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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 08 July 2007

It feels like only yesterday that I was watching the first Harry Potter movie.  In reality, it’s been almost six years.  I’ve been critical of all the sequels released in the past two months but the Harry Potter series is different.  There is depth in each story.  The idea of a two hour movie based on a novel rich in detail is a lot more enticing than a three hour pirate movie with no plot.

The Order Of The Phoenix starts with a dark, menacing tone.  Harry (Radcliffe) is attacked by a Dementor, an evil being which sucks life from you.  He manages to fend off the attack by using powerful magic.  Unfortunately, he performed this magic in the company of a Muggle (someone without magic ability) and so Harry been called before the Ministry of Magic to explain himself.

There are some at the Ministry who want Harry to be severely punished.  They do not believe Harry’s Dementor story or his claims that the dark Lord Voldermort has returned.  Thanks to the help of the persuasive Professor Dumbledore (Gambon), Harry is found not guilty and is allowed to attend Hogwarts School for his fifth year of education.

Not happy with the outcome of Harry’s trial, the Ministry has sent Dolores Umbridge (Staunton) to Hogwarts as its new teacher of Dark Arts.  She is keeping a very close eye on Harry and is reporting on his activities to the Ministry.  Knowing that he receiving no valuable training in his Dark Arts classes, Harry and his friends establish a secret club where they can practice defending themselves against evil spells.  They just have to make sure that Umbridge and her cronies don’t find out about it.

There is a lot more to this story.  Those that have read J.K. Rowling’s novel (and there are many millions of them) will know how it ends.  It won’t stop Harry Potter fans (myself included) from seeing this film.  Screenwriter Michael Goldenberg has done a top job in condensing Rowling’s novel into movie length.  Something is always happening and there are no lulls in the story.

The film has been directed by David Yates, a British director whom I’d never heard of previously.  Yates will also be directing the next film in the series, Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince, which is due for release in November 2008.

Of the cast, there is one clear standout.  Her name is Imelda Staunton and she plays Dolores Umbridge.  Staunton was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005 for her starring role in Vera Drake.  As one of the villains in this tale, Staunton is amazingly obnoxious (that’s a compliment).  I couldn’t wait for the scene where she finally got she deserved.  Every scene in which she features is a highlight.

I’ve liked every film in the Harry Potter series and this one is no exception.  I don’t think it’s as good as some of the others but it still provides much entertainment.  Both kids and adults will be enchanted (and maybe even a little scared in parts).  Bring on the next movie!

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 June 2007

Transformers has been hyped up as perhaps the biggest movie of the 2007 American summer.  My own interest in the film comes from the fact that it’s NOT a sequel.  It’s a brand new series with fresh characters.  That alone makes it more attractive that the recent of Spider-Man, Pirates Of The Caribbean and Fantastic Four.

The Transformers started out as a cartoon series.  It premiered in 1984 and ran for approximately four years.  I never saw it myself but it developed a cult-like status with some fans.  I’m guessing that a large percentage of these loyal supporters will be checking out this film (some more than once) on the day of its release.  Having now been introduced to the Transformers world, I must say that I like the concept.

The central human character in this film is Sam Witwicky (played by rising star Shia LaBeouf).  He has in his possession a pair of eye glasses which were once owned by his great grandfather.  He doesn’t know it yet but these glasses hold the key to man’s survival.

Earth is soon attacked by a group of robots with far-superior technology.  They are known as Decepticons and they are looking for a strange-looking cube which is thought to have landed on Earth thousands of years ago.  This cube will give them much power and they are prepared to kill for it.  When they learn that information as to the cube’s location can be found on Sam’s great grandfather’s glasses, you’ll know who they start looking for…

Thankfully for Sam, there are another group of peaceful transformers known as Autobots.  They too have arrived on Earth and are trying to stop the Decepticons from getting their hands on the cube.  What follows is an all out war on the Earth’s surface.  If the Decepticons are victorious, it’s the end of life as we know it.

As a Hollywood blockbuster, Transformers does everything by the textbook.  I was surprised to see the film include such a young cast.  It’s as if the marketers of the film have aimed this film solely at a teen audience.  There’s one scene where an Australian code breaker working at the Pentagon (played by 22-year-old Rachael Taylor) illegally downloads top-secret code so that her computer nerd friend can take a look at it.  On a believability scale, this scene scores 0%.  I’m not sure which is more concerning – the fact that there’s no data security at the Pentagon or that they’re hiring policy is based on looks over ability.

I was also disappointed by the lack of humour in the film.  There were a few one-liners to chuckle over but nothing particularly memorable.  I’ve already alluded to the film’s lack of originality and this is further evident when you hear some of the clichéd dialogue.  There’s one scene late in the film where Sam and his girlfriend have a “moment” just before he goes off to save the day.  Despite the fact they are being attacked from all possible angles, they still find a 30 seconds to stand there and express their love for one another.  Now I know this is only a movie but I make reference to this scene to again reiterate just how much this film goes “by the book”.  It may be an adventure story but the script itself isn’t very adventurous.

On a plus side, the story is easy follow and the action looks great on the big screen.  I’m not the biggest fan of director Michael Bay (Armageddon, Bad Boys 2, Pearl Harbour) but in this instance, he’s made a good looking movie.  With the help of a talented visual effects crew, he has brought the transformers to life.

If you’ve seen the trailers, the ads and the posters for Transformers, you should already have a fair idea of whether this film is for you.  Some will like it and others will not.  I’m sitting on the fence.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 01 July 2007

Alison Scott (Heigl) has just been given the promotion of a lifetime.  Working behind the scenes at the E! television network, her bosses now think she is “camera worthy”.  They want her to interview big-name celebrities and include them in one of their major entertainment shows.  To celebrate, Alison and her sister, Debbie (Mann), head to a nightclub for some big celebrations.

Ben Stone (Rogen) is an unemployed loser who lives in a share-house with four other guys.  They love to drink alcohol, smoke weed and create stupid bets.  They are currently designing a website which tells you in which movies celebrities get naked and so the bulk of their day is spent watching videos on the couch.  Looking for a good time one night, Ben and his friends head out on the town.

It is at this point where Alison and Ben first meet.  Both blindly drunk, they listen to each other’s dribble, they dance on the dance floor and then they back to Alison’s place for a one night stand.  When Alison awakes the next morning and sees Ben’s naked body on the bed, she realises that this was a big mistake.  This guy is not her type and they have nothing in common.  She gets rid of him as quickly as possible and Ben gets the message.

Eight weeks later, Alison is throwing up at work.  Horrified that she might be pregnant, she goes with her sister to the supermarket and buys every pregnancy test that they have.  The results are all positive.  The perfect life she had planned out has been ruined in an instant.  Ben is equally stunned when he hears the news.  He’s certainly not ready to be a father.  Between them, Ben and Alison decide to keep the baby and see if they can raise it together.

It may sound like a drama but Knocked Up is very intelligent comedy from Judd Apatow, the writer and director of The Forty-Year-Old Virgin.  By creating humour out of the above scenario, Apatow has opened his film up to a wider audience.  He’s following the theory that the best way of dealing with a serious situation is to laugh about it.  There are many moviegoers who will see this film that might not otherwise have done so if it was a deep, brooding drama.

That’s not to say that this film features “bottom of the barrel” laughs.  The conversations that the characters share are real and insightful.  Guys will be able to relate to Ben’s actions and girls will be able to relate to Alison’s actions.  Couples who see this movie may learn a lot about how the other sex thinks.  It’s reminded me of films such as What Women Want with Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt and The Break-Up with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston.

Knocked Up is already proving itself as a sleeper hit at the box-office.  It was made for just $33m and has taken over $110m in its first four weeks at the U.S. box-office.  It’s proof that you don’t need a big budget and tonnes of special effects to make a good movie.  What audiences want above all else is a smartly written script.  Knocked Up delivers on that count and it deserves its success.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 June 2007

Chazz Michael Michaels (Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Heder) are two of the world’s best male figure skaters.  They’ve each taken their share of gold medals and they both have a strong fan base.  That’s about where the similarities end.

Michaels is a man’s man.  When off the ice, all he wants to do is drink alcohol and sleep with women.  His popularity and success has seen both these needs fulfilled.  MacElroy on the other hand, is a pretty boy who has never had a girlfriend.  He prides himself on his appearance and skates with elegance.

After tying for first at a major event, Michaels and MacElroy become involved in a scuffle on the winner’s podium.  It is all seen by the stunned crowd and the large audience watching on television.  For bringing their sport into such disrepute, the skating commission bans them from their division for life.

We then pan a few years into the future.  Both are struggling to make a living and you’ll chuckle when you see where they have ended up.  Michaels and MacElroy discover a loophole which will allow for their return to the sport.  Whilst they were banned from individual skating, they can still compete in pairs skating.  Reluctantly, the two agree to team up and become the first male-male pair in figure skating history.

Their partnership does not go down well with the current pairs champions – Stranz and Fairchild Van Waldenberg (Arnett and Poehler).  They have no intention of being beaten “by a couple of freaks” and plan on sabotaging the Michaels and MacElroy comeback to ensure their own successful reign continues.

Will Ferrell and Jon Heder are two actors who I find are very “hit and miss”.  They’ve made some hilarious films but they’ve also made some stinkers.  I hated their last efforts – Ferrell in Taladega Nights and Heder in The Benchwarmers.  This is the first time they’ve come together as a team and the result is a fantastic.

Ferrell gets the most laughs with his crude, politically incorrect comments.  I don’t know how he kept a straight face when first delivering the dialogue.  It’s also a good role for Heder who is trying to break away from his Napoleon Dynamite stereotype.

Credit must go to the four writers of the film who have created an insanely silly storyline and a crazy group of characters.  I had my doubts going in but they were dispelled by the funny opening which profiles both Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy.  It put me in just the right mood to enjoy the hour and half worth of entertainment which followed.

This is one comedy that I think you need to see.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 June 2007

Despite the fact that we’ve made some very good films over the past two years, Australian made flicks have struggled at the box-office.  Audiences would much rather see a clichéd Hollywood blockbuster than take a chance on a small home-grown movie with great reviews.

Clubland is the latest Aussie release to hit the marketplace and the early indications are promising.  It’s being released in a number of large cinemas across the country (as opposed to just the smaller independent ones) and it’s received some good publicity.  Star Brenda Blethyn, a two-time Academy Award nominee, recently attended a special advance screening here in Brisbane to help promote it.

The story centres on a 20-year-old named Tim (Chittenden) who lives at home with his mother, Jean (Blethyn), and his younger brother, Mark (Wilson).  To say that Tim has lived a sheltered life would be an understatement.  Jean has kept a very tight reign over her son and she isn’t prepared to let go.

Everything changes with the arrival of Jill (Booth), a girl who Tim meets whilst out working as a removalist.  The pair go on a date and soon enough, they’re boyfriend and girlfriend.  As you’d expect, this doesn’t go down well with Jean.  She’s always been the most important woman in Tim’s life and now that things have changed, it’s not easy.  Confrontation ensues and Tim finds himself picking up the pieces.

Clubland is a crowd pleasing movie.  Audiences will find humour in the story and will be able to relate to its characters.  If I have one criticism, it’s that the acting is a little over the top at times.  Jean’s obsessiveness and Tim’s naivety are just too hard to believe.  Are people actually like this or is it being dramatised for effect by writer Keith Thompson?  The most interesting character for me was Tim’s girlfriend (played very well by Emma Booth).  She had some deep seeded insecurities which I wish were explored further.

Those who regularly attend RSL clubs will probably be interested by the film’s setting.  Jean is a part-time comedian and performs at a bunch of RSL clubs across Sydney.  She loves being in front of a crowd.  As a sub-plot in the film, Jean hires a new agent with the hope of landing some bigger gigs.

English actress Brenda Blethyn is the star of the film but there are a few familiar Aussies who make an appearance.  Frankie J. Holden as Tim’s father and Rebecca Gibney as Jean’s best friend are both great.  Richard Wilson, who had the lead in 48 Shades, is almost unrecognisable as Tim’s intellectually disabled brother.

It’s probably not the best Australian film of the year but it’s definitely worth a look.