Mini Reviews
Beneath Hill 60 (out Apr 15) is a true story set in World War I. Instead of fighting on the front line, a group of Australian soldiers are trying to infiltrate the enemy by tunnelling deep under ground. This film pays tribute to their bravery whilst telling a very interesting tale. Strong performances too. Grade: B+.
Date Night (out now) was weak. If you're going to make a film with no story, you need more laughs than this. It only provided a few chuckles. It stars Steve Carell and Tina Fey as a married couple who get caught up in a ridiculous caper involving two corrupt cops, a shirtless Mark Wahlberg and a flash drive. Nope. Grade: C+.
The Eclipse (out Apr 15) is an Irish film about a widowed man who has been hearing strange noises in his house at night. Ghosts? Or something else? He confides in notable horror author who is in town for a book festival. Does she have any answers? A cross between a romantic drama and a thriller. Not too bad. Grade: B.
The Last Song (out now) is a Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook) adaptation. You know what that means? Tissues. Well, at least for some. It's about a rebellious 17 y/o girl (Miley Cyrus) being forced to live with her father over the summer. She meets a cute guy from a rich family and the two start going out. I wasn't too enthused by the story and the performances are average. Miley a better singer than actor. Grade: C+.
The Spy Next Door (out now) is a boring family flick starring Jackie Chan as a CIA agent trying to catch bad guys (who all seem to have Russian accents). He has to keep all this a secret though from his girlfriend and her three kids. The stunts were lame (so obvious they're not hitting each other) and the storyline has a "seen it all before" feel. Not my thing. Grade: C.
Clash Of The Titans (out now) is lucky it has a loud soundtrack. Helps drown out the laughter from the audience. This action epic about men battling gods has a big cast but the dialogue is dreadful, the accents are horrendous and the storyline is weak. Seeing it in 3D does nothing either (except taking more money out of your wallet). Grade: C.
Kick-Ass (out Apr 8) is about a nerdy kid who thinks he can become a superhero by fighting crime. He's not very good but he becomes caught up in a much bigger fight between real superheroes and a real supervillain. The storyline is great with plenty of laughs and surprises. Not for everyone with its strong language and violence but it certainly met my high standards. Grade: A-.
Micmacs (out Apr 1) is the latest film from Jean-Pierre Jeunet (director of Amelie). It's a black comedy about a bystander shot in the head after a shoot-out in the middle of the street. He lives to tell the tale and now seeks revenge against two huge weapons manufacturers. This is definitely quirky (usually a plus) but it didn't appeal to my own sense of humour. Expected a lot more. Grade: B-.
Welcome (out Apr 1) is a moving French drama about an Iraqi teenager trying to get to London to be with his girlfriend. He has made his way to the French coast and intends on swimming the English Channel to avoid detection by the authorities. The film makes some powerful (allbeit not very subtle) observations about immigration laws. Worth seeing. Grade: A-.
Nanny McPhee & The Big Bang (out Apr 1) didn't offer much of a bang if you ask me. It's just your stock standard sequel which borrows heavily from the original film and doesn't do anything new. Grade: C+.
Cop Out (out now) was excruciating. Did Kevin Smith really direct this? The same guy behind the brilliant Clerks? Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan play two cops caught up in a ridiculous case. I don't think I laughed once. Grade: C.
