The Spirit (2008)

[Movie 167 / Day 179]


An odd film this. It looks fantastic for the most part; very similar to Sin City. Unfortunately, the script is pretty rubbish. It's supposed to be a film noire detective story; but it just comes across as disjointed. The dialogue is plain terrible.

Disappointing.

My rating: 4.7 / 10
IMDB rating: 5.0 / 10
Running time: 103 mins
IMDB link

Lakeview Terrace (2008)

[Movie 166 / Day 178]


Samuel L Jackson is on fine form as Abel, the angry LAPD officer who doesn't like the mixed-race couple that have just bought the house next door. When his kids witness a late-night 'christening' of the pool by the newlyweds, Abel starts trying to force them out.

The tension builds slowly but intensely, but unfortunately it seems that the writer ran out of steam and the final scene changes in feel dramatically - and not for the better. All the way through the film, Abel is coldly calculating; until the very last moment when he seems to lose his mind and acts totally out of character.

Still, it's better than I was expecting.

My rating: 6.4 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.3 / 10
Running time: 110 mins
IMDB link

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

[Movie 165 / Day 177]


More of the same from Michael Bay. In the second Transformers installment, Sam (LaBeouf) is off to college, leaving Mikaela (Fox) working in a chopper shop with her dad. The Autobots are now working with a US government task force to protect Earth from the Decepticons.

Before long, it becomes clear that the Decepticons are going to invade Earth in a big way.

Still too many close-ups on robots transforming, meaning you can't really tell what's happening - even with extra slo-mo, which does help, it's confusing at times. Some of the CGI is TERRIBLE too, one shot in particular was very jarring and just shouldn't have been used.

The film really changes tone when John Turturro's character, Agent Simmons, makes an appearance. Suddenly the comedy really ramps up, which is no bad thing.

Overall, if you liked the first one, you'll like this. It's much too long however; 2.5 hours is really pushing it. Still, I suppose it means we (and by we, I mean heterosexual men and homosexual women) get to ogle Megan Fox for longer.

My rating: 7.0 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.9 / 10
Running time: 150 mins
IMDB link

The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

[Movie 164 / Day 175]


The first Studio Ghibli movie, Cagliostro nonetheless exhibits much of the same charm, wit and style as the later releases. Lupin is a master thief who, after stealing a carload of counterfeit money, decides to track down the counterfeiter and muscle in on the action.

He changes his mind when he realises the counterfeiter is the Count of Cagliostro and he's forcing a young princess to marry him in order to discover the location of a fabled treasure. From that moment on, his objective is to steal the princess away from the Count.

I liked it, although it's not as polished as the later Studio Ghibli fare.

My rating: 6.9 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.7 / 10
Running time: 110 mins
IMDB link

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

[Movie 163 / Day 174]


Benjamin Button was born an old man. As his life progresses, he gets younger. This is the story of his life.

It's good but pretty long. The aging effects, both on Button and his love interest Daisy, are excellent. The acting is good - Brad Pitt plays both a convincing child (even one trapped in an old body) and old man. Cate Blanchett is excellent as Daisy.

Not sure why they felt the need to stick the narrator in the middle of Hurricane Katrina though.

My rating: 7.9 / 10
IMDB rating: 8.1 / 10
Running time: 166 mins
IMDB link

Apollo 13 (1995)

[Movie 162 / Day 173]


Space rocket takes off on moon-landing mission; breaks; "Houston, we have a problem"; aborts mission; gets home.

Based on real life, you know what's going to happen - yet the film manages to hold you in suspense and makes you really root for the characters stuck on board the stricken craft.

The actors are all as good as you'd expect really.

We should go back to the moon, it's been over 35 years.

My rating: 7.7 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.5 / 10
Running time: 140 mins
IMDB link

My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

[Movie 161 / Day 172]


Studio Ghibli have, over the last 30-odd years, produced some wonderfully endearing cartoons - and My Neighbour Totoro is one of the best.

Two young girls, Satsuki and Mei, move to a new house in the Japanese countryside with their university professor father. Their mother is in hospital for treatment of an unmentioned illness. The two girls spend their time exploring the new house and the woods around it. One day whilst Satsuki is at school, Mei encounters a little forest spirit and chases it into the woods to discover a much bigger forest spirit called Totoro (apparently a mispronounciation of the Japanese word for troll). This spirit takes the form of a big, furry, cuddly thing. Before long, both Mei and Satsuki are having various adventures with Totoro.

There really is very little plot, but it's brilliantly handled and the movie just seems to exude a quality that keeps you captivated.

Disney bought the international rights to the Studio Ghibli back catalogue a while back and then redubbed most (all?) of the films with American actors. I normally have a problem with dubbing because it normally detracts from a movie and can be downright irritating. Disney have done a superb job however, seemingly taking the time to find voices that fit the characters of the movies. Dakota Fanning (and her younger sister Elle) are very well cast as the sisters.

Makes me want to rewatch more Ghibli.

My rating: 8.2 / 10
IMDB rating: 8.1 / 10
Running time: 86 mins
IMDB link

The Warriors (1979)

[Movie 160 / Day 172]


The Warriors has an intriguing plot that has the potential for a decent movie. Set in a time when hundreds of gangs are running amok in New York, all vying for a piece of the city, Cyrus, the leader of one of the gangs calls a peaceful meeting for a delegation of 9 members of each of the hundred best known gangs in the city. He is hoping to unite them against the authorities (altogether, the gang's membership numbers 60,000 people - there are barely 20,000 police in the entire city).

Unfortunately, during the rally, somebody shoots Cyrus in the face - and then shouts out that it was the leader of the Warriors that did it. He's quickly captured and we don't see his fate beyond an angry crowd descending on him. The remaining eight Warriors escaped the meeting and are faced with travelling through the night to get back to their own 'turf', all the while being hunted by every other gang in NYC (not to mention the police).

This is supposed to be a hard edged, darkly violent movie. It's not particularly. In fact, it sucks quite a lot. The dialogue is hideously dated. The costumes make it look like a 90-minute trial run for a Village People comeback tour. The hairstyles are all kinds of amazing. The main antagonist sounds like his nuts haven't quite dropped.

It's still watchable though. And, unsurprisingly, a remake is currently in pre-production - apparently helmed by Tony Scott. Hopefully, he can capitalise on a decent storyline and make a properly action packed, suspense filled movie without quite so much additional cheese.

My rating: 5.1 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.6 / 10
Running time: 92 mins
IMDB link

Kiss of the Dragon (2001)

[Movie 159 / Day 172]


Fairly mediocre Jet Li actioner. He plays a Chinese agent, on loan to the French government for an operation in Paris. Unfortunately, the French policeman in charge is corrupt and sets Li up for a murder.

The plot is pretty simple. It's enjoyable enough though, with plenty of fight scenes with Jet Li bouncing around kicking and punching. Some of the editing leaves a bit to be desired, but I suppose that's not much of a shock from something like this.

My rating: 6.4 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.3 / 10
Running time: 98 mins
IMDB link

A History of Violence (2005)

[Movie 158 / Day 171]


Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is a normal man living in small-town America with his wife and two kids, he owns and runs a small diner.

One day, two murderers walk in and hold the place up. Tom defends his property and in doing so becomes a local hero and a minor celebrity in the news for a few days.

Unfortunately, some mobsters see him and think they recognise him as an informant hiding under the witness protection act. They pay him a visit and all sorts of secrets come out.

It's a simple plot, but one that I haven't seen done before. Mortensen and Ed Harris are both excellent. Well worth a watch, although it is violent in places.

My rating: 7.5 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.6 / 10
Running time: 96 mins
IMDB link

Rescue Dawn (2006)

[Movie 157 / Day 170]


Rescue Dawn is based on the true story of Dieter Dengler, a German who moved to America in order to realise his dream of becoming a pilot. The quickest way he could do that was to sign up and become a fighter pilot. Set just before the Vietnam conflict, Dengler's first mission was to bomb part of the Ho Chi Minh trail. Forty minutes into that first flight, he was shot down, captured, and handed over to the Vietcong.

He's taken to a POW camp in the middle of the jungle and thrown in with six other captives, all of whom have been there for a long time (years, in some cases).

Dengler had a natural optimism and spirit that wouldn't be broken; before long he's planning his escape.

It's a good story, sympathetically told, well acted. Bale is very good as the ever-smiling Dengler; Zahn is brilliant as a fellow inmate who slowly loses his mind, his strength, and his will to live.

Enjoyable, even if it did feel quite slow in places.

My rating: 7.0 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.6 / 10
Running time: 126 mins
IMDB link

Push (2009)

[Movie 156 / Day 169]


Push is a sci-fi film about people with psychic powers. These people were first experimented on by the Nazis during WW2 as they tried to harness their powers. Apparently, now they are still being experimented on, except now it's the US government snatching them off the streets and injecting them with chemicals in a bid to boost their powers and create super-agents.

In the middle of all this, Nick, a Mover (ie, he can move stuff with his mind) is living in Hong Kong, trying to live his life without bringing himself to the attention of the Department. Without warning, a pair of Sniffs arrive (people who can infer a persons movements from an object) and rough him up a bit. Then a young girl, a Watcher (she can see the future) turns up and asks for his help.

The plot from there gets quite convoluted and I can't be bothered to go on further, as it involves more Movers, Sniffs and Watchers; plus a bunch of Pushers, Shifters, Bleeders and Shadows.

I liked it, it's pretty enjoyable, if a little confusing at times. Dakota Fanning was really good, which surprised me. Chris Evans was about as good as he is in Fantastic Four, which is OK.

Probably won't watch it again, but I would watch a sequel.

My rating: 6.7 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.2 / 10
Running time: 111 mins
IMDB link

Les femmes de l'ombre (2008)

[Movie 155 / Day 168]


A fictional story centred around a real person, Les femmes de l'ombre is all about the unsung female heroines of WW2. There are many, many films featuring men looking cool smoking cigarettes and scratching stubble whilst giving Jerry what-for, but this is the only one I know of that deals with the women that went undercover and got their hands dirty.

It's well acted, the main characters on both sides of the war are pretty good. It is a bit on the long side and unfortunately, the story isn't the best or even that believable. Which is a pity, because there must be so many true stories of women in the resistance that would put this to shame.

My rating: 6.1 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.9 / 10
Running time: 117 mins
IMDB link

Secondhand Lions (2003)

[Movie 154 / Day 167]


Walter is a young man whose mother has had a string of bad relationships and is constantly lying to him and palming him off on various 'uncles'. So when he has to go and stay with a pair of old uncles, he fears the worst. Especially as they don't appear to particularly like children, or indeed anyone. These particular uncles are rumoured to be incredibly rich and they are living their lives out on a ramshackle farm, doing more or less whatever they please.

As the story progresses however, we see, through a series of flashbacks, how Walters uncles came to be where they are now in life and hear a couple of stories about how they came into so much money.

As a feelgood movie, Secondhand Lions does work - you do root for Walter and you do grow to like the old men. However, the acting lets the movie down somewhat. Robert Duvall is brilliant. Michael Caine is also brilliant apart from one thing - his terrible accent. Taken alone, it's not too bad, although it does slip into his native London accent a few times. Next to Robert Duvall however, it sounds awful. The other let down is Haley Joel Osment, who is fine when he's doing his quiet, expressionless face; but sucks the big one when asked to do anything other (see the 'chewing tobacco' scene and his attempt at retching - he looks more like he's having convulsions).

Overall, it's a pretty good flick that does everything passably. There are better feel good movies out there though (Big Fish, for instance).

My rating: 6.8 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.5 / 10
Running time: 111 mins
IMDB link

Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)

[Movie 153 / Day 166]


John Carpenter's Memoirs of an Invisible Man is one of those comedies that's enjoyable but not particularly funny. Chevy Chase plays Nick Halloway, a man in the wrong place at the wrong time. Due to a particularly bad hangover, he falls asleep in a building while an experiment goes wrong which renders him invisible. The rest of the film is spent avoiding a corrupt CIA assassin (Sam Neill) and falling in love (with Daryl Hannah).

It's OK. Some of the effects have held up very well however, some of them still look very good indeed; far better than I thought they'd be.

My rating: 5.8 / 10
IMDB rating: 5.7 / 10
Running time: 99 mins
IMDB link

Condorman (1981)

[Movie 152 / Day 165]


Terrible Disney movie featuring Michael Crawford (who constantly sounds like he's about to burst into full on 'Betty' mode) and Oliver Reed (who looks like he chose this movie to start drinking again).

Essentially, the CIA want to help a Russian KGB agent defect and send a comic book artist to do the job. He'll only do it if the CIA build the wacky inventions he uses in his comics.

Although I can remember seeing this at least once during my childhood, I could only remember a few bits. It's almost one of those movies that's so bad it borders on good again. But not quite - the so-bad-it's-good bits don't offset the so-bad-it's-rubbish bits.

My rating: 4.0 / 10
IMDB rating: 5.1 / 10
Running time: 90 mins
IMDB link

Marley & Me (2008)

[Movie 151 / Day 164]


Marley & Me tells the story of a the Grogan family and follows them from their wedding night all the way up to having three kids. The common thread through all of life's ups and downs is their dog, Marley, who joins them soon after getting married.

It's a pretty schmaltzy, weeptastic, girlie movie; but it's pretty well acted, pretty amusing in places, and yes, pretty sad too. Many brownie points can be earnt by renting it.

My rating: 6.9 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.1 / 10
Running time: 120 mins
IMDB link

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

[Movie 150 / Day 161]


A group of thieves, known only by aliases, rob a jewellers but someone double crosses them turning the job into a messy bloodbath. Simple, but executed brilliantly.

I hadn't seen Reservoir Dogs for at least a decade, and I'd forgotten just how good it is. Quentin Tarantino's breakthrough film had a tiny budget but was just dripping with style and cool dialogue.

Only bettered by his follow up, Pulp Fiction, after which everything started to slide.

Easily the best role I've ever seen Tim Roth in; however, the stand out is Michael Madsen, who plays a stone cold killer perfectly whilst looking and acting like an ice cool dude.

Love it.

My rating: 8.1 / 10
IMDB rating: 8.4 / 10
Running time: 99 mins
IMDB link

Menace II Society (1993)

[Movie 149 / Day 160]


Very similar to Boyz n the Hood, Menace II Society follows a young black man, Caine, as he falls deeper into a world of drive-by shootings, revenge killings, drugs and senseless violence in general. Eventually he comes to realise that he needs to get out or he will eventually be put in prison or die.

Much more violent than Boyz, it has an equally potent message. It also has a brilliant line near the opening and a brilliant line near the closing.

I liked it, even if it is a touch depressing.

Features Samuel L Jackson in a cameo as Caine's father. He's badass, as usual.

My rating: 7.4 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.4 / 10
Running time: 97 mins
IMDB link

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

[Movie 148 / Day 159]


Boyz n the Hood tells the story of a young black man that lives in South Central LA in the mid-80s. He moves in with his father when his mother decides she can't teach him to be a man after he gets into one too many fights at school.

At his fathers, he hangs around with the local kids, some of whom are attempting to do the best with what they have and some of which are content to sit back and let life go by, living the gang life.

The movie really gives a sense of what it was like to grow up in those neighbourhoods at that time; with police helicopters flying over at all hours of the day and night, gunshots breaking the silence at regular intervals, drive-by shootings relatively normal. It's really quite grim and not nearly as 'cool' as some rappers would have you believe.

There isn't much violence in the movie, which surprised me (not having seen it for many years) but it tells a story that is both sad moving.

My rating: 7.2 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.8 / 10
Running time: 107 mins
IMDB link

Sniper 2 (2002)

[Movie 147 / Day 158]


Bag-o'-crap sequel to the slightly-smaller-bag-o'-crap-original.

Tom Beringer is a sniper with no trigger finger, a terrible haircut, a paunch and a script that sucks.

My rating: 2.8 / 10
IMDB rating: 4.9 / 10
Running time: 91 mins
IMDB link

Zoolander (2001)

[Movie 146 / Day 156]


Derek Zoolander is a male model with the IQ of a breadstick. He is brainwashed and primed to assassinate some world leader or other when he hears a trigger. His friends figure this out for him and help him to foil the plot.

I'd seen this once before on a long-haul flight. I hated it then. However, watching movies on planes really does nothing for the experience, so I gave it another go. It's not as bad as I first thought, but it's still a distinctly average Stiller movie (as so many of his seem to be). Absolutely loads of celebrity cameos though.

My rating: 5.7 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.3 / 10
Running time: 89 mins
IMDB link

Zack & Miri Make a Porno (2008)

[Movie -- / Day 155]

Still pretty funny on the second viewing.

My rating: 7.4 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.3 / 10
Running time: 101 mins
IMDB link

Terminator Salvation (2009)

[Movie 145 / Day 154]


I walked into the cinema to see Terminator Salvation expecting it to be a bit rubbish, possibly even worse than T3. Even the presence of Christian Bale and the awesome trailers that have been released didn't relieve me of a sense of foreboding. The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, it's directed by a man that calls himself 'McG'. Anyone that willingly calls themselves McG isn't someone to take seriously. Secondly, it's a 12A (PG-13 in the US) - and many an action franchise has been ruined by attempts to make them more family friendly (see Robocop 3 or Alien vs Predator for details).

Terminator Salvation manages to overcome both of these obstacles to be almost on a par with T2. It's really, really good. Dark, moody and with a decent storyline; the writers and, dare I say it, McG, are clearly fans of the original movies and researched them properly. There are loads and loads of references to the other movies, from the massively obvious ("I'll be back") to massively subtle (Kyle Reese uses a very similar weapon and wears very similar Nike's as he did in the first movie).

So, it's not only fun, it advances the storyline and puts the Terminator franchise back on track for further movies.

It is a bit of a shame that the filmmakers didn't make it an R and include some of the violence that is an inherent part of the other three; but really, it doesn't feel like it's missing too much.

Overall, I loved it.

My rating: 8.2 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.3 / 10
Running time: 115 mins
IMDB link

Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)

[Movie 144 / Day 153]


Paul Blart (Kevin James) is a single father that, try as he might, can't get into the police department due to suffering from hyper-glycemia. So, he serves as a security guard in the local mall instead.

On the busiest shopping day of the year, bad guys take over the mall with the intention of robbing it. Due to playing on Guitar Hero in the arcade at the time, Blart doesn't hear any of the commotion and ends up as left inside as the only hope for the hostages.

It's not massively funny but it's not a terrible film either. Worth a watch if it's on TV.

My rating: 5.5 / 10
IMDB rating: 5.4 / 10
Running time: 91 mins
IMDB link

Monsters vs Aliens (2009)

[Movie 143 / Day 153]


An evil alien attacks earth, leaving the US Government with no choice but to send in a bunch of monsters they've captured and kept hidden from public view.

It's OK, not as good as I was hoping for or as good as the trailer made it look.

My rating: 6.8 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.0 / 10
Running time: 94 mins
IMDB link

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)

[Movie 142 / Day 152]


This prequel to the last two Underworld movies takes us back to the start of it all and the first Lycan.

It's OK, although there is some dodgy editing towards the end to tie it all into the other movies. Bill Nighy is pretty good, as he is in most things. Rhona Mitra is hot but not as good an actress as Kate Beckinsale. And that's one of the things that made the first two good - Kate Beckinsale dressed in leather, firing lots of guns and doing jumps and stuff.

My rating: 6.0 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.6 / 10
Running time: 92 mins
IMDB link