Mini Reviews
The Lorax (out Mar 29) is the fourth feature film to have come from a Dr Seuss book. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is my favourite and is well worth a look. I realise this novel has been extremely well read. But the simplicity of this story left me scratching my head. There are only a few laughs and the characters aren’t that exciting. I much preferred Kung Fu Panda will all its action and fighting. Grade: C+.
Le Havre (out Mar 29) is a sweet French drama centring on a guy with a sick wife who befriends a young illegal immigrant and helps him flee the country. If you believe in the saying that “good things happen to good people” then you’ll enjoy this. A lovely drama. Grade: A-.
A Dangerous Method (out Mar 29) is heavy-going. All three characters are trying to outsmart each other through the power of intelligent, persuasive argument but many parts went over my head. It also felt like we’d only seen part of the story. I’d have preferred to have seen the sequel – to discover why Carl Jung became such a brilliant psychiatrist. Grade: B.
The Raid (out now) is repetitive, repetitive, repetitive but in contains some well choreographed action, action, action. There's not much of story and it can be summed up as a massive fight between police and a gang in an apartment complex. Fans of the genre will love it though. Grade: B+.
The Hunger Games (out Mar 22) is good, not great. I love the concept and thought the first half of the movie was wonderful. Once the games get started though, it's not as interesting. The storyline is rushed and the violence is disappointing downplayed. Does set up well for a sequel and hopefully they can build this into a successful franchise. It has serious potential. Grade: B+.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (out Mar 22) has some nice performances from a collective of British actors... but that's about it. It's features a rather shallow story about a group of elderly folk who travel to a dodgy Indian hotel and start appreciating the richness of life. Grade: B-.
Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance (out now) wasn't previewed for Brisbane critics and now I know why. Nicolas Cage is back (along with some terrible dialogue) and tries to save the world from oblivion by protecting an important young boy from the hands of the devil himself. This is not good. Not good at all. Grade: C.
21 Jump Street (out now) isn't too bad at all. There aren't many similarities with the 80s television series... but I think that's a good thing. It's not afraid to poke fun at itself and both Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum earn laughs. I'd only wish the plot (particularly towards the end) was stronger. Grade: B.
The Rum Diary (out Mar 15) is based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson and follows a American journalist who has moved to Puerto Rico and accepted a position with a struggling newspaper. The performances are great but I expected more from the story. For the most part, it’s just plodding along with the occasional dash of humour. Grade: B-.
Margin Call (out Mar 15) looks at 24 hours in the life of a major investment bank that is on the brink of collapse. Thankfully, the film does not demonise these characters - it portrays them as level-headed human beings who must decide whether to put their own interests ahead of others. The dialogue is superb and writer-director J.C. Chandor deserved his Oscar nomination for best original screenplay. Grade: A.
John Carter (out now) is not the adventure I'd hope it would be. I warmed to star Taylor Kitsch (who sounds a lot like Clint Eastwood) but the story was confusing. It is set on Mars and no one seems to like each other... but I'm not sure what they were all fighting about. Grade: C+.
