May

08

2010

How to train your dragon movie review

Posted by Ricky | Comment (1)

Category : Animation, CGI, Comedy, Family

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After the success of Avatar there was really no question if 3d was here to stay and one of the genres that has really grabbed 3d technology better than any other is animated CGI movies.  How to train your dragon has grabbed the technology by the horns and has used it very effectively.

We are invited into a magical world of Vikings and dragons where both are constantly at war with each other.  The Vikings are built like brick walls and their only objective is to slay all of the dragons, however there is one exception and this exception comes in the form of a character called “Hiccup”.  Hiccup longs to be a Viking warrior just like his dad, the chief dragon slayer.  There is one problem with this though as Hiccup has none of the brawn his dad has but thankfully he has the brains.

Hiccup uses his brains to make a dragon capturing device in which he uses to great effect, he uses his newly created machine and captures his first dragon, he soon realises however that his new captured enemy is far from dead.

Hiccup soon realises that his new captured enemy is far from the monstrous beast that he had been lead to fear.  Hiccup soon gives his friend a new name “toothless” and they soon begin to build a strong bond.

The rest of the Vikings meanwhile have decided to head off to the dragon lair to kill them all, so naturally it is left to Hiccup and Toothless to save the day.

How to train your dragon is a heart-warming story about bravery, courage and friendship which will affect the minds of both young and old.  Unlike many other movies the 3D in this movie does add to the viewing pleasure, and the flight scenes are fantastic.

How to train your dragon is a must watch movie for all of those interested in CGI movies.  I award this movie a very solid 4 out of 5 dragon stars.

May

08

2010

It’s a wonderful afterlife movie review

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Category : Comedy

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Gurinder Chadha once again is bringing a Bollywood style movie back to our screens.   After getting behind projects such as Bend it like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice and Angus, thongs and perfect snogging, Chadha as once again tried to create a similar type of movie.

We are taken on a journey to look at a mother’s desperate struggle to find a husband for her daughter.  However finding the ideal man for her daughter has been more difficult than expected.  Every potential husband however slowly starts to reject Roopi.  Angered by this, the mother Mrs Sethi starts to kill them one by one in curry related accidents.

In order for the newly departed souls of the victims to reach heaven they have to help Roopi find happiness. This includes getting Roopi’s mother off from the crimes she has committed by helping throw off the lead detective in the murder cases.

It’s a wonderful afterlife is one of those movies that truly should have been made, and if you go and watch this movie you will feel as if you have just got robbed.  This movie tries to be a light hearted comedy however in my opinion fails miserably.  The laughs don’t come quick or often enough as these type of films need to make any viewing experience worthwhile.  Overall the movie has a few quirky one liners but that is about it, the character performances aren’t too bad however I feel they don’t have a lot to work with in the first place.

This movie lacks anything to say to you that it is worthwhile, for this reason I give this movie 1 out of 5 stars.

May

08

2010

Cemetery Junction Movie Review

Posted by Ricky | Comments (0)

Category : Comedy, Romantic

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Ricky Gervais is practically a household name now and he has even broken into the world stage that is the USA.  From the office to extras and even the Simpsons, Ricky Gervais has conquered much of the world, so it is only natural that Gervais would want to up his game.

This time Ricky has decided to take a leap into the Directors chair, the result of which is Cemetery Junction. Cemetery Junction follows three young men, Freddie, Bruce and Snork all of which are destined to follow in their family’s footsteps of blue collar factory work.

However while they are still young they plan to live their life’s to the max, they intend to party hard while getting as many girls as possible.  This life style soon takes a change for Freddy however when he soon lands a job at a respectable firm.  Freddie is soon taken under the wing of his new boss as Freddie is seen by is elder as a younger version of him.  Freddie then falls in love with his boss’s daughter and soon begins to dream of exploring the world; however his family and friends do not share this dream which then leads to problems for Freddie.

Overall this movie is not what I expected from Ricky Gervais.  Cemetery Junction does offer some laughs however I was presently surprised by the well written story telling in this movie.  The young cast do well to carry the movie and all involved make this movie worth watching, for this reason I give Cemetery Junction 3 out of 5 stars.

May

07

2010

Date Night Movie Review

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Category : Comedy

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When you get two talented performers who are known for making us laugh you would expect this movie to have a bundle of them, however the writing of this movie makes us movie goers simply think of the money that we wasted to get through the front door.

Date Night stars Tina Fay and Steve Carell as a likable couple who pretend to be a different couple in order to secure themselves a table at a busy restaurant.  However what the couple don’t realise is that the people that they are pretending to be are mob blackmailers.  So naturally the couple are targeted and hunted down by the mob to kill them.

Insert some corrupt cops and then the couple are in real trouble.  The acting chops of both Tina Fay and Steve Carell carry this movie, however having said that they carry this movie barely.  Fans of the office know how good Carell can be, however sadly to say Date Night is nothing like the office.

Overall Date Night is one of those movies that you will need to watch and leave your brain at the door, if you fail to do this then you will be highly disappointed, however if you take this movie with a pinch of salt and try not to take it too seriously then you will not be rewarded highly but the experience will be a little more bearable.  If you’re out on a Date then please whatever you do give this movie a miss, because if you don’t you won’t have much to talk about after it.

I award Date Night 2 out of 5 stars.

May

07

2010

Night at the museum movie review

Posted by Ricky | Comment (1)

Category : Comedy, Family

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Ben Stiller stars as the ex night watchmen turned entrepreneur in this second instalment of the night at the museum franchise. Ben Stiller’s character Larry maybe a successful business man but he secretly misses his life as the security guard who hangs out with the wax statues that come to life after sun down.

When the future of Larry’s wax pals is threatened by being replaced by newer technology Larry leaps into action only to fail, the wax statues are then sent off to the Smithsonian Institute in DC, where they will lay to rest in its archives. Larry isn’t going to give up that easy though and teaming up with a young Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) they go on a journey to save their friends and possibly the museum at the same time.

The excitement in this movie just like the first night at the museum comes from when the wax statues come to life, and considering we are told this movie takes place in the biggest museum in the world you know there’s going to be a lot of action and fun along the way. Some of this action comes from Larry’s scrapes and scuffles with iconic characters such as Napoleon, Al Capone, Ivan the Terrible and there’s even a grouchy squid thrown into the mix.

Just like always Stiller plays the very likeable and non provocative male character that we all have come to know and love over the years and his chemistry on screen with fellow co star Amy Adams is very strong and compelling to watch even in what is pretty much a children’s movie. If you love the first movie or even if you haven’t seen it you’re more than likely going to love night at the museum 2. With it’s easy to follow story, its huge entertainment factor and with its reasonable run time grownups and the kids are going to love this movie. Night at the museum 2 is a huge fun giant movie and worth watching. I award Night At The Museum 2 a solid 4 out of 5 stars.