I have fond memories of watching Legend when I was little, but unlike other fantasy fairytale films, such as The Princess Bride, Legend is hardly ever shown on television, and so I’ve had to wait a long time to relive the experience. Having rewatched it, I now understand the lack of showings.  Legend has not aged well. Flaws including cheesy dialogue and poor central performances from the leads are very apparent and hard to forgive as an adult viewer.
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The Hunger Games is a dystopian sci-fi adventure film. It is an interesting concept and brings to mind classics like The Running Man and The Handmaid’s Tale, both films set in an alternative future where the hero/heroine has to fight against the odds to survive.  It is currently breaking US records and seems set to do the same worldwide, but I think this is more due to the appeal of the film’s idea (Teen sci-fi is all the rage) than a reflection of the film’s actual quality.
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A chain-smoking nun driving through the Mexican desert. A Japanese man in his PJ’s wakening in a room with no doors. Family. Cherubs. Wrestling. Consequences. Rock bands. Soy sauce.
Symbol (Japanese title: Shinboru) is about all of these things, and none of these things. As a movie, Symbol basically defies description. But not recommendation: see it if you can.
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There’s a lot of oscar buzz surrounding The Descendants, and George Clooney’s performance in particular. I’ve heard it claimed it’s his best ever performance, and although I can’t say I think it exceeds his superb performance Up in the Air, there’s certainly no-one else who could have played this part better. He plays struggling father Matt King, trying to come to terms with the approaching death of his wife after she is seriously injured in a boating accident and the decision has been made to turn off her life support machine.
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Meek’s Cutoff follows a group of settlers in 1845 as they journey across the grim landscapes of the American Plains in search of a new life. The vast desert plains are the perfect setting for director Kelly Reichardt who is fast becoming known for her bleak settings and grim characters. Meek’s Cutoff is an interesting insight into the journey settlers took and it shows the bleakness and despair they encountered in their search for a better life.
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Anonymous has created a lot of controversy by asking the question ‘was Shakespeare a fraud’? Locals from Shakespeare’s hometown Stratford Upon Avon have been up in arms about this movie,  briefly covering up Shakespeare related signs in the town in a campaign against the films release. Their concern is that people will take the film seriously and question Shakespeare’s authenticity as a playwright which ultimately could impact upon British culture and education.
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Of all the Bronte Sisters novels, Jane Eyre is the one that has been adapted to film and television the most times.  I think its popularity is due to the fact that  although it is set in the 1840s and contains tragic elements, as well as comments about society’s class divisons, it is at heart a compelling love story and a good romance tale will always attract audiences.
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A psycho, a nymphomaniac, and a cocaine addicted jerk. These are the three horrible bosses of this comedy. I use the term ‘comedy’ loosely, as Horrible Bosses is nowhere near as funny as a good comedy should be. It conjures a few chuckles, but there are no laugh out loud moments. The funniest moments were all put in the trailer, and unfortunately the full length movie did not live up to the trailer’s promise.
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Red is proof that a film with an incredible cast can still be terrible. The individual talents of Bruce Willis, Brian Cox, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, and Morgan Freeman come together in this movie to play a group of retired and extremely dangerous’ (RED) assassins. Sound good? It isn’t. The action is overdone with excess of bullets, guns and explosions, and the romance side of the plot is completely unbelievable and cringeworthy.  Even the man to man fights are disappointing, as they are exaggerated and include machinery, rather than plain old fashioned fists.
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Animal Kingdom is a great Australian film about a family of criminals. The film immediately messes with the viewer’s expectations by introducing the criminal family in their home environment. They live in a seemingly normal suburban house and appear to be a close family who even share a family breakfast around a table. The only giveaway that anything is amiss here are the great wads of cash being counted and distributed at the table and the mention of a missing sibling hiding out from the police.
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