Battle: Los Angeles (2011)

Being a huge fan of the Alien Invasion genre, Battle: LA pulls no punches in basically just being Black Hawk Down with aliens. Battle, struggle, set-pieces, explosion, CGI, half-time and full-time results - it's all there. As is a, now obligatory, Michelle Rodriguez role as 'kick-ass female with a firearm'. Visual feast; paper thin and meaty at the same time.


2.5 stars

Red (2010)

Aging stars turn up and take the paycheck here; they run around a fair bit and wise-crack even more, but the end result falls flat.


2.5 stars

The Green Hornet (2011)

Disappointing superhero movie which doesn't really click for Seth Rogen or the creative vision of Michel Gondry. A bit silly, and not much originality.


2.5 stars

The Expendables (2010)

Expectedly atrocious, but enjoyably so. Wry smiles all round from copious explosions and laughable acting. Boom, blast and ruination.

2.5 stars

Case 39 (2009)

With a credible cast who should know better, this is more a case of all filler, no killer.


2.5 stars

Brüno (2009)

Howlingly funny at times, Brüno doesn't deviate far from the successful formula set down by BCLoAfMBGNoK, but will still have you chuckling days later..

Janck 4 stars (Jul '09)


I was hoping for a stinging satire on the Fashion Industry, but instead of Funkyzeit, this was actually quite shite.


Mitch 2.5 stars

Observe and Report (2009)

Very average and seemed long despite the sub 90 minutes runtime.

2.5 stars (Janck Sep '09)


One dimensional characters make for a bland comedy. Give this a miss.

2.5 stars Mitch

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

A bit invasion, a bit disaster movie, a bit silly (much like Jennifer Connelly's fringe). I haven't seen the original, but this is definitely Hollywood selling out with style over substance. Hollow blockbuster.


2.5 stars

Eagle Eye (2008)

Far fetched and poor man's Enemy of the State. Flawed blockbuster, but still watchable.


2.5 stars

Righteous Kill (2008)

Look beyond the De Niro/Pacino hype and see this for what it is.. straight-to-DVD fair starring Curtis "Fiddy" Jackson.

Janck 2 stars (Apr 09)



In spite of bad reviews, the De Niro and Pacino match-up is too big a draw for even the casual viewer to simply ignore. However, these Hollywood heavyweights never get out of first gear, hindered by a bland and dated script. The end result is below average...but you will feel compelled to watch it anyway.

Mitch 2.5 stars

Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)

Original, yes, but if you attempt to make every scene quirky, this doesn't add up to the sum of its parts. Miranda July's independent film unfortunately comes across a bit forced and desperate for me, in spite of winning several independent film awards.


2.5 stars

Pineapple Express (2008)

Silly, but harmless stoner movie; and certainly one of the weaker outputs from the Apatow 'laughter' factory. James Franco is pretty good as the drug dealer though.


2.5 stars

Wanted (2008)

Very average. Ridden with action movie cliches, and littered with plot holes. The action sequences are very impressive though. Teenage movie made for adults who should know better.



2.5 stars

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)

Picking off teenagers one by one with teenage 'issues' is uninventive to the point of cliché. The movie tries to claw it back towards the end, at which point it becomes as forgettable as it is farcical. I expected a lot more from this 18 certificate teen movie.


2.5 stars

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Mitch : Not my cup of tea, I'm afraid. This movie's heart is in the right place, but it suffers from a genre identity crisis and is short on laughs for a so called comedy.
2.5 stars

Janck : I smiled, in spite of Jack Black.
3 stars

Nines, The (2007)

That this movie contrived to be exactly ninety-nine minutes long tells you a lot about the film. Shame I was only interesting in what was going on for about nine seconds.

2 stars




Mitch: Forgettable, esoteric drama. The question is, if you could invent three worlds, why invent these three? WHY?!

2.5 stars

Hallam Foe (2007)

Utterly bizarre Scottish indie film dealing with voyeurism and some darker Oedipus themes. Highly original, although there is simply too much here in terms of unrealistic behaviour from many of the main characters. This one will polarise viewer opinion. Fair play to Jamie Bell for picking a role so far removed from Billy Elliot though.


2.5 stars