Masters of the Universe (1987)

[Movie 134 / Day 118]

I loved He-Man when I was a kid.  So when this movie came out, I was terribly excited about it and instantly loved it too.  Almost as much as The Neverending Story.

Obviously, back then, I couldn't appreciate the terrible storyline and the incredibly bad make up (Skeletor's in particular - lingering shots on his evil visage reveal joins in the rubber 'skull' he's wearing, including a gaping gap at the bridge of his nose and a seam running between his nostrels.  Which are painted on.  He also has lips.  Since when does a skeleton have lips?).  Skeletors troops actually look alright - mainly because whoever designed them clearly took a Stormtrooper, painted it black and added part of Darth Vader's helmet.

When I was young, I also didn't notice the awful acting and the laughably bad action.  Which really, really, really sucks.

So, it's terrible then.  Courtney Cox looks cute as the young girl but hasn't quite got the hang of acting; the bloke that plays her boyfriend looks (and acts) like a reject from the casting for The Breakfast Club; and Dolph Lundgren is oiled up, pumped up and sounding like he just landed in the country and has learnt his lines phonetically.

+10 for nostalgia.  -7 for destroying my memories.

My rating: 3.0 / 10
IMDB rating: 5.1 / 10
Running time: 106 mins
IMDB link

Cleaner (2007)

[Movie 133 / Day 117]

Distinctly average movie about an ex-cop (Samuel L. Jackson) who now runs a cleaning company that specialises in cleaning up after somebody dies inside a house - ie, mopping up bodily fluids and disinfecting.

He's set up when he's hired to clean a murder scene and unwittingly remove evidence.  With the help of his former partner, Ed Harris, he starts tracking down the murderer and trying to clear his name.

This could have been much, much better - both Samuel L. and Ed Harris are brilliant with the right script.  Unfortunately, it turns out to be a bit boring and obvious.

Eva Mendes is hot as the widow of the murdered millionaire though.

My rating: 6.0 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.1 / 10
Running time: 88 mins
IMDB link

Fantastic Four (2005)

[Movie 132 / Day 116]

Spends a lot of time setting up backstory, so much so that the final bad guy battle seems rushed and underdeveloped.

It's OK, but the sequel is more enjoyable thanks to being able to concentrate on one plot.

Jessica Alba is hot.

My rating: 5.7 / 10
IMDB rating: 5.8 / 10
Running time: 106 mins
IMDB link

Chasing Amy (1997)

[Movie 131 / Day 115]


Kevin Smith's third film and a love story to boot revolves around two comic book writers, Banky Edwards (Jason Lee) and Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) who pen the popular comic book series Bluntman & Chronic.

All is happy between the pair until Holden meets Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams) and promptly falls in love with her - despite her annoying voice and the unfortunate fact that she's a lesbian - which causes tension with Banky.

Like a lot of Smith's movies, it's both funny and touching in places and Banky Edwards is a comic genius of a character, having the best lines in the movie.

My rating: 7.5 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.5 / 10
Running time: 113 mins
IMDB link

Taken (2008)

[Movie -- / Day 114]

Liam Neeson is still badass.

My rating: 8.2 / 10
IMDB rating: 8.0 / 10
Running time: 93 mins
IMDB link

Zack & Miri Make a Porno (2008)

[Movie 130 / Day 114]


I'm a big Kevin Smith fan. I love Seth Rogen. So I thought I would be in for a treat watching the Rogen in Smith's latest offering. Handily I was right, Z&M is an excellent comedy full of the best Kevin Smith traditions.

Elizabeth Banks is hot, Seth Rogen is a complete dude, Kevin Smith's dialogue is as sharp as ever - it all adds up to good times.

Props to Justin Long for a gloriously OTT portrayal of a gay porn star.

My rating: 7.8 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.3 / 10
Running time: 101 mins
IMDB link

Max Payne (2008)

[Movie 129 / Day 113]


This movie has been slated by many, many fan boys of the popular games. It's really not that bad - yes, the dialogue is trying a bit too hard; yes, the plot is a bit muddled in places, yes there isn't as much action as the game... But, on the whole, it's alright. I didn't particularly like the games, so I don't care how faithful it is to them. What I wanted to see was Mark Wahlberg looking like he was attempting mental arithmetic while shooting lots of bad guys.

That's pretty much what I got. Some of the editing is really nicely done and I especially liked the super slow motion which is used a couple of times. I enjoyed it.

It's not the best action movie ever made, but it's by no means the worst.

My rating: 6.3 / 10
IMDB rating: 5.5 / 10
Running time: 100 mins
IMDB link

Pride and Glory (2008)

[Movie 128 / Day 112]


A movie about a family of policemen (a father, two brothers and a brother-in-law) and how corruption in the force affects them.

It's OK. Norton is good (as he is in most movies), Farrell isn't as good (and his crappy accent grates - even if they do try and explain it away by having him drink in an 'Irish' pub) and Voight is stand-out as the head of the family.

Overall, it's well acted but the storyline is a bit weak. It's also about 30 minutes too long.

My rating: 6.7 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.8 / 10
Running time: 130 mins
IMDB link

4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

[Movie 127 / Day 110]


Pretty average comic book movie. Jessica Alba is smoking hot, Ioan Gruffudd still seems miscast as her husband-to-be. Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis are both good as the final Fantastic team members, the Human Torch and the Thing respectively.

The story line is pretty much standard comic book fair - alien thing threatens to destroy the earth, only the Fantastic Four have a hope of stopping it. It's nice that the action isn't just confined to America though, with a sizeable set-piece in London and another in Germany.

Watchable - and the kids enjoyed it.

My rating: 6.0 / 10
IMDB rating: 5.9 / 10
Running time: 92 mins
IMDB link

The Incredibles (2004)

[Movie 126 / Day 109]


Possibly my favourite Pixar movie, it's a brilliant comedy revolving around a family of superheros. It's clever and it stands up to repeat viewings. Love it.

My rating: 8.3 / 10
IMDB rating: 8.1 / 10
Running time: 115 mins
IMDB link

The Way of the Gun (2000)

[Movie 125 / Day 106]


I really like this movie. It's well written, directed and edited, the action scenes are excellent and the acting is good - the main characters have a really good chemistry. Both the opening and closing sequences are pretty damn good.

Yes, it is a bit of a nothing story and the ending is a bit meh, but overall it's enjoyable.

My rating: 7.0 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.5 / 10
Running time: 119 mins
IMDB link

The Italian Job (2003)

[Movie 124 / Day 104]


As a remake of the classic 60s Michael Caine movie, it's rubbish.

As a generic Hollywood actioner that happens to feature stealing bullion using 3 Mini Coopers (albeit new ones) and controlling traffic lights, it's very enjoyable.

The car chase is a bit rubbish though, considering that's what the original is famous for!

My rating: 6.7 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.9 / 10
Running time: 111 mins
IMDB link

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

[Movie 123 / Day 103]


One of those rare beasts, a sequel that's actually better than the original. It's more of the same, but with the backstory covered in the first film, the second concentrates on developing the characters and their relationships more whilst serving up some excellent action sequences.

I guess Kirsten Dunst was a big enough name to veto the thin/wet dress in this one though.

My rating: 7.2 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.7 / 10
Running time: 127 mins
IMDB link

Titanic (1997)

[Movie 122 / Day 103]


Long, soppy love film that became the biggest film ever and gave the world yet another hateful Celine Dion song.

Rewatching it, the soppy love story is a bit crap. The ship sinking sequence is still ace though - even if some of the CGI is looking dated. Plus Kate Winslet gets naked, which is never going to hurt.

My rating: 6.9 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.3 / 10
Running time: 194 mins
IMDB link

Spider-Man (2002)

[Movie 121 / Day 103]


Nerdy boy gets bitten by a genetically modified spider and somehow gains superpowers.

It's OK, but a bit long. The best thing about it is J.K. Simmons portrayal of Daily Bugle editor JJ Jameson. He's absolutely brilliant. The second best thing is Kirsten Dunst in a thin dress in the rain. Actually, that might be the wrong way round.

My rating: 7.0 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.4 / 10
Running time: 121 mins
IMDB link

Righteous Kill (2008)

[Movie 120 / Day 101]


Together for the first time (apart from Heat, which doesn't count as they're hardly on screen together!), Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro star as two cops trying to trace a serial killer.

Unfortunately, it's pretty formulaic stuff and you can see the twist coming within minutes of the opening credits.

Happily, Pacino and DeNiro are brilliant opposite each other. If only they'd been given a script with some meat.

My rating: 6.6 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.1 / 10
Running time: 101 mins
IMDB link

Galaxy Quest (1999)

[Movie 119 / Day 92]


I love this movie. It's a brilliantly observed parody of both the Star Trek TV series and the many conventions full of geeks in plastic ears that it spawned.

Galaxy Quest was a popular TV show in the 1980s. Since it was cancelled, the fading stars make money by touring conventions, making appearances in costume and selling signed photos. One day, actor Jason Nesmith (the Commander) is approached at a convention by some fans dressed up as aliens requesting his help to lead them in battle against an evil alien who threatens their entire civilisation. Nesmith, goes along with them, thinking he's doing just another appearance - turns out they're for real and before long, the entire crew are in deep space, fighting for survival and drawing upon the half-remembered Galaxy Quest plots.

It's funny, it's pretty well acted (Alan Rickman is just ace - imagine Hans Gruber with a bad rubber headpiece) and it's a novel plot. Highly entertaining, and it does it all without any sex, violence or bad language, which makes a refreshing change.

My rating: 7.6 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.2 / 10
Running time: 102 mins
IMDB link