razorsharp2505-1 Reviews

The Hurt Locker (2008)

A decent film but it might not blow you away.

[7/10 · 17 September 2010]

When a movie you haven't seen before wins an Oscar, there's an expectation that something great is going to unfold on the screen before you. With Hurt Locker you are presented with a solid, watchable film but you might be left wondering what all the hype was for.

Bravo Unit are tasked with making safe a number of potential bombs and explosive devices in a variety of guises and situations. Guy Pearce shows us how it should be done but then promptly exits the movie. That's big a shame as he would have been ideal as lead actor.

Enter arrogant bomb disposal expert Jeremy Renner who breaks all the rules, puts other people's lives at risk but gets the job done with a certain style.

There's an over-arcing story about how war affects different people in different ways but it's hardly anything new. The Hurt Locker contains some decent action and realistic sub-plots but again it's nothing out of the ordinary.

Perhaps Hurt Locker got so much attention because it was the best of a mediocre lot at Oscar nomination time. Do watch it, just don't expect to be blown away - literally or figuratively!

Beyond the Pole (2009)

Nice Try but Could Be Better

[4/10 · 11 July 2010]

The premise for this movie sounded like it could be fun if done well: a mockumentary based on an eco-friendly vegetarian expedition to the North pole by two best friends with no experience whatsoever of what was about to come. What a shame that it fell flat on both the comedy and drama front.

Neither of the two lead characters were particularly likable - one an egotistical ego-enthusiast, the other his cheerful but brainless best friend. When inevitable misfortunes hit them, it was hard to feel much sympathy given how under-prepared and arrogant they were. That of course was supposed to be part of the comedy but it just didn't get there.

I've given this movie 4/10 based on the fact that I stuck with it to the end and it wasn't so bad I'd tell people not to watch it themselves. There are, however, far better movies out there to spend your time and money on. Or be eco-friendly and stay home with the power off for 1.5 hours instead!

Yes Man (2008)

Laugh Out Loud Funny

[8/10 · 4 January 2009]

The idea behind YesMan is very simple - say yes to opportunity and your life will change for the better.

Cue Jim Carrey as Carl Allen, a bank employee who bumps in to an old friend who is living the Yes philosophy. Intrigued by his friend's antics, Carl attends a Yes seminar where he agrees to say yes to everything for a year.

What follows are some seriously comic, madcap and unpredictable moments as our hero forms new friendships and falls in love with the wonderfully kooky Alison (Zooey Deschanel).

It's not all plain sailing though Carl is obligated to say yes to every opportunity and finds himself in some rather uncomfortable situations too. You may never agree to help out your elderly neighbour again after watching this! The performances by both Carrey and especially by Deschanel are excellent (beautiful vocals too) and the movie really sends home the message of 'don't let life pass you by'. The only criticism would have to be the hammy performance by Terence Stamp as the YesMan guru and the odd way Carl agreed to become a YesMan in the seminar.

On a personal note, this is the first comedy I've seen in years that really made me laugh out loud in a cinema, especially the suicide jumper scene! The feel-good factor is abundant and infectious and will leave you wanting to say yes more often too. Say Yes and go see this movie - you won't be disappointed. 8/10.

Alone in the Dark (2005)

Stop Uwe Boll Directing Now!

[2/10 · 3 January 2009]

Uwe Boll is officially the worst director in the world. How else could a director with a good sized chunk of budget and a couple of decent actors make such a dreadful hash up of a movie? Alone in the Dark had all the characteristics of bad movie making - atrocious script, seriously big plot holes and a choppy sense of pace. There were way too many minor characters and Tara Reid just shouldn't be allowed to act ever again. Christian Slater did a reasonable job and in reality was the only saving grace of this film. The soundtrack was another killer, especially the very sudden start to the romance scene.

For me though by far the worst aspect of the film was the directing. For example, in the fight scene at the beginning of the film you can quite clearly see the bad guy's fist punching air just to the side of Christian Slater's face - now I at least know how the actors do that kind of thing! Surely any decent director would have the awareness not to shoot that kind of angle?! I could go on but I think you get the idea that I was not a fan of this film at all. If you enjoy the video game, watching this might put you off playing it ever again so be warned. Go watch something else instead.

Rest Stop (2006 Video)

Don't Even Bother

[1/10 · 31 December 2008]

There are movies that are so bad, they're good. Then there's movies like Rest Stop that should just never have been made because they are just plain dreadful.

Bad acting, unlikable characters, predictable plot and a supposedly supernatural twist that adds nothing to the story are all key failures. Some half decent special effects are about the only thing worthy of note.

I can't even bring myself to write a plot outline because all I really want to do here is warn you not to waste your time and money on this movie. Do yourself a favour and don't even bother with this film at all. It's 1.5 hours of your life that you will never get back.

1/10

Sleuth (2007)

More of a Stage Play than a Film

[5/10 · 12 July 2008]

If you have never seen any previous incarnations of Sleuth, you will find waiting for you an odd but reasonably enjoyable bit of film. With only 2 characters to deliver the entire story and one location, there is no escaping the sense, however, that this film was adapted from a stage play.

The story is essentially about a game of intellectual oneupmanship between a married man (Caine) and his wife's lover (Law). Both actors deliver decent enough performances although it's hard to believe anyone could have been fooled by Jude Law's detective character at all.

As for the direction, it felt like Brannagh was trying to compensate for the lack of physical action with some weird and wonderful camera angles which at times lifted the comic tone of the film but overall grew tiresome. The same can be said for the modern art and technology.

Overall, this film is worth your time if you like the idea of bringing a theatre piece into your home. Otherwise, this is probably not for you. 5/10

Hatchet (2006)

This is the New Sh*t

[3/10 · 1 May 2008]

The opening song 'This is the new sh*t' by Marilyn Manson succinctly sums up this movie. It's new but it's really quite bad indeed.

A young man, Ben, grows tired of the gratuitous partying and topless girls on a trip to New Orleans with his college buddies and decides to check out a haunted boat ride to a local swamp. Finding the recommended tour company has gone out of business, he and his friend sign up with a different guide and that's where all the problems begin.

I won't tell you any more than that for fear of spoiling the film, that's if you feel you can venture beyond the predictable horror clichés that are to come. While the actors playing Ben and his friend were OK, the supporting cast was pretty dreadful. You can hardly blame them as the script and plot weren't desperately inspiring and two of the girls were only there to provide more gratuitous topless footage.

It's a hammed up, cheesy movie with a sense of fun but not enough going for it to even to amuse you if you're the kind that likes to watch those 'so bad they're good' type horror movies. I'd happily put a hatchet through this one. 3/10

The Golden Compass (2007)

Northern Lights Gone South

[2/10 · 20 April 2008]

Having not been able to get into the His Dark Materials books, I was hoping the first film adaptation might offer me a glimpse as to what all the fuss is about. I didn't find it here.

Possibly the worst aspect of the film had to be the screenplay. From the very beginning, the movie felt rushed. The dialogue felt contrived and unnatural and ideas and concepts were introduced so quickly and without exploration, that as a viewer I was left confused and uninterested. I love a movie with depth and a story to switch your brain on. This time I was so unengaged that switched off completely.

The acting was stiff, as though the cast had to rush through their character development at the same speed as the story. I found I didn't like or care about Lyra, the young girl at the centre of the story. This was mostly because there was no proper back story nor time for her personality to shine through. Also, I love Ian McKellan but was not enamoured by his overly booming vocals for Iorik Byrnison.

The directing was amateurish with poorly executed camera angles in many scenes that detracted from the activity on screen. Add to this the choppy editing and you've got a film that doesn't flow well at all.

There were some elements to the Golden Compass that I felt were worthy of praise, namely the special effects for the daemons and the costume design. Those two aspects alone, however, were not enough to save the film and I doubt that anyone would see a film purely based on this anyhow. Save your time, effort and money until a better adaptation comes along.

Mammoth (2006 TV Movie)

A Movie For 'Cheese' Lovers

[5/10 · 29 October 2007]

If you're looking for a movie to take your mind off life for an hour and a half, you could do a lot worse than Mammoth. OK, you could also do a lot better but this film doesn't pretend to be anything other than a low-budget cheesy horror.

In fact, part of the charm of Mammoth was that everyone had their tongue firmly in their cheek making this film, especially the delightfully nerdy scientist played by Vincent Ventresca. The special effects are naff in the extreme and the dialogue totally contrived but that just made me chuckle rather than roll my eyes in frustration.

I guess it depends how you like your genres. If you liked Snakes on a Plane, then you may well like it. Don't expect too much from it and you might be pleasantly entertained.

Robin Hood (2006–2009)

Come on BBC, you can do better!

[4/10 · 7 October 2007]

Recently the BBC has been delivering some much improved family drama and Robin Hood promised to be the latest blockbusting instalment. having missed the first series, I tuned in to see what all the hype was about but came away feeling very disappointed.

I'm all for using a bit of artistic licence in the name of entertainment but some of the detail, acting and direction leaves much to be desired. For example, how can Robin shoot an arrow to free the ropes on a tied up maiden if her wrists are pointing away from him on the other side of a big wooden post? And how is it that none of the sheriff's guards managed to spot the ample bosom on Maid Marion when she was in disguise and insisted on referring to her as a man?

Overall, the script was quite weak, much of the acting quite stiff, the costumes lacking and many of the key characters seemed to have been miscast. I just couldn't get on with the actress playing Maid Marion at all.

I never thought I'd hear myself say this but even Kevin Costner's mediocre version of the myth of Robin Hood was more believable and much more enjoyable. For a better TV version, try out the 1980s Robin of Sherwood series instead.