Reviews

Catfish follows the story of Yaniv Schulman (Nev) who agrees to be the centrepiece of a documentary for his two friends who track his online friendship with Abby, a young painter who sends him paintings. Soon however he is introduced to her family online and Nev starts to build a strong online friendship with Abby's sister Megan, only something is amiss.

This documentary is something many people can relate to in this modern age of social networking. Managing and building contacts online, forming friendships and relationships and sometimes everything works out great, and sometimes there are surprises, and this 2010 film brings about many surprises for Nev and his friends.

The technical marvel of this film shows the scary nature of what the average individual can accomplish online. Through searching through people's friends on Facebook to analysing people's own recorded songs to those that have been implemented from other websites, but more so the ability to simply use other people's photographs for your own personal use is something quite scary, and yet people do it for their own personal reasons, and in the essence of this picture, we are watching people's emotions tested in this marvel of online story telling.

There are many boards and forums depicting the true nature of this documentary, whether it is faked, scripted etc. Whilst the realism of the whole story is quite shocking and maybe difficult to comprehend, I myself have used online dating/friendship sites and can testify that not everything is as rosy as it appears on screen.

But Catfish isn't necessarily about whether it's fake or not. It's about the story and the very real aspect of our current online mastery. And this film depicts that through the use of Facebook, through the questionable phone calls and all technical aspects that make the internet such a phenomenon. And through this Catfish is a very entertaining story that depicts the technical age through some wonderful and varied editing, picking up on Google, Sat Navs, Facebook etc and is quite different from anything that's been done before.

This film spurned a TV show in which Nev and his brother travel across America to meet people and to give them help in meeting their online romance, which for the record is shorter and usually more interesting than simply watching Nev and his hairy chest for over an hour.

Nevertheless this is unique and if you've done the whole online thing, it makes it quite interesting to see someone else go through it to.

It's a topic we all talk about. A subject that we're afraid to talk about. A taboo, a unique idea that we all think about but often feel unable to talk about.

Based on Belle De Jour's novels, Secret diary of a call girl is a full blown intimate and sexcapade that is quite honestly, brilliant.

Forget your 50 shades of Grey, this British programme brought about a whole new wave of sex and the boundaries which we cover and don't cover and will open your eyes into lives that you had heard about, never fully believed, but will blow your mind with every episode.

Billie Piper portrays Belle De Jour, a high class London call girl, living the high life with the nice apartment, the trendy attire and when it comes down to business, she is well equipped and professional to go toe to toe with the strangers of the night.

For those already presuming this is going to be sleazy and cheap with plenty of sex, nudity and general degrading remarks and one liners, my friend, you have no idea.

Released in 2007 and finishing in 2011 this 4 season hit compiles the intimate, dramatic and frequently funny accounts of Belle, a confident professional wrapped deeply in her job as a call girl, battling the ever demanding pressures of keeping secrets from friends and family, working professionally despite personal dramas and as ever, often meeting a certain man who makes her feel that little bit different.

Piper gives Belle a wonderful confidence that shines right through to the viewers at home, the male viewers won't be complaining too much. It's not simply the skimpy clothes and raunchy seductive sex scenes, but the confidence of the character, the idea of her being special is always there and Piper never wavers. Her story is wonderfully told and we get an insight into her character through her camera facing turns, giving us her insights into the business and into her emotional connections.

Whilst each season has a serious guy in Belle's life and this can feel slightly mundane at points, its the dirty little secrets of the business you'll be hooked to, exploring the client's fantasises, seeing how the money changes hands, how call girls interact with one another and the fun they have with their clients and the drama that goes alongside the demanding profession.

Some great moments include wrestling turn-ons, movie portrayals, book scripting, fancy dress parties and exploration of various fantasies (fantastic James Bond montage) The diversity of the show is constantly shifting from simple location shots to exploring America to the darkness of clubs and the seedy realism of the human spirit is frequently mesmerizing. The fact the camera shifts from Belle in her moment to her facing the camera and giving us some cheeky quote or divulging some intriguing business information, this invites us right into the story.

But the bottom line is that this is a programme about sex. A programme that does not shy away from the nature of what it is, what we desire, how we tackle it in relationships, how we deceive others and how we crave that erotic fantasy and a feeling of freedom from reality.

There is no nonsense, any question you have will be answered and portrayed here. There is a lot of nudity, a lot of flirting and innuendos, and graphic bedroom scenes that justify the nature of the industry and indeed, life. Always enjoyable and frequently jaw dropping, Secret diary will invite you into the secret world of an industry and will open your eyes to those ideas and possibilities you were always uncertain about.

19th century France, after breaking parole Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) is continuously hunted by policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) and when he meets Fantine (Anne Hathaway) Valjean agrees to find and care for her daughter.

Based on Victor Hugo's novel, starring an all star A list cast and with promising praise from all over the world, I sat in a packed cinema to watch a film I knew absolutely nothing about, and like so many others, I was blown away.

Opening with a bald Hugh Jackman struggling in his slavery and bursting into song, the scene for the time is set and the music is not dubbed. The live music crashing against the waves under the watchful eye of an obsessive Javert, the film is bound straight into passionate excitement.

This is a wonderful story full of passion. There is slavery, poorness, love struck teenagers, scheming warriors, religious power, law and freedom, Les Miserables is an overwhelming mix of strong beliefs, portrayed with vigour by its collection of splendid actors.

Hathaway is the standout with her rendition of "I dreamed a dream". Filmed in one shot this is the moment you will remember when you finish watching. A scene, uncut, sang live with Fantine in a deep emotional conflict in her life, struggling for money and worrying about her daughter this is heart wrenching and perfect acting from the Devil wears Prada star.

My friends who have seen the musical have said as well as Jackman and Crowe were here, there voices pale compared to the actors they have heard in other renditions. Personally I believe their performances and acting said more about their characters than their singing, which made the film fit together nicely.

At two and a half hours long, this is a very long film with scenes that are stretched. However these are often necessary for later scenes so we as the audience can be fully engrossed and appreciative of the environment and character dilemmas.

Samantha Barks as Eponie is the surprise stand out. Her confession of love is fantastic, her solo filmed in pouring rain in an isolated street will knock you off your feet.

Sweeney Todd co stars Helena Bonham-Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen are injected into the story to provide some wonderful humour, which in such a heavy drama was quite a nice surprise as there was many laughs all around the cinema.

The story, packed with such heavy ideas is very dramatic, conveyed through endless wonderful songs. And as a story this works out very well being powerfully engaging but a very unique piece of artistic cinema as well.

Director Tom Hooper combines wonderful French scenery and poverty into the story with feelings of isolated close ups and sweeping heart stopping battle sequences.

Having gone into the cinema without any idea what all the fuss was about, myself and friends came out singing and praising a wonderful artistic piece of cinema, and hopefully you won't miss out!

Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Rourke) is a renowned wrestler, a show stealer. But one night he is forced to retire and starts to look at his life in a different light.

Being a huge fan of the American wrestling entertainment such as WWE and TNA I looked forward to seeing how wrestling was portrayed in this film. But I was given so much more. This is a strong passionate drama that will make you laugh, cry and stand up and cheer. And there are two reasons why: Mickey Rourke and Darren Aronofsky.

Much was made of this film being Mickey Rourke's big come back after all he has been through over the years. This is a film that really shows his masculinity, his strength but combined with an underlining sentimentality and a deep internal struggle brings about an Oscar nominated performance.

The Ram is a hero. The wonderful opening credits show a montage of the wrestler at the top of his game, showcasing his talents and being the man in that era. As the film progresses we can see how the character changes through highs at independent events to the lows with his family life. Ram is an inspiration through strong will and a determination to make everything right for his family and for himself. The way he portrays himself to his neighbours, and the choices in language all collate into a fantastic person, that is always a joy to watch.

Aronofsky's writing chooses to follow Rourke's character from start to finish and his choices of including other interests such as strippers, family, wrestling, drug smuggling and food service jobs all mix to make a believable, almost relaxing story. Everything flows smoothly with the excitement of the wrestling matches to the heavy dramatic scenes between father and daughter to the tense love scenarios.

The film has a real independent feel. There is no glitz and glamour, everything is portrayed as run down and difficult living environments. Ram's home is shabby, his workplace is stressful but his real life lies in the ring. Aronofsky's close ups are great but his scenery shots are even better.

The wrestling matches are the highlights of this 2008 picture. Being a fan of wrestling I enjoyed seeing how the independent scene was worked, how each wrestler interacted with each other behind the curtains and seeing how brutal some of the 'weapons' used were. The brutality and execution from all the actors and the crowd worked wonders.

Given Ram's life and everything he has been put through it is inspiring to see a person give everything into something they enjoy doing and through Rourke's strong dynamic performance and the directional master class of Aronofsky, this is a great drama that is definitely worth checking out.

Based on Suzanne Collins best selling book trilogy, The Hunger Games stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen who volunteers to take part in the Capitol's annual Hunger Games, a game show where contestants fight to the death.

I postponed seeing this film as long as possible. I had finished the first two novels (which are both fantastic and readable in a matter of days if you're stuck for something to read) but I checked the film out and when the opening starts and we're thrust into the world of District 12, I was shocked.

The opening is something remarkable. It's great if unyielding from the truth of their poverty. District 12, run down where residents struggle for food and to make a living, but Katniss and her friend Gale (Liam Hemsworth) find escapism in their hunting. And when Katniss' sister is nominated for the games we see Jennifer Lawrence show why she is currently the most promising actress of these last 5 years.

Lawrence was a great choice to play Katniss. The character in the books is quite unusual, quite solemn but with hidden desires and energy that the young actress excels at. Her on screen peak is with Rue when in the arena, a heart wrenching exhilarating piece of acting combined with opportunistic film pacing.

The film starts slowly getting into the feel of the poverty of the districts but as viewers, when we see the world of the Capitol and see how perfect, classy and snobbish everything is we feel the pace pick up and we are right there with the contestants, in a world the Capitol controls where these young fighters have little say in their destiny.

The first book is very imaginative and is very well brought to the screen by director Gary Ross. The excitement and adrenaline really starts pumping when the arena is introduced. The resemblance to the events of the book is spot on, if not better. Katniss' independent tracking and thirst for survival are well shot, especially during the Trackerjacker sequences. The best part of the entire film is when Katniss is with Rue, the excitement and emotion in these scenes are fantastic and it's hard to express how well this works in developing their characters and holding the film and the rest of the story together.

When reading the books I had concerns over how Collins was working the romance angles, being a bit like Twilight with the love angles but this is nothing like that series. This is something calmer, less intense in terms of love and lust. Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) may be viewed differently by people. As the stories progress his character changes and Hutcherson portrays him very well and strikes up a good partnership with Lawrence that resembles their respective adaptations.

There are a few minor lapses and improvements. I only wish the fire sequence was a bit longer as it was in the book. Seeing Woody Harrelson as Haymitch was rather strange at first but it would have been great if he was included more during certain scenes! This film is a great adaptation of a great book. The imagination Suzanne Collins has been wonderfully adapted for the screen with her vivid and controversial environment and ideas and with excellent performances, particularly from Jennifer Lawrence, the Hunger Games is a must watch.

Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) starts struggling with life when his wife of over 20 years Emily Weaver (Julianne Moore) wants a divorce. When he meets Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) at a club however, he starts to look at life in a whole different way.

Crazy, stupid, love is crazy. It's also diverse, humorous, contains tremendous comedy performances and is superbly written. Starting off with a wonderful scene between Moore and Craell the tone is set for a bittersweet tongue in cheek lash out loud comedy drama. This is wonderfully balanced, taking into account Cal's emotional dilemma and the conflicting decisions of his wife.

Steve Carell, renowned for his more slapstick style of humour expands into a great main role in this film, playing a dramatic styled performance but giving the grown ups some great one liners. After he gets over his first hurdle there is a scene where he walks into the pub, like he is the king of the world. This is fantastic and you will be smiling, pure comic timing genius.

Julianne Moore fits her role well as well, playing off the other characters with ease and necessity.

But Ryan Gosling is the real star of this 2011 picture. His bravado out for himself protagonist is cocky, is arrogant is whatever negative adjective you want to use. And yet he manages to seduce every woman he sees, making him the envy of everyman and the eve candy for every woman. This film for me excels through its drama rather than the comedy. Taking into account the situations the characters find themselves involved in, the story plays out slowly, getting deep into the character's minds and expanding to deliver a pinch of comedy at the appropriate moments.

In many ways the film may have exceled more if there was more screen time for Kevin Bacon and Emma Stone. The stories involving Weaver's son and his crush is rather stretched and playing off on last ditch attempts to win one another's hearts only takes the film so far without giving the viewer anymore hope.

This story also contains some great observations on love and what it means for people of all ages and who should know what love is and how to go about proving your love from someone. Adding to the family and lustful dramas elsewhere with a couple of excellent plot line twists, Crazy, Stupid Love is a film you will definitely want to see.

Based on Lee Child's novel "One shot" Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) agrees to help out attorney Helen (Rosamund Pike) who believes her client is innocent over 5 shootings.

Having worked in a library for numerous years I have heard many people praise Lee Child's books and get them recommended them to me weekly but I have never picked one up. If the books are as exciting and imaginative as this film, I will rightly hang my head in shame.

One of the first things I uttered as I left the cinema was "That might arguably be better than Skyfall" Now having looked at the case I was possibly out of line, but this should be praised in equal measure.

Tom Cruise's casting as Reacher was frowned upon by die hard book readers but he does an amazing job as a rough ex military cop here. Doing his own driving stunts and forever casting a rough look at enemies mixed together with great one liners makes Reacher an appropriate tough and clever presence to drive a great crime story forward.

The film opens with a sniper in a multi-storey car park taking out innocent people and only the district attorney's daughter believes the man is innocent. The balance of crime with drama and character conditions is well balanced, creating a flowing nature to the film and appropriately developing character agendas to maximise their beliefs and actions.

My favourite part of this film was the car chase. How many action films overdo their action sequences and completely unrealistic car chases? Not this one. Cruise doing his own driving mixes action and adrenaline fuelled realism to create a lively insert into the film when at the time it appeared no action was forthcoming.

This is no Die Hard. There isn't crime action around every other corner this is a deep thorough crime investigation with discussion but fear not the car chases, the fighting scene and a great final segment combined with the provocative story make this a fantastic film. Now, off to the library!

And here it is. The finale. The climax. The end.

For those of you who did not manage to stay awake till the end of the first bore fest that was Breaking Dawn I, Bella and Edward get married, and consummate their marriage, Bella almost dying (Edward still getting cheered by teenage girls shouting "Hero") and so Bella fell pregnant and Edward had to turn her into a vampire to keep her alive to make more money for this film.

Breaking Dawn II sees Bella try to adjust to her life as a vampire with her new powers and her new responsibility being a mother.

Based on Stephanie Meyer's popular series, Breaking Dawn sees Bella and Edward try to recruit vampires from around the world to assist in their defence against the Volturi. The reasoning behind the concern comes about stupidly and there are a lot of terms and conditions which are discussed at length, which seem to replicate the novel in many ways.

Many reviewers and critics have said this is your conventional Twilight film, with a paper thin plot and faceless acting. Whilst this is true, this is still an entertaining film.

As with previous releases the great quality of these films is its ability to bring in new faces. Anna Kendrick blossomed whilst Ashley Greene and Nikki Reed have grown in praise.

Focus inevitably surrounds Pattinson and Stewart. Edward has evolved through the films becoming stronger and overcoming his emotionally over exaggerated issues and he even smiles a few times in this film. Stewart's Bella finally comfortable in her own skin is given new challenges as she adjusts to life as a vampire. Her character development is interesting to see as she tackles learning her powers and becoming emotionally hardened by her new life.

Jacob Black was very present in the novel as we gained an insight into his change of heart towards the vampire clan and his imprinting. Here however there isn't much character involvement as would have been desired (don't worry girls there is still the always present removal of clothes) but the special effects for the wolves are the best since they were introduced.

The effects for this film are, interesting. The sequence in the snow is amazing in terms of scenery and the bluntness of the fights isn't always skewered to accommodate the 12A rating, meaning there's blood and broken bones to enjoy. But in one of the most ridiculous things in all of human history, I have never seen someone's power be to project blurry lines out of their body to protect someone they love. And since when do vampires have powers anyway? I can read your mind, I can see the future, I can run at a million miles an hour through a forest and coincidentally always miss the trees even though I'm looking sideways.

But that's the thing about this film, it is ridiculous. But for the first time since Twilight and arguably Eclipse, this is more entertaining. There is some good action, not too much dramatic romantic implication scenarios, some great one liners from Billy Burke and a sense of anticipation, even though it's slight, that the film is going somewhere.

Breaking Dawn II then is a ridiculous piece of cinema that is quite different from the novel but by being more outlandish with its ideas, at least will entertain you right until its ending.

No Way Out 2006.

Cruiserweight championship.

Gregory Helms vs Kid Kash vs Psicosis vs Super Crazy vs Paul London vs Nunzio vs Brian Kendrick vs Scotty 2 Hotty vs Funaki.

A good opening that had a reasonable build up. Its always great to see the worm but shame about the winner 6/10.

Matt Hardy and Tatanka vs MNM.

MNM were not pushed as much as they should have been during their time and here they were quite good against Hardy and Tatanka. An even contest but quite forgettable 5/10.

Lashley vs JBL.

Two brutal athletes going head to head was a strong powerful encounter that had a controversial ending 7/10.

United States championship.

Chris Benoit vs Booker T.

After their best of 7 match series finalised this was a chance to wrap it all in anticipation again as the two great performers did battle evenly with twists and turns in story and match 8/10.

WrestleMania title opportunity.

Rey Mysterio vs Randy Orton.

After the late passing of legendry Eddie Guerrero Mysterio's talk was revolving around doing it for him and there are many good moments in this match and story plus sad ones to 7/10.

World Heavyweight championship.

Kurt Angle vs Undertaker.

Fantastic match that for some reason claimed neither had ever tapped out before when they have. However great blows, great twists and turns and vintage moves from two of the best wrestlers in the business. Bit of a disappointing ending for such an even classic match 9/10.

TLC 2009

Christian vs Shelton Benjamin for ECW championship in a ladder match

This was a really good opener and arguably with the best move and finish of the whole night as two athletes showcased their athletic skills and thankfully the ending was justified after a ladder breaking in half. Opener is best match

9/10

Mickie James vs Michelle McCool

The brief intro before this match showed Michelle mocking James' farm life, which was awfully done and pure crude for entertainment. Michelle's companion to the ring wore a "Piggy James" t-shirt. The match itself isn't the worst women's wrestling match you will ever see, there are good moments but ultimately it's forgettable.

5/10

Drew McIntyre vs John Morrison

McIntyre does not provide any entertainment to this programme and Morrison botching his finisher just epitomises an awful contest for the intercontinental championship.

3/10

Kofi Kingston vs Randy Orton

Out of the current crop of WWE superstars to have come through the last few years, Sheamus and Kingston are two of the best to show mic and wrestling skill and this was a very good match between the veteran Orton and the crowd pleasing Kingston.

8/10

John Cena vs Sheamus for WWE championship in a tables match

Sheamus being relatively new to the scene is brilliant in this match. Though I'm not a fan of Cena his presence livened the crowd up. There were a few good spots and a great ending.

8/10

Undertaker vs Batista for World heavyweight championship in chairs match

These two great superstars have had many encounters over the years and though this is no way near the top it is still very entertaining. Batista having just turned heel over something ridiculous doesn't feel quite right somehow. Interesting twist in this match

8/10

Jericho and Big Show vs DX (HHH and HBK) TLC for tag team championship

Main event of the evening was a bit disappointing because you may just expect more considering the names, though seeing a ladder break in half and supporting one superstar on was highly entertaining. For the first time in the evening there was a little bit of humour where you will laugh. DX intro is the best around

8/10

The problem is having Cole, King and Matt Striker as commentators they are quoting facts and repeating each other all the way through, explaining what's going to happen before it does, there is no anticipation or excitement in their voices. The atmosphere is frequently quite dire as well and a backstage interview between McIntyre and Sheamus is the worst thing I have ever, ever watched. There are good moments but for pure entertainment go back to the attitude era for the tlc matches with the Hardy's Dudley's and Edge and Christian.

Orlando Jordan vs Chris Benoit (US title)

A remarkable opening and easily the quickest match you will ever see and it was actually rather funny to. 8/10

Matt Hardy vs Edge

The build up to this was very good with the real life occurrences between Lita and Edge and we see the animosity all the way through a, once more, very short encounter. Thankfully the cage match at Unforgiven was great for retribution 8/10

Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero

This ladder match for the custody of Eddie's "biological" son had some great swings and moves, particularly from the late Guerrero who always shone as a heel. Ending was obvious though 8/10

Eugene vs Kurt Angle

Seeing wrestlers like Eugene and Hornswoggle makes me despise the company today and this is why. Eugene uses no original move and thankfully Angle shows why he is the best wrestler, and performer, of all time. 6/10

Undertaker vs Randy Orton

Wrestlemania rematch was all guns blazing as Orton tried to scamper numerous times and the Undertaker is never, in his whole career, boring. The ending was quite shocking to 8/10

Batista vs JBL (No holds barred world title match)

Brutal fist fights and a powerbomb of a climax but this was surprisingly exceptionally short and rather forgettable. 5/10

John Cena vs Chris Jericho

This match has the most ridiculous outcome imaginable. Jericho, in arguably his most dominant performance in his career, is in cruise control and high flying entertaining action. Cena seriously hits about 3 big moves, this is all Y2J. Great atmosphere here as half the crowd chant "Let's go Cena" then the others chant "Let's go Jericho" 8/10

Hulk Hogan vs Shawn Michaels

A reasonable climax. Given the build up and terms and everything involved it boiled down to some risky moments involving chairs, low blows etc. Hogan bleeds profusely pretty much all the way through. There was only ever going to be one ending. 7/10

A very good consistent PPV with many surprises, none bigger than the first match but certainly worth checking out.

The third part of the C.S. Lewis adaptations sees Edmund and Lucy, along with their irritable cousin Eustace travel back to the magical world of Narnia where 7 Lords have been kidnapped. Along with Prince Caspian the group must find the Lords and their swords whilst overcoming their own personal issues.

There are many ways to describe a terrible film. But to be honest this is more of a disappointment.

I say that as I enjoyed the first film where the second dwindled but this maybe down purely to the story.

Edmund and Lucy are moaning about not being in Narnia then two seconds later they are in it. The story ferries the pair and their cousin around for a bit, taking them to the most pointless places possible.

The first stop is just for stunt showmanship and a very boring array of dialogue explains how they must find all 7 swords. There was something to do with green mist to that never had a very lasting effect in entertainment. There are predictable character dimensions in manly rivalry, a young girl's beauty doubts and a young boy who isn't used to being told no.

After all the first Narnia had a swagger, a purpose and funny characters and the second release, Prince Caspian, had too far fetched ideas and focused itself on special effects rather than the story. The same is probably the same for this release.

I saw at the cinema in 2D and am glad I didn't pay extra to see a mouse fling his sword out the screen at me. In a world of Avatars and of Star Wars it is hard to compete visually for that extra thrill of awe, especially in the science fiction or fantasy genre. This edition has a strong fantasy element and unfortunately everything feels tried and tested as ever. The big serpent in the sea at the end is a terrible version of a basilisk from Potter, the talking swashbuckling mouse is laughable and fantasy genre or not, the high motionless waves cannot be taken in whatever context.

Running for almost 2 hours you will be left adrift by the whole pointlessness of the crew's adventures and how there is always an inevitable conclusion. Although there was a quote by Eustace to the mouse which had me in stitches, partially because it was sentimental and because it had been said in many romantic films.

Given the price of 3D films, the mismatched computer effects and a barely humorous and illogical plot this is not worth the time for the family.

In a time when Harry Potter has just been released and has wowed fans once more with its enchanting dark and visually graphic plot, there is only one choice.

This knock about comedy crime caper is the kind of entertainment deserving of a night in with a partner and gaining a few chuckles, whether at Bill Nighy's moustache or Emily Blunt's outrageous and vivacious character.

The bizarre opening following Nighy's assassin around as he does his duties is fair enough. But the French speaking, his assignments juxtaposed with some upbeat pop music feels awkward.

Nevertheless things perk up when "The Devil wears Prada" actress appears on our screens. Swerving in-between cars and sneaking into an art gallery with the help of a firecracker notifies us laughing viewers we have a troublemaker on our hands.

What ensues is a somewhat bizarre money set up swindle with a funny blonde wig and we have a clash of super British actors come together for a comedy caper.

Nighy, assigned to tick off Blunt finds himself unable to and soon the two are thrown together to stop killers attacking them all. Rupert Grint's Tony is thrown into the mix and what follows is an often funny, frequently ridiculous comedy skit on the crime genre.

The way the villains, particularly Martin Freeman, are portrayed is beyond the "stupid" stereotype, the accidental blowing guns off, the sexual orientation of its central star and the too cosy for realism car chases blow the story out of proportion, but the good note is that this is always the intention and can therefore be very funny.

There are frequent times when everything is too daft. The crazy mother, the placement to question sexuality, the mere coincidence of the same hotel and the car park gun showdown are all ridiculous, made more so by the often out of sorts positive pop background.

Nighy is too frequently playing similar characters and doesn't offer anything different here. The moustache is funny for the first scene and that's about it. Emily Blunt praise her she is even funnier than when she won the Golden Globe. Rupert Grint is too camera confident to hate in any way. The supporting cast have their moments as well.

The typical British style setting glorifying their surroundings that mix well with the story's push, particularly Nighy's mansion.

Overall this is light bubbly stuff worth seeing for Blunt and Grint.

The seventh instalment of the world's biggest franchise opens the way you may expect our Prime minister to act, as if Bill Nighy was channelling David Cameron and with such a moody tone about you know who's return, you know instantly this will once again be the darkest Potter to come out of Warner Brothers.

As always going to see a Potter film at the cinema is a not to be missed experience. To see all familiar faces with the stakes higher than ever was exciting and we will never see anything like this ever again.

This particular instalment, based on J.K Rowling's global knockout stories, is the first part of the last book, seeing the three main characters set out on a mission to destroy all of Voldermort's horcruxes, which are part of his soul.

Returning director David Yates lets us know straight away we are in for a rough ride as a tearful scene sees Hermione wipe her parents memories. A too brief and not intense Dursley leaving and a torture at Malfoy's home will set the tone for the two and a half hours.

However you can always rely on the supporting cast to give you a good chuckle to remind us of what Potter is all about. Fred and George, albeit brief have a great few lines and screen time, Dobby the house elf you can't help but laugh with and Ron always has something to say.

It is great to see Rupert Grint get more intense and angry and his character's jealousy sees the young star at his dramatic best.

Radcliffe continues to cement a consistent character before our eyes and Watson is given more drama as well. There was a gut wrenching corny dance sequence that is the worst thing to ever happen to the series and my friend and I just looked at each shaking our heads. But in all honesty these two are the stand outs as the film is all set on the roads.

The landscape settings are tremendous, some great choices and picturesque art styling. There was a good chase sequence through a forest and the settings at Godric's Hollow was brilliant.

Critics and fans have looked at this release and raised an eyebrow at the 12A certificate. There are certainly a lot more graphic notes. A torture scene at Malfoy's, a nude Harry and Hermione and snakes that attack the camera. There are a lot of dark themes and scenes here so if you plan to take your children be cautious.

Nevertheless the darkness is required given the context of this careful story. The stakes have raised and things are worse than ever for muggles and wizards alike. We find constant surprises as the trio are jumped numerous times by evil wizards, there is a lot of animosity between friends and family and Voldermort always seems present as we revert back into dream sequences.

At first everything is fast paced with great action, plenty of magic and a tender sadness given all injuries and deaths. When on the run the pace really slackens and you wish it would get moving again and thankfully it does in a flurry of wand battles, evil horcruxes and bloody torture.

This isn't the best Potter by a long shot but it is, as always, something totally unique and entertaining.

Only one more to go.

I picked up an old copy of Total Film magazine (issue 160) the other day which was promoting the future 100 and Jon Favreau, Iron man 1 and 2 director said "The big challenge is how do you not have it be two guys in suits hitting each other? I've done that. I don't want to do more of it." I read this after watching the 2010 smash on DVD and was rather surprised as there was plenty of guys in suits hitting each other, particularly at Iron man's own home which begs the question, how different is this to the first one? The first Iron man shook up the superhero summer two years ago which was overshadowed by the Dark Knight but it was still a great blockbuster and a great story, being funny, light hearted and 100% action packed. And although this release is fun entertainment, it falls quite short of the bar the first one raised.

Opening with star of the moment Mickey Rourke being a recluse and formulating a plan to attack Iron Man the story is laid ahead for us and soon we are with superhero Tony Stark, a legendry comic book character and thanks to Robert Downey Jr, an icon of masculine bravado and cocky swagger that you cannot hate him for. He has created a genius and if there was ever a reason to go see a film for the best comic book real world character, here it is.

Rourke as Whiplash has been praised by many, certainly his evilness and swagger is excellent but in relation to the story his motivation to go after Stark seemed rather strange.

Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L Jackson set up the upcoming Avengers film nicely with carefully reserved performances giving us all something to look forward to.

The story of Iron man 2 sees Stark living with himself as a now global superstar and the difficulties he conceals behind the scenes with his health, well being and fame.

There are a few lapses in action sequences which are all rather flashy rather than substantial in the moment fights. The Monaco grand prix is impressive and as mentioned the big suit fight in the house is rather good.

The great quality of this action film is it has a deeper meaning to a popcorn film. It feels more than a warm relaxing entertainer than a franchise maker. Sure Iron Man is glorified to the heavens in occasional conventional action battles and 'emotional' confrontations with friends and fans but this all feels genuinely authentic and exciting, the icing on the cake if you will and where you may read reviews with 3 out of 5 stars this deserves an extra one for being pure guilty and entertaining indulgence.

And yes, it is by no means a match for the 2008 release but for a laugh, for entertainment and for something containing one of the best comic book creations in Tony Stark, this is certainly worth catching

Scotty 2 Hotty and Albert vs Test and Christian.

Good opening but it is exceptionally hard to take Albert dancing seriously. 7/10.

Intercontinental title – Edge vs William Regal.

Good match with great build up, Regal again an underused superstar of mic and matt capability. Shame about the ending 8/10.

Jeff Hardy vs Matt hardy.

Two mega stars battling seemed awkward for fans as matt was doing a partial heel turn here. Because of this awkward brother vs brother and Lita as referee it didn't feel right and there were great moves and a controversial ending .

Tag team titles Dudleys vs Show and Kane.

Good match that was won a ridiculous way, great comedy here from the watching Stacy Keibler 7/10.

Hardcore championship RVD vs Undertaker.

A very, very good match that went through the audiences and ended in breaking fashion. Seeing Undertaker as a somewhat villain character, and not the good kind, is strange 8/10.

Women's championship Trish vs Jacqueline.

Good match over fairly quickly 6/10.

Stone Cold vs Angle.

Good match with great rivalry that went outside the ring numerous times contained some great moves and twists 9/10.

Rock vs Y2J.

This Jericho villain character is terrible and whilst the guy can still do the moves this was a stretch. Rock delivers great set ups and with a big shout and controversy this topped its predecessor to set up the final for the undisputed championship.

Winners of last two matches face off for undisputed championship.

Great match and great controversy to round off the PPV with the new undisputed champion.

European championship Christian vs Al Snow

Christian, even at this stage of his career, is one of the best in the business and it's a shame he never really received a main event push but this is some of his best work and gives a great match against Snow. 7/10

William Regal vs Tajiri

Average match with reasonable build up, Regal is a great mic worker. 6/10

Intercontinental and U.S unification match – Test vs Edge

Great match with twists turns, big boots, spears and Edge again showing why he is now a main event superstar. 8/10

Steel cage unification match WCW vs WWF tag titles – The Dudley Boys vs The Hardys

Great match involving two great tag teams and there is one reason this is memorable and that reason is Jeff Hardy. What a nutter, but by what a reason to watch. 9/10

22 immunity battle royal

Considering this has 22 wrestlers in it is over in such a short space of time, probably cause commentator Paul Hayman is moaning about Tazz. Eventual winner is hardly surprising

Women's championship – Trish vs Jacqueline vs Lita vs Mighty Molly vs Jazz vs Ivory

One of the better women wrestling matches from this period and a good deserving ending to the eventual winner

Winner take all traditional survivor series match

Shane McMahon, Booker T, RVD, Stone Cold, Angle vs Kane, Y2J, Rock, Undertaker, Big Show

Great match that brought an end to the Invasion story that could not have had a better send off. Up and down, twists and turns, controversies an ace in the hole this elimination match had everything but the kitchen sink. Jericho's finishing move here is silly and Shane is annoying but otherwise what an ending to a very good PPV

ECW championship – Chavo Guerrero vs CM punk.

A good match with good build up. It seems strange to see Punk as a fan favourite but a good energetic match 7/10.

World Heavyweight championship – Edge vs Rey Mysterio.

As talented as he is it can sometimes be hard to take Mysterio seriously. The build up story to this was rather daft and the fact the match finishes almost carbon copy to the Rumble match sums it up. 5/10 Smackdown elimination chamber.

Two of the greatest athletes ever in Batista and Undertaker start off the match and other 'superstars' in Finlay, MVP, the great Khali and Big Daddy V enter. Easy to tell who the final to will be but what a finale and oh my word what a fantastic finishing manoeuvre! Just for that this is worth an 8/10.

Ric Flair vs Mr Kennedy.

Good match, Mr Kennedy (Or Anderson on TNA) is a brilliant mic worker and great athlete and with the prospect that if Flair lost he would retire this boiled some good tension and a great finish. 8/10.

WWE championship - John Cena vs Randy Orton.

With Cena's big return at the rumble this got the fans excited and a good lengthy match and although I can barely stand Cena he was alright, the ending to this match was so abrupt and funny. 8/10.

Raw elimination chamber.

With a good array of matches behind it No Way Out boiled down to a sensational last match that did include a roster of all respectable stars in Jeff Hardy, JBL, Y2J, HHH, Umaga and HBK and despite my accidental stumbling on the result, you could not guess who would win this. Fantastic moves, fast and slow paced, bodies hitting steel, a swanton off a pod a bloody collection of bodies, this was easily match of the night. 10/10.

A good pay per view, entertaining though not classic but if anything at a cheap price I would buy simply for that last Raw chamber match. 7/10

Emma Stone stars as Olive, a lonely heart who lies about losing her virginity to her best friend and soon rumour spreads she is a slut. Initially mortified Olive parades around the school as a slut, wearing an 'A' on her clothing but soon she ends up in trouble.

Described as "the best teen comedy since Mean Girls" this is a must see because quite simply, it is. The comedy variety of clever performances, physical humour and beautiful word play make a combination of knockabout comedy a treat for anyone over 15 years of age that will entertain you for a glorious hour and a half.

Emma Stone in her first major leading role excels as a typical but not yet typical teenager going through life's friendship and educational battles, and thankfully with a difference. Olive narrates via an internet blog about how everything came about and her life and school reputation changed. Through some original narrative design and comic brightness audiences are easily engaged into the world of its heroine.

Stone's performance is indescribably funny. From singing alone in her bedroom to strutting around in revealing clothing and making us laugh at the same time has made her a star for the future. One scene where she pretends to have it on in a bedroom is very funny and whilst marketed as a comedy, the inevitable drama sequences show Stone as a rock.

Stone steals the film but thanks to the experience of Stanley Tucci and Thomas Haden Church we have an array of comic genius. Tucci has never been funnier.

The plot boasts some great twists and turns whilst marketing some great songs on its soundtrack. The way it separates itself from the normal comedy, by diversifying itself through visual aids such as the live web blog or plot differentiations makes it one out watch over and over again.

A couple of drawbacks include the fact Lisa Kudrow cannot shake the Phoebe tag and the ending is slightly predictable.

These minor things aside this is a knockabout comedy with a great lead performance that is certainly worth checking out.

Based on the novel by Ben Mezrich and the real life occurrences of the foundation of Facebook, David Fincher's critically acclaimed film markets the trials and tribulations of the world's biggest social network site.

The film revolves around how Mark Zuckerberg, played brilliantly by Jesse Eisenberg, who is a social misfit and yet a technical mastermind.

After berating his girlfriend and getting himself dumped, he takes his fury out by posting blogs and creating a website which matches women from surrounding colleges and naming it Facemash, allowing users to vote who is more attractive out of their classmates.

An uproar ensues and soon Zuckerberg is targeted by Harvard students to design a website from them.

In and amongst all the animosity of court cases, social and friend rivalry we see a great story jump from past to present in a calm fashion that grabs you full attention, thanks to the styling of director David Fincher and the unfazed exploits of Zuckerberg's actions against anyone.

Whether you love Facebook or hate it, there is minimal doubt that how it all came about from a bitter spat with a partner is intriguing. The weaving legal terms are fascinating and the amount of detail encoded about the formulas and constructing is great.

Eisenberg after his impressive comedy outings in Zombieland etc has created the perfect enemy that you can somehow route for whilst being intellectually unmatched throughout. Despite the serious predicament he finds himself in the character can often come up trumps with a killer comedy line.

One very good note to take from this film is that Andrew Garfield will be a great Spider-man. Playing Zuckerberg's best friend Eduardo, he is slick, funny and carries the burden of being the victim in the bigger scenes, the final showdown at the Facebook office is a very strong scene.

The film has a few flaws. For one a showdown between Eduardo and girlfriend Christy about why he hasn't changed his Facebook status to 'in a relationship' makes the whole principle of the site seem ridiculous. Justin Timberlake is hard to take seriously and occasionally there are lapses in repetition, as if the same thing had been discussed before.

Nevertheless this has proved a special surprise.

This is a good strong drama with great leading performances and an unmatched drama by David Fincher to create possible Oscar nominations for next year.

Worth checking out.

Wrestlemania is what its all about and this is one of the greatest PPVS ever for numerous reasons. The party starts with a great rendition of the American national anthem and then it is right down to business.

US championship John Cena vs Big Show

A very good opening that Cena showcased his old better mic skills. Still the build up and actual match were good if not the best we've seen between the pair. Thankfully the ending isn't as cheesy as current WWE programming.

8/10

World tag team championship Booker T and RVD vs The Dudley Boys vs La Resistance vs Mark Jindrak and Garrison Cade.

This fatal four way for the tag team championship had some great spots but there is only two good teams who weren't featured nearly enough

6/10

Christian vs Chris Jericho

Fantastic match that had a great build up. They were essentially wrestling all thanks to Trish Stratus and Lita and their wrestling did the talking. Great spots, great twists and turns and for first time viewing what an ending.

10/10

The Rock and Mick Foley vs Batista, Randy Orton and Ric Flair

Before going to wrestle we see Foley and Rock backstage and Rocky didn't seem the wrestler of old and it showed somewhat in the ring to. A good match that had a great sense of comedy styling

8/10

Torrie Wilson and Sable vs Miss Jackie and Stacey Kiebler

Reasonable tag team match, the fans liked the fact it was changed to a lingerie match

6/10

WWE 10 man cruiserweight championship match Great match that lasted longer than normal. Many superstars to watch out for but watch out for Billy Kidman's shooting star press, oh my God.

8/10

Brock Lesner vs Goldberg

This had a very good build up but it was more of a staring competition than a wrestling match. The fans really slammed Lesnar for selling out

6/10

WWE tag team championship Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty vs APA vs The Bashams vs Shelton Benjamen and Charlie Haas.

Like the previous tag team title match there were good spots but not enough awe to entertain

6/10

WWE women's championship Victoria vs Molly Holly

One of the more competitive women's matches you'll see good twists and turns and an over sold ending

7/10

WWE Championship Kurt Angle vs Eddie Guerrero

Very, very good match. The Olympic vs latino heat was brilliant great moves, build up and what a brilliant ending that epitomises the characters

10/10

Kane vs Undertaker

The return of the dead man resounded around Madison square garden and what a match to follow. Brothers divided this showed some skillful and powerful executions and Undertaker is once again sensational

10/10

World Heavyweight championship Triple H vs HBK vs Chris Benoit

This triple threat match lasted a joyous long time that had a good build up and nice to hear the fans getting behind the right man. How the end came about was great

9/10

Overall entertaining PPV and certainly worth catching

The idea of being trapped in a coffin 12 feet underground is hardly comfortable, and to make a film an hour and a half long inside this coffin, seems like a long shot but it works with a great intensity and the best ever performance by Ryan Reynolds.

Word of warning this isn't the best film for people with claustrophobia and people with fears of snakes.

The film centres around a captive in the coffin who was placed in the coffin by a group of terrorists needing $5 million to secure his release. Locked in the small wooden box with a Zippo lighter, fluorescent tubes and a blackberry Paul Conroy must ring around for help.

The opening is just a black screen with heavy panicked breathing, perfectly setting the tone for the film and the lurid bashing and realisation of his predicament cement the horrible notion that there is no quick escape.

It is quite amazing how a simple terrorist plot can be so gripping and in this case quite controversial. There are many immigrant issues, political propaganda and the placement in Iraq adds to the drama of the plot.

Throw in a sub family plot and come the last half an hour the drama has been notched up. There is a strong horrible video sent to the blackberry of a terrorist shooting that gave an echoed gasp from everyone in the cinema around me.

What was startling was the last ten minutes. The way the mood changed from hopeful, to optimistic to pessimistic to hopeful and so far. How can a one man show and one way plot shake up so many emotions from one place? It is truly remarkable.

There are a few minor holes in the plot but this idealist film is perfect entertainment and it is certainly worth catching if you can stomach the roller coaster journey.

Peter Sollett's love story is the perfect remedy to a broken heart, a short charming thrill and even a look up icon for other wannabe film makers.

This 2008 release shows how a small cast a minimum budget and young actors can break formula to dazzle and entertain in a story that isn't concerned with rules and flows as in real time, all within one evening that feels more realistic and emphatic than any romantic film that has been screened in a long time.

Starting with a simple humorous ex boyfriend ex girlfriend story and developing into a tale of jealousy and musical vibrancy is the perfect empathy for a lost soul or a blissful hour and a half synchronisation of teenage lust and love.

Michael Cera continues to rise as an actor. I watched Scott Pilgrim vs the world a few weeks before watching this and have seen his improvement and yet here he fits the lost soul role like a glove and whilst it isn't his funniest creation there are some great moments.

He is upstaged by Kat Dennings, a fresh face who plays another confused teen who you sympathise with constantly and yet she carries this vibrancy as Norah so you can laugh and move along with her.

The two blend together well and as the story moves along their characters tackle various obstacles in friendship and doing the right thing. The disappearance of Norah's friend causes some great scenes between them.

And all the while this film boasts an appetite of musical freshness that should delight many viewers. The variance of pop, metal, rock and dance are all engaging and especially the last song lives up to the hype.

The journey to find the mysterious band gives the plot its freshness in the romantic genre and for that reason, along with its great cast, direction and soundtrack I strongly recommend you view this film as soon as possible.

This film adaptation of Stieg Larsson's critically acclaimed novel brings together all the attributes of a classic murder mystery that is vibrant, intense and consistently intriguing.

The Swedish film, directed by Niels Arden Oplev, opens with a sentimental scene and shortly followed by the journalist's alleged law breaking.

Michael Nyqvist plays Mikael Blomkvist who is shortly asked to solve a mystery that has plagued Henrik Vanger for years, the disappearance of a family member over 40 years ago.

Keeping close tabs on Mikael's activity is 24 years old Lisbeth, a quiet yet clever individual who gets mistreated by her guardian and who soon gets wrapped up in Mikael's investigation and soon the clues are flowing and the film gets better and better.

The initial slow moving scenes help engage us into the worlds of each character and with such close detailed segments, such as Mikael's family life and Lisbeth's job and guardian changes we are immersed into worlds of deceit and corruption.

The plot boasts heavy life issues. There is a strong focus upon sexual hurt, the rape scene at the beginning is squeamish to watch and one of the eventual conclusions is equally horrible. All necessary and credit to Oplev who doesn't shy away from the pain and anguish of the film's most poignant moments. The high certificate's for this film are down to these moments of sexual indiscretion and violent themes and all fit necessarily into the film's plot.

The mystery of the missing girl pans out very well. Somehow the director is able to lay traps for you to interpret who is who and who may be a killer and what happened all those years ago and for that factor this has to be the best mystery film I have watched in sometime.

There are many factors elsewhere to enjoy. I personally loved the fact that this film had many features that in a Hollywood film would be corny but were handled with respect and a unique nature, such as the flashback scenes and the more intimate moments, all perfectly balanced and with blissfully no music to coincide with each moment.

Its hard to compare to other films but there is a feeling of a Scorsese with an excitement of a Hitchcock here, though its quite subtle and that makes this special. It isn't a copy, it isn't a wannabe Hollywood it is raw, real and ravishing.

Last year I tried to start the novel but unfortunately did not follow it through. Having watched this film and loved it I shall definitely pursue the sequel, the girl who played with fire, which has recently been adapted into a film. Given everything that took place in this film I got the impression that the books would all be powerful, exciting and intense and should anyone ask, I would suggest read the books then enjoy the film.

Edgar Wright has been very quiet since hitting the headlines 3 years ago for the outstanding British hit Hot Fuzz and in that time he has managed to conjure one of the most original and exciting comic book adaptations ever.

Considering the recent successes of The Dark Knight, Iron man and Spider-mans amongst others that is rather bold but somehow the director and writer has taken a simple love story and made it thoroughly entertaining, humorous, diverse and tantalizing it is quite necessary to see Michael Cera stars as Scott Pilgrim who falls for Mary Winstead's Ramona Flowers, a frivolous newcomer whom he would like to date. Only he has to defeat her seven evil exes to do so.

What ensues is some of the finest action comedy romantically enhanced comic battles ever to be shown on the big screen. That is to say there are many flashing battle stances with "vs" being screened centrally and split screen shots, as if watching a comic book literally come to life.

We are soon in the groove when the Universal logo pops up and then we zoom straight in to the battle of the bands, the life of a love struck teenager and his affection's terrible past. There is a lot going on which boasts the excitement and intrigue to maximum velocity and before you know it the film has ended and you will immediately want more.

The music is a worthy mention as all the way through there are many knockout hits (no pun intended) and one in particular that stands out.

The Clash at Demonhead's rendition of Metric's Black sheep is a fantastic moment for plot and sound and encapsulates the moment significantly.

Regarding the fights there are some great cuts of direction by Wright, brining the action to life. The flying words are terrific and often bizarre. There are moments when you wonder what is going on, particularly the vegan police and the dancing skeletons but regardless the context of the moment is always spot on.

A few minor hiccups include the viewer's emotions when the film draws to a close and the situation fixating on the final evil ex boyfriend.

These are immaterial considering what we have been treated to by surely the best director to come out of Britain since Guy Ritchie.