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Reviews Written By: A3N6GAJTEOF4MO

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	Get Smart [Blu-ray]
	"Really Great, Not What I Expected At All"	2008-10-26
Before I watched this film, I read the reviews of the press and most of them weren't great. I am unfortunately one of those guys who will put himself off watching it because of those bad reviews. I'm gutted I did as this film was simply the personification of brilliance from start to finish. It's slick, stylish and downright comic excellence. Even for a film like this, the special effect and general action would put even James Bond to shame. It's exciting, quite emotional at times, cool at others and just downright silly at the times that are left. Steve Carell plays Maxwell Smart, a secret agent who desperately wants to get on the field. The government agency he works for known only as CONTROL are infiltrated by an evil agency known as KAOS which compromises the identities of all the current field agents. So in order to battle this force and still stay a secret, the chief of CONTROL puts smart on the field and assigns him the title of agent 86 partnering him with the much more experienced Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway). Max looks up to his close friend and one of the best agents on the field, Agent 23 (Dwayne Johnson). He is the James Bond of CONTROL and it's no surprise that Max wants to be so much like him. This is just a really light hearted and fast paced film. I guess it could just be labelled a comedy, but that would just ignore the other great aspects of the film. The action is done really well and isn't the tacky type comedy we have come to associate comedy movies when they feature action. Some of the sequences are genuinely unique and truly edge of your seat. The chemistry between Hathaway and Carell is great and one scene in particular expresses the comedic chemistry between the two. The laser room scene which is somewhat of a cliché for spy movies is superb in this. Carell is the usual silly guy we have come to know and love, his ridiculous expressions and perfected comic timing are all present. It's also very pleasant to see the wonderful Anne Hathaway in a leading role where she isn't the damzel in distress, or the naive teenager. The Bill Murray cameo is also something quite special as agent 13, he's only there for a moment and has about three lines but it's always great to see Bill Murray on our screens. It also seems quite a wrestler fest as well, obviously with the inclusion of Dwayne Johnson as agent 23 but also WWEs The Great Khali as the cliché middle eastern, giant bad guy. Johnson doesn't take his character too seriously, which is something he always manages to shine in playing but manages to pull out the acting stops when he has to enter into the action man role. An awesome movie all round and is definitely worth it just for the sky diving scene and the laser room.
	Incredible Hulk [Blu-ray]
	"A Great Nod To Everything Hulk"	2008-09-28
I think we can all safely say we've put that 2003 attempt at a Hulk movie out of our minds. Sure it was aweful, and made some of us sweat with sheer hatred at the boredom we suffered. When made aware of this film some simply sighed and said, "keep Ang Lee as far away as possible" he's a great director but isn't a comic book movie maker. This adaptation wasn't a sequel, nor was it a reinvention, it was simply a nudge in the right direction and had Louis Leterrier say this is how it should have been done. Ed Norton now takes the role as Bruce Banner and is supported by the sexually appealing Liv Tyler. Yes, I said sexually appealing. The film starts off in Brazil where Bruce is hiding from the United States army and keeping the Hulk at bay. He works in a bottling plant and one day cuts himself leaving a drop of blood in one of the bottles, which makes an un-witting Stan Lee very ill indeed. By the way, off topic a little but can Stan Lee please stop with the cameos. Yeah, we get it Stan, you came up with the characters it doesn't mean you have to appear in every single Marvel movie ever made. Back on topic. The Army track Bruce through the sick Stan Lee and employ Emil Blonsky, a man who's very high ranking in the British Royal Marines and is entrusted to bring Banner back to the states. Things don't go too well and the Hulk is awakened and destroys the soldiers, escaping once again. Blonsky isn't happy and with the help of General Thadeus Ross, he is put in the super soldier program for round two with the Hulk. Meanwhile, Banner wants a cure for the Hulk so he seeks out Betty Ross to help him cure himself along with the help of the mysterious Mr. Blue. I can't really go further into the story as it all comes together at the end in one excellent climax, but as you can see in the cover it involves Abomination in some way. In my review title I mention that this is a nod to everything Hulk and I wasn't kidding. Just the little things you tend to notice more if they're familiar to you. The nod to the TV show with Lou Ferrigno having a cameo and a nod to the games in the final scene, Hulk smashes a police car in two and uses the parts as make shift boxing gloves. Comparing it to the first movie, this has definitely taken more inspiration from the comics. Utilising comic villains and giving a possible hint to a villain in a future installment. The look and general feel of the film are very cartoon like but are still very cool. Hopefully this, along with Iron Man will lead to much more comic inspired comic book movies being made. Sure, you can give us a comic movie with the main hero, but it's not really a comic movie if you take that character and change the world around them. A very enjoyable movie and worth the time, especially for the end fight sequence between Abomination and Hulk.
	Horton Hears a Who! [Blu-ray]
	"Pretty Awesome"	2008-09-21
Let's be honest for a second, when you have three of the biggest comic actors come together in an animated feature, it was destined to be funny. For an animated Dr. Seuss adaptation, this is not just funny but damned hysterical and one of the best CG animated features to date. In recent years, the Dr. Seuss films haven't exactly delivered as expected so I think most people weren't expecting much, but honestly it's really great. The story focuses around Horton the Elephant (Jim Carrey) who comes across a speck on a clover, on that speck is whoville and run by its Mayor (Steve Carell) who everybody in whoville thinks is crazy, he also struggles to get through to his only son JoJo. Horton promises the mayor that he will have the speck put in the safest place possible but something gets in his way, Kangaroo who's the snootiest of them all and enforces every rule. She thinks Horton is crazy and he's disrupting the children so she goes out of her way to stop Horton. The CGI is really interesting as it's very cartoony in style to keep the Seuss feel, yet at the same time holds a level of authenticity that both blend together very well indeed. The whole concept of the film, although I'm sure it wasn't intentional is actually quite interesting. I'm not talking about our planet being in the trunk of an Elephant, but the whole possibility of there being something much much larger than our world operating in exactly the same way we do. Our planet is merely a speck in the vastness of our universe, what makes it so impossible that we are a world within a world? I know, I'm getting all philosophical so I'll leave it there, but you know what I mean. The comedy is quite slapstick in style as Horton finds himself in quite awkward situations along his quest to get whoville to safety. Within whoville the mayor finds himself in unusual capers to convince whoville of Hortons existence and getting to know his son JoJo. One of the more comical scenes in the entire film is the bridge crossing scene. Horton is trying to cross a rickety bridge which is very unlikely to support him and it causes quakes in whoville. The mayor is in the dentists and a shake leads to the dentist poking him in the arm with a numbing needle which is actually really funny. An overall awesome film which is something for all the family.
	Malcolm in the Middle - The Complete First Season
	"Incredibly Funny"	2008-09-20
When Malcolm in the Middle first hit American TV screens it was something that was never seen before, it was a family not of the typical American lot... or are they? They got massive ratings for the first season and rightfully so, it gave is an incredibly funny depiction of real American family life. It's nothing like any other sitcom you've seen, all the characters don't make up at the end and we don't get a message of life shoved in our face. It's simply just funny because a lot of it is so true, yet so bizarre. The show focuses around middle child genius Malcolm (hence the name) and his dysfunctional family. It chronicles his struggles being the most intelligent person in his family of misfits and his relationship with his mother, father and brothers. From time to time we're treated to Malcolm's monologues, generally him spouting his distaste for how his family are together. Frankie Muniz plays the part well and for the years that the show ran for he managed to keep the character consistent. The family consist of Lois (the mother) she's crazy, plain and simple. She's the worst mother we could possibly imaging having, she's strict, she's stubborn and worst of all she's always right. Hal (The dad) he's the weakest one of the lot, he's pretty dumb and easily manipulated which the boys are very familiar with. Francis (the oldest brother) he was sent to military school by Lois for simply getting in too much trouble. Being in military school doesn't stop him from being the prankster though. Reece (second oldest) he's an idiot and one of the main reasons why the boys are always in trouble as his usual "cunning" schemes never work. Dewey (the youngest) he just stays out of the way and when he does get involved he's the usual annoying little brother. This is truly an amazing and original sitcom and I was forced to just be general about the show as no further seasons have been released. I'm happy to hear that season 2 may be on the way and hopefully further seasons will follow onto DVD. By far my favourite character has to be Hal, his craziness and quite childish personality make him one of the funniest characters in a sitcom.
	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]
	"Nothing Amazing, But Still Great"	2008-09-12
Now let me be honest from the start and say that I've only read the first 4 Harry Potter books and have never really been interested in the rest. I must also be honest and say I've only ever really been a casual fan of the films, not getting overly excited about the upcoming release, nor being somewhat ashamed of even saying "oh that looks good." I simply ended up watching Order of the Phoenix on a whim and I must say I found it very enjoyable. The combination of the hidden magic world and believable characters, really allow the film to blend into one hell of a two hour ride. Harry's fifth year as a wizard doesn't start too well, he and Dudley are attacked by dementors which leads to Harry being expelled from Hogwarts. Through a series of random, craziness Harry discovers that Dumbledore is putting together an army to help fight Voldemorts army. The Order of the Phoenix involve the likes of Azkaban runaway Sirius Black, Godfather of Harry Potter and Sirius Black. The Ministry of Magic are the biggest problem facing the order at the moment as Dumbledore and Harry are constantly attacked in the daily prophet for spreading lies. The Ministry are in denial that the Dark Lord Voldemort is back and in order to stop the rumours, they must take Dumbledores power and remove him as Hogwarts headmaster. In his place is the old fashioned and quite evil Professor Delores Umbridge. She, like the ministry seems in complete denial about the dark lords return and seeks to bring order to Hogwarts. Harry on the other hand decides he must take teaching into his own hands and puts together his own army of students and prepares them for the impending war. I have to be honest and say Radcliffe has once again really pulled it off as a genuine actor. Although the Harry Potter label will stick with him forever, he continues to display genuine acting talent within the role. The supporting best friends of Emma Watson (Hermione) & Rupert Grint (Ron) provide the general emotional guidance that helps keep Harry going. Personally I found the Delores Umbridge character to be the more intimidating of characters from this year, she has the ability of being a bit too sweet giving the image that you know there's something more going on. She demands order, she wants peace without possibility of injury so she bans all magic in the classroom and insists all theory work is the correct way to teach wizardry. Well played part by Imelda Staunton. The special effects are as usual astonishing, they allow the truly magical Potter world to come alive. The Centaurs, Giants and general magical fights can only be done through the magic of computer animation and are simply flawless. There wasn't a single moment where I spotted a faulty special effect with which I could say "that's done by computers." If it did have that effect on someone then there's no denying it would have ruined the entire effect of the film. I do want to point something out and it's something that has been talked about time and time again. It's the darkness of the film, for a book aimed at kids the stories tend to get more and more adult as time progresses. This is a good thing for the older fan of the books, but isn't something I would really say should be seen by kids as they would possibly find it a bit terrifying. It's an amazing, honest and enjoyable picture that although there will be the complaints of cutting down too much from the book, I have no doubt that it's still a film the loyal book fans will thoroughly enjoy.
	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix [Blu-ray]
	"Nothing Amazing, But Still Great"	2008-09-12
Now let me be honest from the start and say that I've only read the first 4 Harry Potter books and have never really been interested in the rest. I must also be honest and say I've only ever really been a casual fan of the films, not getting overly excited about the upcoming release, nor being somewhat ashamed of even saying "oh that looks good." I simply ended up watching Order of the Phoenix on a whim and I must say I found it very enjoyable. The combination of the hidden magic world and believable characters, really allow the film to blend into one hell of a two hour ride.br /br /Harry's fifth year as a wizard doesn't start too well, he and Dudley are attacked by dementors which leads to Harry being expelled from Hogwarts. Through a series of random, craziness Harry discovers that Dumbledore is putting together an army to help fight Voldemorts army. The Order of the Phoenix involve the likes of Azkaban runaway Sirius Black, Godfather of Harry Potter and Sirius Black. The Ministry of Magic are the biggest problem facing the order at the moment as Dumbledore and Harry are constantly attacked in the daily prophet for spreading lies. The Ministry are in denial that the Dark Lord Voldemort is back and in order to stop the rumours, they must take Dumbledores power and remove him as Hogwarts headmaster. In his place is the old fashioned and quite evil Professor Delores Umbridge. She, like the ministry seems in complete denial about the dark lords return and seeks to bring order to Hogwarts. Harry on the other hand decides he must take teaching into his own hands and puts together his own army of students and prepares them for the impending war.br /br /I have to be honest and say Radcliffe has once again really pulled it off as a genuine actor. Although the Harry Potter label will stick with him forever, he continues to display genuine acting talent within the role. The supporting best friends of Emma Watson (Hermione) Rupert Grint (Ron) provide the general emotional guidance that helps keep Harry going. Personally I found the Delores Umbridge character to be the more intimidating of characters from this year, she has the ability of being a bit too sweet giving the image that you know there's something more going on. She demands order, she wants peace without possibility of injury so she bans all magic in the classroom and insists all theory work is the correct way to teach wizardry. Well played part by Imelda Staunton.br /br /The special effects are as usual astonishing, they allow the truly magical Potter world to come alive. The Centaurs, Giants and general magical fights can only be done through the magic of computer animation and are simply flawless. There wasn't a single moment where I spotted a faulty special effect with which I could say "that's done by computers." If it did have that effect on someone then there's no denying it would have ruined the entire effect of the film. br /br /I do want to point something out and it's something that has been talked about time and time again. It's the darkness of the film, for a book aimed at kids the stories tend to get more and more adult as time progresses. This is a good thing for the older fan of the books, but isn't something I would really say should be seen by kids as they would possibly find it a bit terrifying. It's an amazing, honest and enjoyable picture that although there will be the complaints of cutting down too much from the book, I have no doubt that it's still a film the loyal book fans will thoroughly enjoy.
	Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - The Movie
	"I Miss My Childhood"	2008-09-01
Now like most kids, I loved the Power Rangers, I loved the intense martial arts fights and the general good feeling of good always winning over evil. Today I can still look back on past episodes not with general nostalgia, but as a viewer of today and call it childish but I can still say the Mighty Morphin was the best rangers generation. Although you generally knew that the Rangers would always win out against the bad guy, it was always made in a way in which would have you thinking "well maybe they wont pull through this time". It's a genuinely fun and cool show for the kids and the big kid in all of us who struggles to hold onto the past. The story focuses around a mysterious egg prison found in a building site, it's opened by Rita and Lord Zedd to release the evil Ivan Ooze. Ooze was locked away by Zordon 6 thousand years ago and now Ooze is seeking revenge, he destroys the crystaline chamber keeping Zordon alive and is what provided the rangers with their power. Now, the rangers must set on a quest on an ancient planet to unlock a secret power which will help save Zordon and the universe. The Power Rangers was never a show about great action or complete fantasy, it was a show that gave a great message about friendship and self belief. It always had the underlining message about sticking by those you care about and defending those in trouble. It did this in my mind without being too cheesy or too insulting to the child's intelligence. They portray this message superbly in this movie and as always places that along side some great action. The special effects of this movie are, for the time amazing and it clearly has a much bigger budget than its TV counterpart. The zord animations aren't perfect but are much preferred to the traditional man in a crazy suit in a model city. It is cool and Ivan Ooze makes for a great one off evil villain that is so evil even locks away Rita and lord Zedd. A great movie all around, it isn't something that new fans will enjoy as it's very much a film for the fans of the traditional series. To those now too old to call themselves rangers fans simply because it makes you seem creepy, it's something that can give you an enjoyable nostalgia feel.
	The Sound of Music (40th Anniversary Edition)
	"The Most Inspiring Musical Of The 20th Century."	2008-08-31
In the 1960's Julie Andrews played a part in two of the most definitive musicals of the 20th Century. Disney's Mary Poppins and Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, both gave someone a clean cut fun and heart warming experience that had many people humming the songs for decades. Out of the two I would say The Sound of Music is the better and has left me with a huge level of admiration for Dame Julie Andrews. She has an amazing singing voice, and a class and grace unmatched by any fellow actress. The film tells the story of a young clumsy nun named Maria who is considered a nuisance by most of her fellow sisters in the convent. One day she is sent out to the Von Trapp family as the house led by Captain Von Trapp is after a new governess to take care of his 7 children. The Von Trapp household is led like one of his old navy ships, where he commands his children with the blow of a whistle forcing them to march and work, but there is no play. Maria becomes determined to teach the captain and the children what it's like to have fun, and one time whilst he's away to Vienna she takes her chance to let the children have fun and teach them to sing. This leads to a heart warming story which allows the children to sing and represent their home country of Austria. In my personal view this film hasn't aged a bit, I haven't seen it for a few years and actually think the last time I watched this was when I was 10 years old (I'm 22 now). Watching it again today, unlike most films from my childhood, my opinion of this has not changed one bit, I still love it as much as I remember doing so all them years ago. The intro actually gave me chills as I began reminiscing of this film and how good it actually was. The music of course is the main focus of the film, it has some of possibly the most catchy and memorable songs that could have you embarrassingly singing along at the top of your voice. Health Warning: You could end up with a sore throat after trying to sing-a-long. The kids are amazing with their music pieces as the general harmony of them is shocking, even considering their age with the youngest being 5. Of course Dame Julie was on top form and served as the delightful support for the child choir. The setting of the film in 1930's Austria actually gives this film a beautiful look, which gives you the understanding just as to why the character of Maria is such a happy person. If I were certainly living in such a beautiful country I have no doubt I would be the same. The film was primarily shot on location with very little need for purpose built sets or cardboard backgrounds. Because of the beautiful environments if done right it will look even more spectacular on Blu-Ray. I don't think this classic is really for a new audience as most young viewers wouldn't really appreciate the light hearted attitude and general good feel of it all. It wouldn't fit in with todays standard of films, it doesn't have violence, it doesn't have crude language and it doesn't have a smidgen of nudity. It's a wholesome film for the entire family, it doesn't need parental guidance or anyone to explain the film. I would say that although it's unlikely to captivate any new or young audiences, it's a film that will certainly convey a good and hearty message of love and positivity.
	The Sound of Music
	"The Most Inspiring Musical Of The 20th Century."	2008-08-31
In the 1960's Julie Andrews played a part in two of the most definitive musicals of the 20th Century. Disney's Mary Poppins and Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, both gave someone a clean cut fun and heart warming experience that had many people humming the songs for decades. Out of the two I would say The Sound of Music is the better and has left me with a huge level of admiration for Dame Julie Andrews. She has an amazing singing voice, and a class and grace unmatched by any fellow actress. The film tells the story of a young clumsy nun named Maria who is considered a nuisance by most of her fellow sisters in the convent. One day she is sent out to the Von Trapp family as the house led by Captain Von Trapp is after a new governess to take care of his 7 children. The Von Trapp household is led like one of his old navy ships, where he commands his children with the blow of a whistle forcing them to march and work, but there is no play. Maria becomes determined to teach the captain and the children what it's like to have fun, and one time whilst he's away to Vienna she takes her chance to let the children have fun and teach them to sing. This leads to a heart warming story which allows the children to sing and represent their home country of Austria. In my personal view this film hasn't aged a bit, I haven't seen it for a few years and actually think the last time I watched this was when I was 10 years old (I'm 22 now). Watching it again today, unlike most films from my childhood, my opinion of this has not changed one bit, I still love it as much as I remember doing so all them years ago. The intro actually gave me chills as I began reminiscing of this film and how good it actually was. The music of course is the main focus of the film, it has some of possibly the most catchy and memorable songs that could have you embarrassingly singing along at the top of your voice. Health Warning: You could end up with a sore throat after trying to sing-a-long. The kids are amazing with their music pieces as the general harmony of them is shocking, even considering their age with the youngest being 5. Of course Dame Julie was on top form and served as the delightful support for the child choir. The setting of the film in 1930's Austria actually gives this film a beautiful look, which gives you the understanding just as to why the character of Maria is such a happy person. If I were certainly living in such a beautiful country I have no doubt I would be the same. The film was primarily shot on location with very little need for purpose built sets or cardboard backgrounds. Because of the beautiful environments if done right it will look even more spectacular on Blu-Ray. I don't think this classic is really for a new audience as most young viewers wouldn't really appreciate the light hearted attitude and general good feel of it all. It wouldn't fit in with todays standard of films, it doesn't have violence, it doesn't have crude language and it doesn't have a smidgen of nudity. It's a wholesome film for the entire family, it doesn't need parental guidance or anyone to explain the film. I would say that although it's unlikely to captivate any new or young audiences, it's a film that will certainly convey a good and hearty message of love and positivity.
	Iron Man (Special Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]
	"Such A Cool Movie"	2008-08-31
Looking at this year what will most people say was the best comic book movie of 08? Dark Knight, exactly but next in line is without a doubt Iron Man and that's for many different reasons. Out of the 4 comic book movies I can name off the top of my head that were released this year, Iron Man was definitely the coolest, with Dark Knight being the most authentic, Hellboy 2 being the biggest fantasy and Incredible Hulk just being the most insane. Robert Downey Jr. without a doubt made this film what it is, he delivers his very special brand of charisma and acting talent to a very cool and charismatic character. A lot of people have said that you couldn't have gotten a more perfect person to play Tony Stark and they weren't kidding. To those not familiar with the comic or have not yet seen the film, Tony Stark/Iron Man is the owner of the worlds premier weapons manufacturing company Stark Industries. In the movie he is kidnapped by terrorists who hold him until he agrees to build them a specialist weapon, he agrees but instead builds an indestructible suit which he will use to break himself out of his prison. He manages to break out, but comes to realise what he's been doing has been the main force in a lot of innocent killings, so he designs a better version of the suit which he will use to help those in need. Downey Jr. has always been known as one of those special actors that will constantly put on amazing performances in little known movies, and very rarely gets a chance at a big time role. Iron Man is one of his biggest roles to date and he gets to star along such greats as Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard. Speaking of Paltrow, I don't think you could have gotten a more perfect role for Tony Starks P.A. Pepper Potts than the Oscar winner. The villain of the film is one hell of a scary guy, Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger is actually one of the more intimidating comic villains I've seen to date. Played by Jeff Bridges, I honestly think the guy deserves a round of applause for his role. All in all a great movie with some spectacular special effects, great action and actually a great message. Watch it, I promise you wont be disappointed.
	Justice League: The New Frontier Special Edition [Blu-ray]
	"It Was OK But Nothing Special"	2008-08-31
I've never really been a fan of the animated comic book movies, but I decided to give it a try as still being a fan of the heroes I find the Justice League interesting. What I was given was good, but nothing amazing and it certainly didn't change my perception of these types of animated movies. The story is set in the 1950's and focuses around the original formation of the Justice League of America. Batman and Detective John Jones are trying to solve the mystery of the Centre, Superman and Wonder Woman are soldiers for the US Army, Flash is trying to live a normal life with Special Agent King Farraday always on his tail and Hal Jordan has been selected for a special space mission to Mars. The whole centre mystery primarily focuses around the Martian Manhunter and the birth of the Green Lantern. It's a good little story, but seems to be a film that's trying too hard to appeal to all audiences. Be warned, the violence is quite graphic and at times the language used is quite colourful. I guess the writers and animators felt that this would help create a higher level of adult realism to the film. On the contrary in fact, it came across as forced and quite ridiculous as a whole. It's an enjoyable film none the less, but I feel kind of dirty even calling it a film or movie as it's just over an hour long and in my eyes a true film has to be 90 minutes or more. I can imagine that if you're a fan of the old school comic saga or TV shows then this is a film you will love, but to me it was just nothing ground breaking.
	The Sound of Music (Single Disc Widescreen Edition)
	"The Most Inspiring Musical Of The 20th Century."	2008-08-31
In the 1960's Julie Andrews played a part in two of the most definitive musicals of the 20th Century. Disney's Mary Poppins and Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, both gave someone a clean cut fun and heart warming experience that had many people humming the songs for decades. Out of the two I would say The Sound of Music is the better and has left me with a huge level of admiration for Dame Julie Andrews. She has an amazing singing voice, and a class and grace unmatched by any fellow actress. The film tells the story of a young clumsy nun named Maria who is considered a nuisance by most of her fellow sisters in the convent. One day she is sent out to the Von Trapp family as the house led by Captain Von Trapp is after a new governess to take care of his 7 children. The Von Trapp household is led like one of his old navy ships, where he commands his children with the blow of a whistle forcing them to march and work, but there is no play. Maria becomes determined to teach the captain and the children what it's like to have fun, and one time whilst he's away to Vienna she takes her chance to let the children have fun and teach them to sing. This leads to a heart warming story which allows the children to sing and represent their home country of Austria. In my personal view this film hasn't aged a bit, I haven't seen it for a few years and actually think the last time I watched this was when I was 10 years old (I'm 22 now). Watching it again today, unlike most films from my childhood, my opinion of this has not changed one bit, I still love it as much as I remember doing so all them years ago. The intro actually gave me chills as I began reminiscing of this film and how good it actually was. The music of course is the main focus of the film, it has some of possibly the most catchy and memorable songs that could have you embarrassingly singing along at the top of your voice. Health Warning: You could end up with a sore throat after trying to sing-a-long. The kids are amazing with their music pieces as the general harmony of them is shocking, even considering their age with the youngest being 5. Of course Dame Julie was on top form and served as the delightful support for the child choir. The setting of the film in 1930's Austria actually gives this film a beautiful look, which gives you the understanding just as to why the character of Maria is such a happy person. If I were certainly living in such a beautiful country I have no doubt I would be the same. The film was primarily shot on location with very little need for purpose built sets or cardboard backgrounds. Because of the beautiful environments if done right it will look even more spectacular on Blu-Ray. I don't think this classic is really for a new audience as most young viewers wouldn't really appreciate the light hearted attitude and general good feel of it all. It wouldn't fit in with todays standard of films, it doesn't have violence, it doesn't have crude language and it doesn't have a smidgen of nudity. It's a wholesome film for the entire family, it doesn't need parental guidance or anyone to explain the film. I would say that although it's unlikely to captivate any new or young audiences, it's a film that will certainly convey a good and hearty message of love and positivity.
	3:10 to Yuma [Blu-ray]
	"This Is Now My Favourite Movie Of All Time"	2008-08-30
Now I will admit something right of the bat before I get into my review. I have only recently seen this movie and turned down a number of opportunities to watch this film simply because it is a western. I will now hold my hands up and say how wrong I was and after seeing the light I have to say, this has now taken over Pulp Fiction as my favourite movie EVER!!! From start to finish this film grabs hold of you and gives you a damn good shaking. The biggest point of this film is the general authenticity of it all. It seeks to give us a western movie for the modern film going generation without alienating those classic Western fans. The story focuses around rancher Dan Evans, a man who's been struggling to make ends meet and has had his barn destroyed by a man to whom he owes money. One day after heading into the town of Bisbee to seek revenge or to resolve the situation, Dan witnesses a stagecoach robbery led by the infamous outlaw Ben Wade. Wade allows Dan and his two sons on their way but cross paths later in Bisbee when Ben is caught by the local law and Dan is asked to be a part of the escort for a $200 pay. Dan accepts and he now joins the other team to help transport Wade to the city of Conention to catch the 3:10 train to Yuma prison in which he'll be hanged for his crimes. The way in which the story is told for the time that it takes place comes across as authentic. You can honestly imagine something like this taking place and these types of people existing in this particular time. Aside from the main cast, Ben Wades second in command, Charlie (Ben Foster) is played brilliantly. The callousness combined with the shooting skills make him a genuinely unsavoury character who, at times you really want to be taken down early in the film as I found myself not wanting to see what he'd do to our heroes if he ever caught up to them. I've never been known as a fan of Crowe's, but alongside Bale he really shines and delivers an intense villain who on the outside appears cruel yet cunning, but we all feel that there's some good inside. I didn't know that this film was a remake from a 1957 film of the same name but from what I've heard it seems to keep true to the original. I will be watching the original soon to see how true it keeps or whether it is something completely different. All I know is that this film is highly recommended by myself and I promise you'll love it.
	Little Britain - The Complete First Series
	"Vastly Overrated, Yet Innovative None The Less"	2008-08-30
When Little Britain was first released here in the UK, it debuted on a little watched BBC channel named BBC THREE. Within a few weeks word had spread about this hysterical sketch show that makes fun of every British stereotype under the sun. There was the Chav teenager, the not so wheelchair bound man, the transvestite in denial, the upper class elderly racist and the man claiming to be gay simply to stand out from the crowd. Those residents of the UK can all relate to at least one of Little Britains characters, even if it isn't some of the main characters, one of the lesser seen characters will certainly ring a bell and have a person saying "That's like such and such down the street". That was Little Britain's main appeal, but apart from the familiarity of it all it simply had no substance other than a few repetitive gags tweaked and turned to try and keep it fresh. I have no doubt that after the first series, creators Walliams and Lucas should have quit while they were ahead as they ended up destroying some well loved characters. Vickie Pollard was without a doubt the character that caused the biggest stir in the UK as it held up a big poster and said "These are the kids of today". To some it was an offensive message, but there was no doubt there was a lot of truth behind it as most working class teenagers act in exactly the same way. Other than the odd cheap giggle due to moderate racism or general controversy that, at times had you in stitches. It's been called by many as the greatest sketch show ever made but although I'm one for difference of opinion, calling it the greatest ever is simply not true. Monty Python's Flying Circus craps all over Little Britain and Python was made more than 30 years prior to Little Britain. Buy the Monty Python collection instead, you will get much more for your money.
	Heroes: Season 1 [Blu-ray]
	"Save The Chearleader, Save The World"	2008-08-30
To fans of the show the title of my review is likely something that has stuck in their minds since they first heard it two years ago. It was the definitive tag line for a truly unique TV show with quite a familiar premise. Think the birth of X-Men crossed with real life, each mutant has just discovered their powers for the first time and the notion of mutants is unknown to the world. Taking that simple description would give you the basic idea of what the show's about, but it's much better and much more complicated than that. Season 1 is the dawning of a new evolutionary stage for humans, some are born with superpowers such as Flight, Invisibility and the ability to heal etc. The show follows a number of different people at different stages in the discovery process. Some have been familiar with their situation for a long time and have actually either come to embrace their discovered power or hate it. To some super strength would be a blessing, but to some it would be a true curse to the hero and their family. Of course with the good guys discovering their powers, Heroes season 1 has the ultimate bad guy who can steal the powers of others by devouring their brains. There are four main characters to this season along with a bunch of excellent supporting actors. The main four are Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka), Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia), Sylar (Zachary Quinto) & Claire Bennett (Hayden Panettiere). There are quite a few different stories that intertwine to the ultimate season finale, so below is my brief description of the 4 main characters individual stories. Claire Bennett: In October 2006 she discovers that she has the ability of spontaneous regeneration after an accident that leads to the cutting of her hand and a few days later the cut completely disappearing. Completely freaked out by this, Claire starts to experiment with her new ability with the help of her classmate Zach. She continues with a number of self harming incidents that would show her the extent of her ability. Hiro Nakamura: One day while in his office cubicle, Hiro discovers he has the ability to manipulate time and space allowing him to stop time or teleport himself to any period and any location on Earth. He's a regular comic book nerd and becomes excited by his powers and along with his friend Ando seeks to become the Hero he's always dreamed of being. Peter Petrelli: He's the brother of Politician Nathan Petrelli (Ability to Fly) and Peter first discovers that he has the ability to fly. Being freaked out by this fact he tries to convince his brother Nathan who's more pre-occupied with his own political ambitions. Throughout the season Peter becomes aware that it's not the ability to fly that is his power, rather he has the ability to absorb the powers of others with which he has no control over. This leads to Peter absorbing a power that would ultimately bring together all other heroes in the ultimate climax. Sylar: He's been called by many external reviewers, magazines and TV shows as the most evil TV villain of the 21st century. That is truly no understatement as Sylar is possibly the most evil and intimidating person I've seen on TV in years. We ever truly come to know what Sylars initial ability is, but he does have the ability to steal other peoples powers by killing them and taking their brain. What he does with it, we have yet to find out. He's the man that not only are people scared of, but he becomes another primary catalyst in the finale build up. There are quite a few side characters and stories, which for this season I don't think they really had much of a point rather than to pass the time and help out here and there. I will say this, however and that is that season 1 really set in stone an amazing show that from start to finish is extremely enjoyable. The performance by Quinto as the villainous Sylar is just unbelievable and he's become a cult fan favourite, simply because of his complex and evil nature. I would highly recommend this show to anyone as the special effects are unmatched and the acting is top notch.
	Finding Nemo (Collector's Edition)
	"Another Amazing Pixar Offering."	2008-08-27
I honestly thought the trend with movie companies was that when they have tremendous success with their first and second films they eventually begin to slide in quality. At least until they hit that next big pinnacle film that makes them a massive wad of cash. Pixar have done the impossible with Finding Nemo. As their 5th feature film Finding Nemo was equally as solid and original as its predecessors, and if anything it has surpassed them. Set deep in the coral reef of Australia, a family of clown fish are one day attacked by a Barracuda leaving the Father Marlin and one egg. Flash forward a few years and that egg is a young clown fish named Nemo who's been raised by his overprotective Father. One day while at school and becoming tired of his dads suffocating ways, Nemo ignores his dads order to come away from a human boat. Nemo goes and touches the boat, but unfortunately it leads to Nemo being kidnapped by a diver, catching fish for a small aquarium. Nemo's dad Marlin must now set on a quest towards Sydney harbour to try and Find Nemo. Along the way he becomes friends with a Regal Tang fish called Dory who suffers from short term memory loss, but is still very optimistic. She joins Marlin in his quest to find Nemo, although Marlin does have to keep reminding her why she's with him. Along the way they encounter psychotic practising vegetarian sharks, deadly jellyfish and turtles riding the waves. Nemo on the other hand is trapped inside a small fish tank in a dentists surgery, he befriends the fish locked up with him and hopes for eventual help. As you can see from the plot this is simply a formula of crazy success and pure hilarity. The formula works wonders and delivers a film not just beautiful to look at, but something to wet your pants with laughter. The companion Dory and the vegetarian sharks are just insanely unique and make this movie special in itself. Dory, voiced by Ellen Degeneres is just loveable and admirable with her unmeasurable optimism and her talent to speak whale. With the adventure of Marlin (Albert Brooks) & Dory on their quest the film also focuses on Nemo trying to break out of the tank before he's given to the dentists daughter as a pet. Led by the crafty Gill (Willem Defoe) and helped by the other tank fish, they hatch a plan which will allow Nemo his last chance of freedom. I did mention that it was beautiful to look at and I wasn't kidding. The scale of the ocean is second to none, and the animators seem to be looking to display the true scale of their quest. The beginning reef scene is something to be witnessed and I can't imagine how cool it would look on Blu-Ray. This is a film with a script and plot with confidence, Pixar do what they do best and they give us a quality film that teaches us a good lesson about letting go when the time is right while still having the entire family in stitches. The term family film is thrown around a lot when relating to Disney or other children's movies. I can honestly say that Finding Nemo is one of the only movies to fit that perfectly. It teaches the parents a lesson about knowing when to let their kids make their own mistakes, while showing the kids the importance of friendship and respect for our elders. It has the typical childish humour while throwing in the odd adult joke that will go straight over the kids heads. A great film all round and I sincerely can't wait for it to be on Blu-Ray.
	Catch Me If You Can
	"Slick And Stylish, An Excellent Cat & Mouse Chase"	2008-08-25
Catch Me If You Can is one of those true story movies that achieves a rarity. It gives you a really interesting and intense film while still keeping its feet on the ground and not going overboard or off track with the initial story. This film is based around the true life of Frank Abagnale Jr. who became known as an expert impostor, who managed to con Pan Am airlines out of millions of dollars by impersonating a pilot, a doctor and a legal prosecutor. In the movie it generally keeps to the core roots of Franks story and the man himself was even involved in the making of the movie. The film is set out from his teenage days and shows a young man who has a talent of confidence. This confidence allows him to fit into any role he's presented with and at the start of the movie we see him impersonating a teacher, which ultimately gets him into trouble. He's a kid who idolises his father, a man who's in serious trouble with the IRS and is being cheated on by his wife, Franks mother. Frank Jr's parents split and Frank runs away to Manhattan with just $25 in his checking account. Determined to clear his Fathers losses and repair his parents marriage, Frank becomes one of the biggest con artists ever known to the United States. The film then turns into a cat & mouse chase between Frank & FBI Agent Carl Hanratty, but what starts as a felon being chased by a cop turns into a father & son type relationship. The film itself is just incredible, the settings and the script are just superb and have a certain style and confidence very rarely seen in movies these days. It has real life situations taking place that to some would seem utterly unbelievable, yet the film makers display these situations with such a confidence (Due to them being true situations and all) that it's pulled off without it detracting from the film itself. There's one scene in particular which I'm thinking about and it's a point in which Carl actually manages to find Frank and get into his Motel room while Frank is still there. At this stage in the film Carl is unaware of what Frank looks like and Frank, with his sheer exuberance manages to convince Carl, with no proof what so ever, that he's the man who's caught Frank and had him arrested moments earlier. Taken in by his confidence, Carl believes the story and allows Frank to leave the room and ultimately escape. Of course to most people this would seem utterly ridiculous but the way it's put together in the film, it works perfectly. A very good movie that is a masterpiece in my eyes and unfortunately overlooked by many. Buy it or rent it, I promise you wont be disappointed either way.
	Catch Me If You Can (Full Screen Edition)
	"Slick And Stylish, An Excellent Cat & Mouse Chase"	2008-08-25
Catch Me If You Can is one of those true story movies that achieves a rarity. It gives you a really interesting and intense film while still keeping its feet on the ground and not going overboard or off track with the initial story. This film is based around the true life of Frank Abagnale Jr. who became known as an expert impostor, who managed to con Pan Am airlines out of millions of dollars by impersonating a pilot, a doctor and a legal prosecutor. In the movie it generally keeps to the core roots of Franks story and the man himself was even involved in the making of the movie. The film is set out from his teenage days and shows a young man who has a talent of confidence. This confidence allows him to fit into any role he's presented with and at the start of the movie we see him impersonating a teacher, which ultimately gets him into trouble. He's a kid who idolises his father, a man who's in serious trouble with the IRS and is being cheated on by his wife, Franks mother. Frank Jr's parents split and Frank runs away to Manhattan with just $25 in his checking account. Determined to clear his Fathers losses and repair his parents marriage, Frank becomes one of the biggest con artists ever known to the United States. The film then turns into a cat & mouse chase between Frank & FBI Agent Carl Hanratty, but what starts as a felon being chased by a cop turns into a father & son type relationship. The film itself is just incredible, the settings and the script are just superb and have a certain style and confidence very rarely seen in movies these days. It has real life situations taking place that to some would seem utterly unbelievable, yet the film makers display these situations with such a confidence (Due to them being true situations and all) that it's pulled off without it detracting from the film itself. There's one scene in particular which I'm thinking about and it's a point in which Carl actually manages to find Frank and get into his Motel room while Frank is still there. At this stage in the film Carl is unaware of what Frank looks like and Frank, with his sheer exuberance manages to convince Carl, with no proof what so ever, that he's the man who's caught Frank and had him arrested moments earlier. Taken in by his confidence, Carl believes the story and allows Frank to leave the room and ultimately escape. Of course to most people this would seem utterly ridiculous but the way it's put together in the film, it works perfectly. A very good movie that is a masterpiece in my eyes and unfortunately overlooked by many. Buy it or rent it, I promise you wont be disappointed either way.
	Catch Me If You Can (Widescreen Edition)
	"Slick And Stylish, An Excellent Cat & Mouse Chase"	2008-08-25
Catch Me If You Can is one of those true story movies that achieves a rarity. It gives you a really interesting and intense film while still keeping its feet on the ground and not going overboard or off track with the initial story. This film is based around the true life of Frank Abagnale Jr. who became known as an expert impostor, who managed to con Pan Am airlines out of millions of dollars by impersonating a pilot, a doctor and a legal prosecutor. In the movie it generally keeps to the core roots of Franks story and the man himself was even involved in the making of the movie. The film is set out from his teenage days and shows a young man who has a talent of confidence. This confidence allows him to fit into any role he's presented with and at the start of the movie we see him impersonating a teacher, which ultimately gets him into trouble. He's a kid who idolises his father, a man who's in serious trouble with the IRS and is being cheated on by his wife, Franks mother. Frank Jr's parents split and Frank runs away to Manhattan with just $25 in his checking account. Determined to clear his Fathers losses and repair his parents marriage, Frank becomes one of the biggest con artists ever known to the United States. The film then turns into a cat & mouse chase between Frank & FBI Agent Carl Hanratty, but what starts as a felon being chased by a cop turns into a father & son type relationship. The film itself is just incredible, the settings and the script are just superb and have a certain style and confidence very rarely seen in movies these days. It has real life situations taking place that to some would seem utterly unbelievable, yet the film makers display these situations with such a confidence (Due to them being true situations and all) that it's pulled off without it detracting from the film itself. There's one scene in particular which I'm thinking about and it's a point in which Carl actually manages to find Frank and get into his Motel room while Frank is still there. At this stage in the film Carl is unaware of what Frank looks like and Frank, with his sheer exuberance manages to convince Carl, with no proof what so ever, that he's the man who's caught Frank and had him arrested moments earlier. Taken in by his confidence, Carl believes the story and allows Frank to leave the room and ultimately escape. Of course to most people this would seem utterly ridiculous but the way it's put together in the film, it works perfectly. A very good movie that is a masterpiece in my eyes and unfortunately overlooked by many. Buy it or rent it, I promise you wont be disappointed either way.
	Catch Me If You Can (Widescreen Edition)
	"Slick And Stylish, An Excellent Cat Mouse Chase"	2008-08-25
Catch Me If You Can is one of those true story movies that achieves a rarity. It gives you a really interesting and intense film while still keeping its feet on the ground and not going overboard or off track with the initial story.br /br /This film is based around the true life of Frank Abagnale Jr. who became known as an expert impostor, who managed to con Pan Am airlines out of millions of dollars by impersonating a pilot, a doctor and a legal prosecutor. In the movie it generally keeps to the core roots of Franks story and the man himself was even involved in the making of the movie.br /br /The film is set out from his teenage days and shows a young man who has a talent of confidence. This confidence allows him to fit into any role he's presented with and at the start of the movie we see him impersonating a teacher, which ultimately gets him into trouble. He's a kid who idolises his father, a man who's in serious trouble with the IRS and is being cheated on by his wife, Franks mother. Frank Jr's parents split and Frank runs away to Manhattan with just $25 in his checking account. Determined to clear his Fathers losses and repair his parents marriage, Frank becomes one of the biggest con artists ever known to the United States. The film then turns into a cat mouse chase between Frank FBI Agent Carl Hanratty, but what starts as a felon being chased by a cop turns into a father son type relationship.br /br /The film itself is just incredible, the settings and the script are just superb and have a certain style and confidence very rarely seen in movies these days. It has real life situations taking place that to some would seem utterly unbelievable, yet the film makers display these situations with such a confidence (Due to them being true situations and all) that it's pulled off without it detracting from the film itself.br /br /There's one scene in particular which I'm thinking about and it's a point in which Carl actually manages to find Frank and get into his Motel room while Frank is still there. At this stage in the film Carl is unaware of what Frank looks like and Frank, with his sheer exuberance manages to convince Carl, with no proof what so ever, that he's the man who's caught Frank and had him arrested moments earlier. Taken in by his confidence, Carl believes the story and allows Frank to leave the room and ultimately escape. Of course to most people this would seem utterly ridiculous but the way it's put together in the film, it works perfectly.br /br /A very good movie that is a masterpiece in my eyes and unfortunately overlooked by many. Buy it or rent it, I promise you wont be disappointed either way.
	Tank Girl
	"A Cool Comic Classic"	2008-08-24
I have to admit I'm shocked and a little appalled that this film doesn't get more recognition than it deserves. It's based around the comic character of the same name, the comic design was based around the punk era look and many will recognise that the art and stories are particularly anarchic and totally absurd. Unlike many other comic book to film adaptations, Tank Girl keeps true to its comic roots, if only to fade away to tone down the sex a bit. During the course of the film, it tries to keep so close to the comic feel that some scenes are blended together through the comic type art. Although it did try to keep to the same chaotic style of the popular comic, the movie ultimately bombed at the Box Office, with many people simply saying it wore them out. There's no doubting the films unlimited amount of energy and bucket full of comic wit and charm. I'm not very familiar with the work of Lori Petty so I can't exactly compare her role as Tank Girl to any of her other work, the only thing I can say is that she was awesome in the role. The settings aren't anything to write home about, but that's not a problem as it's not really a film that requires any large and detailed environments. It doesn't try to be big budget, it's merely a movie that gives you what you need in order to follow the plot and the characters, no matter how real or surreal they may be. Set in a dystopian 2033, an asteroid had collided with Earth and it hasn't rained for 11 years. A company called Water & Power lead by the dictatorial Kesslee, seeks to take control of the worlds water supply. Whilst taking over the last known water area, he crosses and kills the boyfriend of Tank Girl, kidnaps his daughter and herself. While in captivity Kesslee tortures Tank Girl in an attempt to try and break her, but she constantly barrages him with insults which only make things worse. Tank Girl manages to escape her initial captivity with the help of Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) but realises she needs to save her boyfriends daughter, Sam and to take down Water & Power. In order to do so she must employ the help of the most feared creatures in the land, The Rippers. The film is even more bizarre than it initially sounds as, at times it does seem all over the place and at times quite confusing. Although the overall viewing experience can be a bit exhaustive, there's no doubting that it's a definite worthwhile experience. I personally found that the character of Kesslee played by Malcolm McDowell simply wasn't as intimidating as I found myself wanting him to be. I wanted him to be haunting and at the same time, seem genuinely evil, as it's certainly the type of character the film makers were after. Honestly the only characters that really did work were both Tank & Jet girl, their chemistry really worked when confronting the relationship between the timid Jet Girl and the open and confident Tank Girl. If it weren't for these two I would find myself completely trashing this film, but I couldn't bring myself to do it as Lori Petty simply did a superb job.
	Monkeybone
	"The Weirdest Movie You'll Ever See"	2008-08-24
By weird I do truly mean weird, in a way that you can't possibly see what was going through writer, Sam Hamms mind when devising this film. The story itself is weird enough but when focusing on the land of nightmares, known as Downtown, I found myself looking at something resembling the world of Jim Henson creations. The story focuses around artist and animator Stu Miley (Brendan Fraser), a man who struggles with nightmare problems and has just achieved success with his greatest cartoon creation, Monkeybone. One day after a preview showing of a pilot episode, Stu and his girlfriend Julie (Bridget Fonda) are involved in a car accident that lands Stu in a coma. Stu wakes up on a roller coaster that takes him downtown to the land of nightmares, where he meets creatures like you have never seen before. Along with the insane looking creatures, Stu comes face to face with his own creation Monkeybone who, after finding out Stu's sister decides to help Stu get an exit pass out of his coma. In order to get this pass he must steal it from under the nose of Death (Whoopi Goldberg). All doesn't go to plan and Stu is betrayed by Monkeybone and instead of Stu going back, Monkeybone takes his place in Stu's body in a deal with the dream god Hypnos (Giancarlo Esposito) to give more people nightmares. Now Stu is in a race to get out of dream world to save Julie and stop Monkeybone from giving people the nightmares that entertain downtown. If you thought the story was bizarre then I have to say that it really is, at times I found myself just thinking that this movie must have been created by some form of crazy person. With that aside we are still given a very good comedy movie with some very great slapstick moments that personally had me roaring with laughter. One of the funniest parts of the movie is when Monkeybone has taken over Stu's body and is in the bedroom with Julie about to make love. The classic mating dance is something to be experience and genuinely had me in tears. Sure, Brendan Fraser isn't known as the greatest actor in the world, but he's great in roles that just require a silly actor willing to do anything that will give the audience a laugh and that's what Fraser does. A very enjoyable movie that isn't for everyone, but if you're a fan of Fraser's ridiculous comedy work then this is surely for you.
	Tank Girl
	"A Cool Comic Classic"	2008-08-24
I have to admit I'm shocked and a little appalled that this film doesn't get more recognition than it deserves. It's based around the comic character of the same name, the comic design was based around the punk era look and many will recognise that the art and stories are particularly anarchic and totally absurd. Unlike many other comic book to film adaptations, Tank Girl keeps true to its comic roots, if only to fade away to tone down the sex a bit. During the course of the film, it tries to keep so close to the comic feel that some scenes are blended together through the comic type art. Although it did try to keep to the same chaotic style of the popular comic, the movie ultimately bombed at the Box Office, with many people simply saying it wore them out. There's no doubting the films unlimited amount of energy and bucket full of comic wit and charm. I'm not very familiar with the work of Lori Petty so I can't exactly compare her role as Tank Girl to any of her other work, the only thing I can say is that she was awesome in the role. The settings aren't anything to write home about, but that's not a problem as it's not really a film that requires any large and detailed environments. It doesn't try to be big budget, it's merely a movie that gives you what you need in order to follow the plot and the characters, no matter how real or surreal they may be. Set in a dystopian 2033, an asteroid had collided with Earth and it hasn't rained for 11 years. A company called Water & Power lead by the dictatorial Kesslee, seeks to take control of the worlds water supply. Whilst taking over the last known water area, he crosses and kills the boyfriend of Tank Girl, kidnaps his daughter and herself. While in captivity Kesslee tortures Tank Girl in an attempt to try and break her, but she constantly barrages him with insults which only make things worse. Tank Girl manages to escape her initial captivity with the help of Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) but realises she needs to save her boyfriends daughter, Sam and to take down Water & Power. In order to do so she must employ the help of the most feared creatures in the land, The Rippers. The film is even more bizarre than it initially sounds as, at times it does seem all over the place and at times quite confusing. Although the overall viewing experience can be a bit exhaustive, there's no doubting that it's a definite worthwhile experience. I personally found that the character of Kesslee played by Malcolm McDowell simply wasn't as intimidating as I found myself wanting him to be. I wanted him to be haunting and at the same time, seem genuinely evil, as it's certainly the type of character the film makers were after. Honestly the only characters that really did work were both Tank & Jet girl, their chemistry really worked when confronting the relationship between the timid Jet Girl and the open and confident Tank Girl. If it weren't for these two I would find myself completely trashing this film, but I couldn't bring myself to do it as Lori Petty simply did a superb job.
	Monkeybone - Special Edition
	"The Weirdest Movie You'll Ever See"	2008-08-24
By weird I do truly mean weird, in a way that you can't possibly see what was going through writer, Sam Hamms mind when devising this film. The story itself is weird enough but when focusing on the land of nightmares, known as Downtown, I found myself looking at something resembling the world of Jim Henson creations. The story focuses around artist and animator Stu Miley (Brendan Fraser), a man who struggles with nightmare problems and has just achieved success with his greatest cartoon creation, Monkeybone. One day after a preview showing of a pilot episode, Stu and his girlfriend Julie (Bridget Fonda) are involved in a car accident that lands Stu in a coma. Stu wakes up on a roller coaster that takes him downtown to the land of nightmares, where he meets creatures like you have never seen before. Along with the insane looking creatures, Stu comes face to face with his own creation Monkeybone who, after finding out Stu's sister decides to help Stu get an exit pass out of his coma. In order to get this pass he must steal it from under the nose of Death (Whoopi Goldberg). All doesn't go to plan and Stu is betrayed by Monkeybone and instead of Stu going back, Monkeybone takes his place in Stu's body in a deal with the dream god Hypnos (Giancarlo Esposito) to give more people nightmares. Now Stu is in a race to get out of dream world to save Julie and stop Monkeybone from giving people the nightmares that entertain downtown. If you thought the story was bizarre then I have to say that it really is, at times I found myself just thinking that this movie must have been created by some form of crazy person. With that aside we are still given a very good comedy movie with some very great slapstick moments that personally had me roaring with laughter. One of the funniest parts of the movie is when Monkeybone has taken over Stu's body and is in the bedroom with Julie about to make love. The classic mating dance is something to be experience and genuinely had me in tears. Sure, Brendan Fraser isn't known as the greatest actor in the world, but he's great in roles that just require a silly actor willing to do anything that will give the audience a laugh and that's what Fraser does. A very enjoyable movie that isn't for everyone, but if you're a fan of Fraser's ridiculous comedy work then this is surely for you.
	Scarface (Platinum Edition)
	"You Can't Seriously Like This Movie"	2008-08-23
I'm sure I'll get a lot of people telling me my opinion's wrong, simply because I dislike a movie they apparently adore. In my personal opinion, I've never seen what all the fuss is about as to me, Scarface is the most boring, pointless and drawn out travesty I've ever had the misfortune of watching. The story is based around Cuban (at least I think he's Cuban, it was so boring I drifted in and out) immigrant named Tony Montana. He comes into America and for some reason wants to be a successful drug dealer, so this leads to a man's arm being cut off by a chainsaw for some reason. Then there's a couple of hours of boring dialogue with the odd gunshot here and there, then Tony says "Say hello to my little friend" and kills a load of people. The End. I am honestly the type of person who will watch a film and look for the good points, but I simply couldn't see any for this film. It was boring, drawn out and just plain ridiculous. A lot of the people I know personally who adore this film aren't very, let's say quick witted so I can only imagine that in order for them to watch this all the way through, they had to skip to the gory or violent parts. Boring film that I would advise people to stay away from.
	Scarface (Widescreen Anniversary Edition)
	"You Can't Seriously Like This Movie"	2008-08-23
I'm sure I'll get a lot of people telling me my opinion's wrong, simply because I dislike a movie they apparently adore. In my personal opinion, I've never seen what all the fuss is about as to me, Scarface is the most boring, pointless and drawn out travesty I've ever had the misfortune of watching. The story is based around Cuban (at least I think he's Cuban, it was so boring I drifted in and out) immigrant named Tony Montana. He comes into America and for some reason wants to be a successful drug dealer, so this leads to a man's arm being cut off by a chainsaw for some reason. Then there's a couple of hours of boring dialogue with the odd gunshot here and there, then Tony says "Say hello to my little friend" and kills a load of people. The End. I am honestly the type of person who will watch a film and look for the good points, but I simply couldn't see any for this film. It was boring, drawn out and just plain ridiculous. A lot of the people I know personally who adore this film aren't very, let's say quick witted so I can only imagine that in order for them to watch this all the way through, they had to skip to the gory or violent parts. Boring film that I would advise people to stay away from.
	Scarface (Full Screen Anniversary Edition)
	"You Can't Seriously Like This Movie"	2008-08-23
I'm sure I'll get a lot of people telling me my opinion's wrong, simply because I dislike a movie they apparently adore. In my personal opinion, I've never seen what all the fuss is about as to me, Scarface is the most boring, pointless and drawn out travesty I've ever had the misfortune of watching. The story is based around Cuban (at least I think he's Cuban, it was so boring I drifted in and out) immigrant named Tony Montana. He comes into America and for some reason wants to be a successful drug dealer, so this leads to a man's arm being cut off by a chainsaw for some reason. Then there's a couple of hours of boring dialogue with the odd gunshot here and there, then Tony says "Say hello to my little friend" and kills a load of people. The End. I am honestly the type of person who will watch a film and look for the good points, but I simply couldn't see any for this film. It was boring, drawn out and just plain ridiculous. A lot of the people I know personally who adore this film aren't very, let's say quick witted so I can only imagine that in order for them to watch this all the way through, they had to skip to the gory or violent parts. Boring film that I would advise people to stay away from.
	Scarface Deluxe Gift Set - Scarface (1983) & Scarface (1932)
	"You Can't Seriously Like This Movie"	2008-08-23
I'm sure I'll get a lot of people telling me my opinion's wrong, simply because I dislike a movie they apparently adore. In my personal opinion, I've never seen what all the fuss is about as to me, Scarface is the most boring, pointless and drawn out travesty I've ever had the misfortune of watching. The story is based around Cuban (at least I think he's Cuban, it was so boring I drifted in and out) immigrant named Tony Montana. He comes into America and for some reason wants to be a successful drug dealer, so this leads to a man's arm being cut off by a chainsaw for some reason. Then there's a couple of hours of boring dialogue with the odd gunshot here and there, then Tony says "Say hello to my little friend" and kills a load of people. The End. I am honestly the type of person who will watch a film and look for the good points, but I simply couldn't see any for this film. It was boring, drawn out and just plain ridiculous. A lot of the people I know personally who adore this film aren't very, let's say quick witted so I can only imagine that in order for them to watch this all the way through, they had to skip to the gory or violent parts. Boring film that I would advise people to stay away from.
	Boyz 'N the Hood
	"Which Path Would You Take?"	2008-08-21
Boyz N The Hood is considered by many as the definitive "Hood" movie and is even more astounding to learn that Writer & Director John Singleton was only 23 when this was released. The greatest aspect of this movie is that it's a film about acceptance when focusing around the main character Tré. He's a representative for those of us who have all told lies about our lives simply to fit in with the crowd. We can all relate to the Tré character which is what is easily one of the main reasons for this films popularity. Set in South Central L.A. "Boyz N The Hood" focuses around three friends with very different aspirations in life. "Doughboy" played by Ice Cube is a man who's become the typical kid growing up in the hood and succumbed to the Drink, Drugs and crime. "Ricky Baker" played by Morris Chestnut is the all American athlete who's looking to win a sports scholarship to USC and make something of his life. "Tré Styles" played by Cube Gooding Jr. is the kid in the middle being pulled by both sides. Tré is lucky enough to have a father who's showing him to do what is right and always take responsibility for his actions. In this film, while in the hood with his old school friends, Tré is seriously confused about where his life is going. Although his father is teaching him about the right way to live his life, Tré is being pulled by "Doughboy" to follow the hood lifestyle which is glorified by "Doughboys" code of honour. This is truly realistic piece and as an early role for both Ice Cube and Cuba Gooding this was a great way to start an acting career. This is easily Singletons greatest work with which he has yet to gain the same level of success. It's an enjoyable movie that every film fan can sit and watch all the way through. This isn't a typical genre specific movie, so if you're not usually a fan of the "Hood" type movies then don't worry it's not the typical "Hood" movie
	Boyz N the Hood (2-Disc Anniversary Edition)
	"Which Path Would You Take?"	2008-08-21
Boyz N The Hood is considered by many as the definitive "Hood" movie and is even more astounding to learn that Writer & Director John Singleton was only 23 when this was released. The greatest aspect of this movie is that it's a film about acceptance when focusing around the main character Tré. He's a representative for those of us who have all told lies about our lives simply to fit in with the crowd. We can all relate to the Tré character which is what is easily one of the main reasons for this films popularity. Set in South Central L.A. "Boyz N The Hood" focuses around three friends with very different aspirations in life. "Doughboy" played by Ice Cube is a man who's become the typical kid growing up in the hood and succumbed to the Drink, Drugs and crime. "Ricky Baker" played by Morris Chestnut is the all American athlete who's looking to win a sports scholarship to USC and make something of his life. "Tré Styles" played by Cube Gooding Jr. is the kid in the middle being pulled by both sides. Tré is lucky enough to have a father who's showing him to do what is right and always take responsibility for his actions. In this film, while in the hood with his old school friends, Tré is seriously confused about where his life is going. Although his father is teaching him about the right way to live his life, Tré is being pulled by "Doughboy" to follow the hood lifestyle which is glorified by "Doughboys" code of honour. This is truly realistic piece and as an early role for both Ice Cube and Cuba Gooding this was a great way to start an acting career. This is easily Singletons greatest work with which he has yet to gain the same level of success. It's an enjoyable movie that every film fan can sit and watch all the way through. This isn't a typical genre specific movie, so if you're not usually a fan of the "Hood" type movies then don't worry it's not the typical "Hood" movie