Mini Reviews
The Fighter (out Jan 20) is a story we've seen before - that of a washed up boxer who resurrects his career. It's still a strong film though. You get to know all the characters very well and the boxing scenes are suspensful. There are also some excellent performances - Whalberg, Adams, Bale and Leo. Grade: A-.
Yogi Bear (out now) is even worse than it looks. Grade: C-.
Burlesque (out now) is about a wanna-be performer who moves to Hollywood and gets a big break in a burlesque club. I don't think I've seen a musical with a more unadventurous plot. No chances, no suprises. The cast are decent though and it's nice to see them having some fun with the material. Once is enough for this film. Grade: B-.
Black Swan (out Jan 20) has been lauded as a near-masterpiece by many critics. I'm not convinced. It's about a ballet dancer who tries to discover her "darker" self in an effort to perfect the role of the Swan Queen in her company's performance of Swan Lake. I usually love director Darren Aronofsky but I think he overemphasises the film's themes and I wasn't sure about the horror elements. Grade: B+.
The Dilemma (out now) is about a guy who finds out his best friend's wife has been cheating on him. I can't believe this was directed by Ron Howard. Why would he choose such a straight-forward project? There's one great moment (at a 40th anniversary party) but aside from that, this film takes itself way too seriously. Grade: C+.
Unstoppable (out now) is "inspired" by a true story and is about two brave guys (Denzel Washington & Chris Pine) who try to stop a runaway train. Director Tony Scott is not known for his subtlety. The film scores 0% on the believability scale and to make matters worse, everything is spelt out as if we're all 6 year olds. Ah, but is it fun, adrenalin pumping action? Yep! That's why I didn't mind it. Grade: B.
Morning Glory (out Jan 6) is a comedy about a young television producer named Becky (Rachel McAdams) trying to improve the ratings of her station’s breakfast program. It’s a nuthouse behind the scenes – something I’m told which reflects reality. I'm usually a Grinch when it comes to rom-coms but Rachel McAdams makes this worthwhile. She's terrific. Grade: B+.
Tangled (out Jan 6) is a milestone for Disney as it represents their 50th animated film. It is also their most expensive. It’s hard to believe this cost a phenomenal $260m. That’s a lot of money for a movie with no big name stars and no live action! The story is that of Princess Rapunzel and how she spent her life trapped in a tower. I liked the film but I don’t think it’s up there with Disney’s best. Grade: B+.
Gulliver's Travels (out now) is about a wanna-be travel writer who goes on a trip through the Bermuda Triangle and wakes up on an island filled with tiny people. There's nothing in this movie for adults. The good news is that kids may like the silly, easy to follow story. Grade: B-.
The Tourist (out now) made me want to go back to Venice. That's about the only positive. It's about an American tourist (Depp) who goes on holidays, meets a girl (Jolie) and then finds himself on the run from both gangsters and the police. There are some really big holes in this story. Overheard a patron say to their friend - "Don't blame me. You wanted to see it too." Says it all. Grade: C+.
Little Fockers (out Dec 26) has received scathing reviews from most critics but I found a few things to chuckle about. The banter between Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro was decent. As for the story, it's the same kind of stuff we saw in the first two films. Nothing special. Grade: B-.
