The cruise liner is deserted and there are no bodies anywhere. It's not long before the motley crew discover the cause. A giant squid like monster that swallows you whole and dissolves your body in acid while your still alive.

My immediate reaction to this was RIPOFF! One horrible and probably the only decent part of the movie sees one the crew shot from the inside of the squids tentacles after being half-dissolved. This is straight from Aliens and by now I'd really had enough. So when, Anthony held (Hannibal Lektor's dinner from the end of Silence of the lambs) turned up as the untrustworthy rich man, I had already guessed the entire storyline of the film. A 4 year old could follow what was going to happen next!

I very rarely stop watching a film part of the way through. Deep Rising only managed to escape this because I didn't know what it was called. Please for the love of god, only watch this film if you want to see how bad it is. If you want to enjoy yourself, you'd be better of watching the late Friday film on channel 5.

IRREVERSIBLE

Irreversible

The French are definetly strange creatures is my first point after seeing this remarkable film. Most recently French cinema seems to of undergone a transformation especially in the eyes of the British cinema going public, Amelie propelled French cinema into the lives and living rooms of normal British citizens who normally wouldn't dare to watch a film with subtitles. Now Amelie is a great film but one of its predecessors is a mile better. Delicatessen shares a similar cast, due to the director Jean-Pierre Jeunet and is a darker, more mysterious film. Irreversible on the other hand goes further than any film I have seen recently. Dark, moody and down right shocking in places with its graphic depiction of violence in a natural environment. This could take place in any city, in any country, right now. It doesn't require a futuristic setting like Kubrick's A clockwork Orange, that's why it seems so much realer.

It's impossible to really explain the film without giving too much away. The joy of watching it for the first time will never be repeated as you will know what's coming next, but its not your standard story or time line. Based around the life of a couple Alex and Marcus, and their friend Pierre (who happens to be Alex's ex). The rapid destruction of the 3 lives takes seconds but no doubt the consequences will live with all 3 forever.

A simple morale runs through the entire story - time changes everything. This couldn't be more true with this film. Starting at a point which would make anyone feel physically sick and ending with a lovely scene which brings everything together and brings a sense of joy to a film that really shouldn't make you feel happy. It's almost coming away with a guilty feeling of warmness from a deep foreboding film that could play on your mind for days.

Having been told about this, but not really knowing too much a bout it definitely made the experience better, so I'll leave you to make your own mind up about a film that has no doubt changed the way French cinema will be portrayed in a much more sinister way than Delicatessen or Amelie could ever imagine.

Torque

Torque

The Fast and the furious went down a storm when it was first released, but unfortunately it led to a genre of film based around it. Biker boys came first and then 2 Fast 2 Furious. Biker boys was alright, and I think that the second Fast and furious is possibly batter than the first. So this leads us onto the next installment, Torque.

Martin Henderson stars as Ford, who is on the run from the police after a Biker group had hidden drugs in a motorbike he was fixing up. With the FBI looking for him, Ford has returned home from Thailand to try to settle things. It's not long before Ford has managed to find himself in a spot of bother with another site of Bikers led by Trey (Ice T). The story then focuses on the imploding situation between the police, the bikers and Ford, who continually tries to clear his name.

It's obvious from the get go that this film isn't going to take itself too seriously, and it was at this point that I took my brain out and carried on watching. Definitely a popcorn type of movie, although hopefully, you will still come away from it with a smile on your face. The acting is okay, and probably all that could of been hoped for from a script that is littered with cheesy chunks.

'I live my life a quarter mile of a time'

Cheddar overload! But, its the fast past and chase sequences that manage to make the film watchable. There are some ridiculous elements with bike chases on top and through a moving train, and outrageous wheelies and spins in a forest. They are well performed and the computer effects are good right up till the very end. Its during these sequences you end up cheering on the goodies, exactly as the filmmakers planned.

The problem lies with the ending. A simple idea it may be, but the CG is dreadful. Think The Rock in The Mummy returns as the scorpion king and multiply the crapness to the millionth power and you'll be some where close. A chase sequence with bikes going at speeds beyond possible should of been brilliant, but it ends up looking like a comic book. I can't describe how bad they look, it is almost cringing at points, that the producers actually expected you to think that the actors were actually doing the chase. This did really put a dampener on the film for me as I had really enjoyed the no brainer aspect up till the end.

So, its obvious that this film is never going to win any awards, but it doesn't make it crap. Watch this film with a few beers, a few mates and you'll probably enjoy it. Watch it on our own and believe its going to be the next Oscar winner, and you'll be leaving with a bad taste in your mouth.

Amores Perros a.k.a Love's a bitch

Amores Perros

Since Pulp Fiction, interlinked stories have continually been used in films as a clever technique to involve convoluted tales, twists and turns. Most of these have failed to live up to a film that shouldn't be imitated. Therefore, as soon as it becomes apparent that a film has several stories overlayed, or the perspective of a single event seen by others, comparison's start to fly. This isn't to say that films like this aren't original as Amores Perros manages to convey every emotion possible into two and half hours of deeply involving screen time.

The central premise is simple. A car crash in Mexico links three central characters. Octavio (Gael García Bernal) loves his brothers wife and is desperate to escape his mundane rundown Mexican town. Valeria is a fashion model who believes looks are everything and lives in a very superficial world, and El Chivo, a run down old man with no family who carries out 'hits' for cash.

The films narrative is broken into three chapters, and focuses before and after the car crash. Although, the chapters break down the film and focus on a specific set of characters, this doesn't mean that the other characters are forgotten as soon as their piece is finished. It's amazing how the film manages to tie up all the loose ends. A very clever underlying theme of the relationships with dogs also helps this.

The acting within each segment is superb with another superb turn by Bernal (Y tu mama tabien), with the emotions portrayed by the central characters ranging from extreme anger to over-whelming happiness. Yet, they can be immediately felt by the viewing audience. Sometimes, the drama unfolding is almost too realistic, an example being continued used of 'dog baiting' which at times is impossible to see how they've actually filmed it, without injuring the dogs. As for the car crash, the director has gone for realism, over spectacle.

The film lags slightly in the middle third, and could certainly of been cut down to make it a little more fast paced. Yet, its impossible to draw yourself away from the screen , due to the connections that can be made with each of the central characters. The first chapter whizzes by yet seems to encompass so much detail, the second chapter really focuses on the helplessness of someone's life that is changed forever, and the third manages to represent how life can change for the better.

For this to be Alejandro González Iñárritu first film is incredible, and will hopefully lead onto many more films that challenge the audience to think rather than switch off. Brilliantly shot, remarkably touching, and great performances from the cast create an incredibly deep film which will hopefully keep you thinking long after the final credits roll.

I, Robot

I, Robot

Isaac Asimov is the king of robotics. His short stories which manage to incorporate 3 laws of robotics have been milling around the cinematic arena for years, but how could they ever be converted to film. Well, add amazing computer graphics, one of the biggest stars in the world, Will Smith, and storyline that actually makes you think, and your pretty close!

It was never going to be possible to fully incorporate Asimov's ideas or fully recreate his stories, therefore, this film focuses on a society where robots have developed to such an extent that there should be one in every home. The three laws premise is used to it's fullest extent, and develops the story in a subtle way. The basic ideas behind the rules are that robots are unable to harm humans, or allow them to be harmed. Although, broken down to this level, it does sound quite basic, but it's the intricate plot that keeps your mind searching for the answers.

Will Smith plays Detective Spooner, who is returning to work after a long period of time due to an car accident. He is quite skeptical of the robots introduction into society, and has very little trust because of their standardized way of thinking. Things start to hot up, when Spooner comes across an apparent suicide involving the death of Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell) who spawned the three laws of robotics. This leads us into a complicated 'whodunit' with the lead suspect in the suspicious death being a robot named Sonny.

The supporting cast support Smith well, who himself manages to put in a brilliant performance with just a touch of the wise-cracking that we normally associate the fresh prince with. Bridget Moynahan (The Recruit, Coyote Ugly) stars as Susan Calvin, a scientist who worked alongside Lanning. As the only real female character in the film does manage to keep up with the frenetic pace, but also appears slightly (excuse the pun!) robotic.

Whilst not being quite as serious as Miniorty Report, it does feel similar with the amazing use of computer graphics to expand the futuristic world laid out in front of you. But, always managing to keep the movie going whether it be robot filled set pieces or extended scenes of plot revelations. At the end, it really does become quite a mystery, and the final twist is quite refreshing.

Alex Proyas past films have always tended to be quite dark i.e. The Crow, Dark City. I, Robot has touches of dark but the ending should ultimately leave you with a happy feeling, yet it is produced without the general overblown cheesy endings of your average summer blockbuster. Although, the blatant product placement for a pair of shoes and a certain make of car stinks of corporatism and could of quite possibly been forced upon Proyas, so I'll cut him some slack.

If you think that your going to get gung-ho action, dialogue making you laugh constantly and a plot line with more holes that a block of cheese, then go watch Spiderman because this is one summer blockbuster that actually holds it's own against some of the more intellectual films realized this year.

Y TU Mama Tabien (And your mother too...)

Y Tu Mama Tambien

A road trip movie with 2 weed smokin, sex crazed Mexican kids probably sounds like the next installment of the growing list of American pie, old skool, road trip gross out comedies. However, this is nothing of the sort. Although, it does have funny moments, some disgusting antics, explicit sex scenes and language to make your mum blush, it manages to delve deeper into friendship, relationships and growing older.

The story is fairly simple and it leaves a lot to the imagination in the building of the two central characters, Tenoch and Julio. Two friends whose girlfriends are leaving to go traveling in Italy. There are differences between the two, mainly involving there family and upbringing. As the girlfriends leave, the lads immediately start to party and think about the girls will and what they'll be getting up to with the Italian men.

The relationship between the two to is quickly established, smoke loads of weed, drink loads of booze and masturbate as often as possible. It's difficult to see anything ever coming between the two, but the arrival of an older women (as it always is!) leads to a road trip that will bring the pair to breaking point.

The emotional core of the film is quite touching at moments and the performances are fantastic. The sexual dialogue between the three is hilarious, graphics but it sits perfectly with the open attitudes involved. As I had never watched a Spanish language film before I struggled at first to read the graphic language and thought how it was probably funnier if I could actually understand Spanish. But that's not to say that I didn't laugh loudly throughout the film, as sometimes the continued conversations lead to lack of breath! One scene later on in the film, when the lads shout to their friend in a bar is a particular stand out funny moment.

As the film develops and time passes, its quite sad to see the relationship between the boys spoil. Trust falters and betrayal is revealed but you still feel that deep down these two lads will be mates forever. It also brings a direct emotional connection to relationships in real life. Life throws many situations in your path and relationships do often suffer, some grow stronger, but its amazing how people can often pass through your life.

The ending didn't come as a shock to me as I did guess the slight twist, a while before it happened. Although, it still had the same effect. It hits home emotionally, and I was left thinking about the film for a good few hours after. Quite reflective in its style, this film manages to be an emotional, character driven road trip with 2 weed smoking Mexicans!

Tigerland

Tigerland

Vietnam films always seem to be fairly depressing. Casualties of war bases itself around rape. The deer hunter involves Russian roulette and psychological torture. Full metal jacket tackles suicide and eventually full on war scenarios. So I was pleasantly surprised to see a film about Vietnam which distances itself from these other classics. No actual war scenes and more character based, Tigerland manages to entertain without feeling the need to be shockingly violent. This isn't to say that the film is all love and peace, of course blood flows and psychological issues raise their ugly head but it is a film about war!

Joel Schumacher has created some classic films but none that would be described as really meaningful. The lost boys and Batman forever are good films but pretty much popcorn material. This represents more of a similar tone to A time to kill. Development of characters and the bringing about of emotions. The cast are (or were at the time) relatively unknowns. Colin Farrell takes the lead as Bozz, an out of control army recruit who has no time for war but has leadership qualities which others are lacking. The story follows Bozz as he befriends Paxton and tries to get as many people out of going to Vietnam. Of course he manages to piss a lot of people along the way and makes quite a few enemies, which makes for interesting relationships between Bozz, his comrades and his superiors.

The rest of the cast are noticeable, Cole Hauser from 2 fast 2 furious, Clifton Gonalez from Traffic and each person plays a significant part in the storyline. The running time is fairly short for a film of this scope, yet it never feels rushed and the time is used well. Farrell excels again and its amazing how, from starring in Ballykissangel he has grown to a Hollywood superstar.

There are still exaggerated characters which bare resemblance to R.Lee Emery in Full metal jacket but no Vietnam film would be complete without these. Although, these do lead to scenes of victimisation they also bring about a degree of humour which can lighten the mood. Really well shot with interesting emotions running throughout, Farrell's back catalogue of good solid films continues to grow.

Nikita

Nikita

Through the ages, criminals have been treated very differently. The death penalty, prison sentences and rehabilitation. Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange took a different approach. Serious crimes deserve serious treatments and the kind of 'brain washing' or 'programming' that occurs in that film is extreme and not necessarily for the best. Nikita is a similar kind of film in storyline, but that's where the similarities end.

It's quite possible that before watching this film ,the majority of the viewing public will of seen this film in another form, either the awful American remake 'The assassin' with Bridget Fonda or the TV series La Femme Nikita. A drugged up women is tied to a gang of ruthless thugs due to her dependency on hardcore recreational pharmaceuticals. Her involvement with the gang seems to be minimal until she's caught up in a police shoot out and commits an horrendous act and is taken into custody.

From here the story changes towards the rehabilitation of Nikita's character and the focuses on her 'programming/training' by a government agency. Along this path, she is guided by Bob (Tchéky Karyo) and trained into becoming a lady and then a hitman. At this point, the film becomes fairly slow paced, yet doesn't fill in any back story and it's hard to establish how Nikita managed to get herself into this position in the first place. It's because of this that its hard to feel any emotion for Nikita when she is being put through the difficult training and the subsequent challenges she encounters back out in the real world.

The first 'hit' that Nikita is given is brilliantly shot, and the action seems brutally real. The bullets fly, the blood flows and the final escape from the clutches of an explosion is great. It's just a shame that the rest of the film couldn't continue this frantic pace, and on-the-edge of the seat action.The relationships that Nikita forms aren't fulfilled and its obvious that sooner or later the truth will become clear for all to see. But, this is where the film falls down as its impossible to truly emotionally connect with any of the characters involved. There is one scene involving Jean Reno which is extremely brutal and shocking which manages finally brings Nikita's vulnerability to the screen, unfortunately its far too late into the film.

Without giving too much away, the ending lacks something. The film ends at a point with a lot of questions unanswered, possibly left open for a sequel which never happened or just to let the audiences imagination run riot. This isn't to say the film isn't entertaining as at some points the tension is high and the action is excellent, but I was hoping for so much more. This could of been because I knew a lot of the story beforehand, but it could also be because I wanted to feel something towards the characters but wasn't able to, at the times the story needed me to. It is interesting to see Jean Reno though, as his performance is short, sweet and too the point and almost certainly won him the role in Leon.

The School Of Rock

School of Rock

The first film I ever saw Jack Black in was The Cable Guy with Jim Carrey. Now, most people I know hate this movie. I, on the other hand find it really dark and really funny. Although , only a bit part for Black, he does have a few great lines. Over the last few years, he has constantly starred in very funny films including Shallow Hal and Orange County, so I looked forward to the release of School of Rock.

Black stars as Dewey Finn, a down and out rocker who is recently booted out of his own band for performing 'gut-wrenching lead guitar' and stage diving straight to the floor. He has no money and no prospects until he takes a phone call meant for his flat mate Ned. Ned is a substitute teacher and Dewey decides he can get rich quick by taking the job by pretending to be Ned.

With Black's musical background with Tenacious d, this film is the perfect vehicle for him to show off his energenic comedic style and his musical talents. As the substitute teacher, Dewey has the perfect opportunity to try to form a rock band from the class of children. Black's facial expressions, sound effects and constant hyperactivity could annoy some people but it fits well with the classroom situation. The kids involved perform brilliantly and its funny seeing adult stereotypes applied to the youngsters i.e. a gay fancy designer, and the relationships that form give the audience a group of people to really root for.

The storyline is pretty simple and works in a similar vain to Rocky or the Karate kid with music. Long training sequence ending in the final battle with various altercations along the way. The kids parents, a hilarious police encounter and a eagle-eyed head mistress (Joan Cusack)are all included.

The finale has a great musical number which builds on the fantastic soundtrack throughout the whole film. The kids rise to the occasion and give a resoundingly positive outcome to a very funny film, and possibly deliver some stars of the future. Whilst, Black continues on his quest for the comedy throne, and creates another completely different comedy character.

Although, a little cheesy with a smidgen of sensitivity, the film stills to hold your gaze and you'll probably find yourself tapping along to the theme song. It hard to find a film that manages to stay funny through repeated viewings, this is one film that does.

Shrek 2

Shrek 2

I still remember when I first saw Shrek and promptly coughed up a lung. Continually funny, a brilliant story and great characters. I remember when I bought it on DVD and watched it about 10 times in a month. Everybody I know loves Shrek. As this is the case, I was very interested to see what they could do with the big green ogre next. Luckily, it doesn't disappoint.
There was always going to be a massive interest in the second outing of donkey, Fiona and the lovable Shrek. With it being family friendly material, the age span of the audience was huge and that's why the first took the world by storm. Jokes for all ages, film references, cute characters and famous voices galore. Shrek 2 has the lot.

The film continues from where the first left off. Shrek and Fiona on their honey moon, before returning back to their swamp! A hilarious montage sequence involving a fantastic Disney mickey-take (no pun intended!). This leads straight into a Lord of the rings spoof which finished me off. Crying with laughter, it was one of those moments which begged for being rewound and watched again immediately.

After sunning themselves silly, the couple get back to the swamp to life happily ever after and but straight into donkey. The annoying little furry animal has a surprise for fiona when he gives her the post. A letter from Mum and Dad a.k.a the king and Queen of far far away. From then on, the film becomes a animated version of meet the parents. As the now threesome, make their merry way to Fiona's folks, a contender for funniest bit of the film appears. Donkey at his most annoying. The reactions from the actor's voices mixed with the superb subtle facial expressions from Shrek and Donkey exactly replicate what it would be like in real life. Juvenile in some ways, but absolutely hilarious.

The the film then continues as the relationships between the King (John Clesse), Queen (Julie Andrews), the fairy godmother (Jennifer Saunders) and Prince charming (Rupert Everett). Tossing and towing between the films central characters, its amazing how the film manages to stay simple. The film is slightly darker than the first,with more of an enemy figure as an adversary for Shrek and co. But, with more characters comes lots of different laughs. The introduction of Antonio Banderas as Puss-In-Boots adds another element to the relationship between donkey and Shrek, but also gives even more laugh out loud moments.

The soundtrack is as good as the first, with differing versions of well known songs. And the musical numbers within the film, are well done and also pick away at Disney's back catalogue. Look out for a brilliant Beauty and the Beast jibe. The animation is amazing and possibly even better than the first. The story is simple, yet effective and the actors have done another superb job into adding as much humor as possible into the short running time.

Quite different from the first, yet quite similar in other ways, Shrek 2 has already made millions and will no doubt continue to make more throughout the world and on DVD. Definitely as funny as the first, and the characters haven't become boring. I can guarantee you will watch this film more than once!

S.W.A.T

Swat

Another TV to film remake I hear you cry. With the reams of 70's/80's shows that have made it from the small screen to the big screen, very few have actually performed well. Charlie's Angels, Mission Impossible, The Saint, and the downright awful Starsky and Hutch have all made the transition in recent years. But, SWAT appears to be something quite different, a film that manages to avoid the satirical form of Angels, the overblown stunts of Impossible, the cheesy gadgets of The Saint and the film plays straight unlike Starsky. Therefore, SWAT comes a cross as a real film with characters, relationships and some awesome action.

Colin Farrell's leap to mega stardom has seen him play some quite diverse roles, and this film gives him an opportunity to flex his muscles (something I'm sure the ladies will love) but also gives him some quite dramatic set pieces to work with. Farrell plays Street, a disgraced officer who is kicked of SWAT because his partner disobeyed orders, and Street wouldn't give him up. But, Street gets one last chance when he meets up with a SWAT commander played by Samuel L Jackson. Farrell's relationship with Jackson is well worked but not overplayed, and the pair seem comfortable sharing screen time together.

Jackson like Farrell has made some very different movies over the last couple of years. He performance in Jurassic Park is brilliant and he is 'too cool for school' in the Quentin Tarantino movies, but he has also appeared in Deep Blue Sea, which we will forgive him for! Jackson manages to bring an air of coolness to most characters he plays, and in SWAT its no different. Jackson plays Hondo, a SWAT commander who has caused a lot of trouble in the past, but is being given one more chance to bring a team of police officers together to form an unstoppable SWAT unit. Jackson's mission to create the perfect team brings him across LL Cool J and Michele Rodriguez, who both bring different skills into the team.

Whilst, Jackson's men (and woman!) start their training, an international terrorist played by Olivier Martinez is arrested for having a broken tail light and then taken into custody once they find out who he really is. The film takes a different turn, when Martinez puts a ransom on himself. Who ever can free him will collect 100 million dollars (as Dr Evil would say). The trouble is, this starts of a war over all the rivals groups in town, and mayhem soon reigns.

The film itself is simple enough, but manages to remain focused on the task ahead, whilst also managing to avoid becoming littered with cheesy chunks. The characters work well together, and Farrell puts in another good performance which will no doubt boost his A list status. The action set pieces are different enough to keep the audiences attention, and the obligatory training sequence is well done. Being a 12A, the film isn't able to get really gritty, and is possibly a little too long. But, there are minor criticisms of a fun film which can be watched again and again.

Ju-On: The Grudge

The Grudge
Scary films these days are few and far between probably due to the ream of flippant slasher movies made in the mid to late nineties. Scream, I still know what you did last summer, Urban legend and the rest had scary moments, but only jumps not sustained weeing your pants terror.

The Blair witch project caused a storm when it was released and I freely admit that it scared me silly. The Ring was probably the last film to make me cling to my chair and also brought into the world of Japanese horror. Ringu, The Eye and Dark water are all slow paced, tension building films with simple stories. Ju-on: The grudge is similar in pace but has jumpy moments along with nightmare inducing tension. This film is scary as simple as that.

Ju-on is a convoluted tale of a mother and son who were brutally murdered in their own home. The story follows many characters within their own episode of the film, and focuses on their dealings with the family home. The film starts with an explanation of Ju-on that brilliantly prepares the audience for why the spirits are present, so no time has to be wasted with building up the back story. Therefore, the film goes straight into the tension building and the creepy atmospheric tones are matched by unothordox camera angles.

The film starts with a social worker called Rika. It's her job to look upon an elderly lady who is staying with her family. When Rika finds the old women she starts to feel a strange presence in the house and strange noises from upstairs. Rika's subsequent actions follow on to areas where her life crosses with other people who have had experiences with the house. These are not all in the correct order and at some points the story can become quite complicated. The best thing to do is think about family connections and the story should fit together nicely.

It's hard to explain why this film is any scary then Ringu or Dark Water, as the evil presences in the three films do have similarities. With, Ju-on there are various hints at scares from other films, the Exorcist being one. But, its the repeated scenes of unnerving and uncomfortable silences which linger and then creep up on till you are completely engrossed in the film. Then you get scared!

After seeing this film , I became aware that I didn't even remember reading any of the subtitles. I could tell you the complete story, but its almost as if the film tells itself. The dialogue is sparse in occasions and it really allows your imagination to run riot.This great film is the third in the series of Ju-on, but the first cinematic release. A fourth episode Ju-on:The grudge 2 has been released in Japan and I will waiting eagerly for the release date here.

Ghost Dog: The way of the samurai

Ghost Dog
As samurai films go, I'm a lot more interested about the methodology of samurai and the ancient rules that apply. Of course, the fight scenes can be fantastic, limbs lopped off, blood spraying everywhere, even computer games like Bushido seem to focus on the grotesque rather than the respect and loyalty that is entrenched in the culture of samurai.

The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise develops the ideas of samurai through the entire film. Fights do take place and blood is spilled, but the ancient samurai codes are adhered to, in most instances. Japanese society is a fascinating topic, and one the main reasons I would like to travel there, is because of the history involved. Within, the Last Samurai, a large training sequence allows the viewer to become involved with the ideas of samurai and Cruise's character completely encompasses the methodology.

Ghost Dog cannot be labeled as a standard samurai film. The film is set in America, the lead samurai character is played by Forest Whittaker and the enemies involved are Italian gangsters. But, the film still manages to put through the ideas of respect and loyalty to a poignant conclusion. There are no sword fights, and no Japanese characters but its refreshing to see the same ideas transported into a different cultural environment.

The story is a simple one. Whittaker plays Ghost dog a hitman/assassin who is hired by an Italian mobster. Ghost dog heavily believes in the ways of the samurai after reading a book on the topic, and transfers the methodologies into his everyday way of live. As a youngster, Whittaker is attacked by a group of lads who are threatening to kill him. His life is spared by Louie (the mobster) and Ghost Dog then strikes deal to work for Louie as he feels he has a duty to him back. Ghost Dog respects Louie as a master. He is loyal to him in all ways, and therefore his entire life is dedicated to him.

Ghost dog's relationships with normal citizens are strange. He is known by the community and is also seen to be respected. But, his best friend is a French ice cream seller who speaks no English. This relationship spawns some of the films lighter moments, with the two friends unable to understand what either is saying.

The film moves fairly slowly as many characters are introduced, but twists and turns in various directions at the same time. Parts of the film are broken up by narratives from Whittaker on the ancient rules that Ghost dog follows. These cleverly match aspects of the film and can be related to everyday developments. It could be seen that these slow down the film too much, but if thought about and applied to the film then they can enhance areas of the film.

There are some clever touches in the film, with Whittaker placing his gun back into his holster in a similar way to placing a sword back in its holder. Although, he could just be seen as a hitman with little emotion, this clever touch brings the thought of Ghost dog being a samurai into the mind. Ghost dog's relationship with a small girl also shows that he does have trouble whilst socially interacting. But, when given the chance can be kind and caring.

Some may miss the point of this film and think that its missing something due to the lack of fights and traditional samurai, but if you look deeper into the underlying theme and then the films emotional climax, you may find if brilliant.