Reviews

Despite announcing his retirement from acting some years back after appearing in "Gran Torino", Clint Eastwood is at it again. This time around he plays Gus, an aging baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves who is concealing the fact that he is starting to lose his eyesight. Nonetheless he gets himself assigned to select their first-draft pick before (perhaps) being shunted into retirement by a younger generation who trust computers more than experience, knowledge, and intuition. Knowing that Gus is in trouble, his best friend (John Goodman) persuades his estranged daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) to go on the road with him to North Carolina to help out. Mickey is a fanatic about baseball because it was her only way to connect with him during her childhood when he seemingly all but abandoned her after her mother died. The film then depicts how Gus and Mickey awkwardly try to rebuild what looks like an irreparably broken relationship.

The plot has enough twists and turns to hold the viewer's attention and subtly highlights the central theme of how rewarding, complex, and difficult real human relationships can be. All the principals are in top form, including Justin Timberlake as a former draft of Gus' who is shooting for a job as a sports announcer, but Amy Adams is especially good- she delivers a perfectly tuned and moving performance. The strong supporting cast are excellent also.

All in all this is a gently funny, unpretentious, and well-acted human drama with a big beautiful heart.

Daniel Craig's third outing as 007 takes the 50 year-old franchise in a new direction but makes some significant sacrifices along the way. In this outing, Mr Bond has to retrieve a hard drive listing the cover of every MI6 agent on active service. Things get off to a great start with a fabulous chase scene over the rooftops of Istanbul. The film maintains a great pace through plot segments in London, Shanghai, and Macau also. However the final hour-or-so, though suspenseful, feels grim and anticlimactic. Bond's age and vulnerability are perhaps over-emphasized, and the silliness factor is significantly reduced. Overall, this is a good film and a more mature, world-weary spin on the James Bond character. Unfortunately, it's just not quite as much fun. Worth seeing all the same though.

At first glance this film appears to look at the question of what happens after death. However in actuality it is an examination of how people handle life and the emotional dilemmas that are unavoidable in human relationships. There are three separate plot lines that illustrate differing aspects of the human experience- Matt Damon portrays a medium who feels his gift cuts him off from others, a French TV journalist has her worldview shaken to it's foundations by a near-death experience in a tsunami, and a young boy in London has to deal with having a drug- addicted mother and also with the death of his twin brother. "Hereafter" skilfully depicts how each of these three characters is in fact attempting to discover how to most fully live life even though they cannot look away from the immutable certainty of death.

This is a cerebral, reflective, and at times almost somber piece of cinema. All the cast members give excellent, if low-key, performances and Clint Eastwood's direction is assured and restrained. All in all, this is an outstanding existential drama that celebrates our need for others via an unflinching look at how those we care about the most are taken away from us.

Once again horror maestro Alexandre Aja knocks it out of the park. Not only does he remake Joe Dante's 1978 original in a fresh and exciting way but he also happily ridicules the whole B-movie genre while also skewering contemporary Girls-Gone-Wild/Spring Break trash culture. As if this were not enough, 'Piranha 3D' is a gore-fest par excellence.

The plot is completely basic: an earthquake opens a fissure in a lake near the desert resort of Virginia Beach, releasing huge numbers of prehistoric piranha that had been confined to an underground cave for the preceding two million years. In best B-movie tradition, this occurs during Spring Break which allows for colossal amounts of nudity and the opportunity to watch huge numbers of obnoxious frat boys and empty- headed coeds get turned into fish-feed.

There are a good number of scary moments and the special effects are fantastic, the 3D effects actually pop also. Given that Aja is at the helm, the gore flows in absolute buckets and some scenes later in the film are extremely intense. The amount of nudity, sexuality, and graphic violence in this film more than justify it's 'R' rating and this is one of those horror films that is genuinely unsuitable for young children. The cast (including Elizabeth Shue as the sheriff and Richard Dreyfus in a cameo) actually do their best with a pretty sophomoric script, and there are some truly tasteless moments of gross-out humor. All in all- you get what you pay for and then some. This film rules!

This is the best "Shrek" movie since the first one and is easily the funniest of the lot. This time around the plot revolves around Shrek developing a mid-life crisis and making a deal with the devious Rumpelstiltskin (the villain of the piece) to have one day of his single life back, he gets his wish but loses the day he was born in exchange. The rest of the movie follows how Shrek tries to get everything back to the way it used to be.

All the ingredients that have made this franchise so popular are retained- particularly the clever pop culture references and the sharp interplay between all the main characters. The soundtrack is also very well-chosen and some of the selections are used to hilarious effect. All in all this is a very funny film from beginning to end and a top choice if you are looking for a lighthearted night out. Highly recommended.

This film was a big disappointment. It had the potential to be fantastic but falls to pieces well before the end. All the ingredients for greatness were present: a beloved legend for source material, Russell Crowe as the leading man (nuff said), director Ridley Scott (whose previous medieval epic "Kingdom of Heaven" was amazing), and the fact that when these two collaborated on "Gladiator" they created a modern classic.

Things do get off to an excellent start. The first third of the film (set in France) is absolutely cracking, the siege of a French castle being particularly well-depicted. However, once the action switches to England the film gets bogged down by too many plot strands. In case you were wondering, there is NO time devoted to Robin and his Merry men slugging it out with the Sheriff of Nottingham in Sherwood Forest. That is what I had been expecting and it just doesn't happen at all. The film's biggest and most unforgivable failure is that the actual legend of Robin Hood is totally eclipsed by what ought to be side-plots. We do see how Robin gets from France to Nottingham, then there is a separate storyline about maid Marion, a third about intrigue at the court of King John, a fourth about the creation of an unnamed document that is obviously the Magna Carta, and a fifth about a full-scale French invasion. This overcomplicated narrative collapses under it's own weight and the later battle scenes (which are well done)seem curiously abbreviated in order to give enough screen time to each separate thread.

On the plus side the battle scenes are rousing (though the ones earlier in the film are better-paced and staged), the acting is decent, and look of the film is knockout (particularly a depiction of 12th century London). The soundtrack is good too. What is most frustrating about "Robin Hood" is that there are several potentially excellent films contained in the script but a massive lack of narrative discipline results in a finished product that is a mediocre muddle. Wait for the DVD.

Given the slew of horror icons that have been resurrected in recent years, it was obviously only a matter of time until the remake gods found their way to Elm Street. The original "Nightmare" is deservedly a horror classic and it is worth remembering how out-of-the-box it's dreams-kill premise was when it was first released. The new film also follows the fate of a group of suburban teens who are stalked and killed in their nightmares by the horribly burned Freddy Kruger. However, although there are many large and small homages to Wes Craven's masterpiece, the plot is neatly reinvented and the audience is never allowed to predict what will happen next.

Jackie Earle Haley is amazing as Freddy, he successfully brings a unique spin to the character despite the fact that he is new to the role after eight previous franchise entries. All in all, this is a first-class horror film- there are loads of scary moments and the death scenes are brutally effective. A great horror franchise has been reborn- bring on the sequels!

When one considers the epic sweep of Greek mythology it is clear that it was the closest the ancients could come to the effects-laden blockbusters that delight audiences today. In this spirit, "Clash of the Titans" is exactly what it should be- a big, spectacular, effects-laden blockbuster with an undemanding plot and a good helping of eye candy. The story centers on a young man named Perseus, who steps up to save the city of Argos from the monstrous Kraken. In order to do this, he and a small band of soldiers have to face all sorts of perils so that he can get the only weapon that can defeat the aforementioned beast. His efforts are both helped and hindered by the gods themselves who cannot decide whether mankind should be taught love or fear.

This film is a whole lot of fun. The plot moves at a good pace and the running time passes quickly. The monsters are imaginatively designed and skilfully brought to life by CGI. Also, the numerous battle scenes are exciting and well-filmed. Another nice touch is the inclusion of elements from Norse and Arabian mythology. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes are obviously enjoying themselves as Zeus and Hades- the lords of Olympus and the Underworld respectively. Sam Worthington is decent as Perseus but he is really a bit dour, a little bit of humor would have gone a long way. However, overall it is very clear that nobody is supposed to take this film too seriously. This is a very successful update of the 1981 original and provides it's audience with a highly enjoyable night out.

One of the common threads linking films about the Iraq war is a sense of deep ambiguity about it's morality and purpose. "Green Zone" is no exception. Matt Damon skilfully portrays Roy Miller, an Army Warrant Officer whose unit is tasked with searching suspected WMD facilities for proof of the existence of Iraqi chemical, nuclear, and biological weapons. A chance encounter with a sympathetic Iraqi civilian puts Miller on the trail of an Iraqi general who could provide him with the evidence that he needs. However, the Pentagon, the recently deposed Baathists, and the CIA all have different agendas for Iraq's future and Miller finds himself being used by players from all sides.

This is a tautly paced, engrossing thriller that inhabits a moral world where all colors are shades of gray. The cast are excellent and the direction is top-notch. Particularly noteworthy is the realistic and sympathetic depiction of the Iraqi characters, irrespective of their allegiances. There is no shortage of action and the plot keeps you guessing until the credits roll. Along with "The Hurt Locker" this is one of the best films about the Iraq war and a brilliant night out to boot.

It is clear that the current cycle of horror remakes is far from over and the results so far have for the most part been surprisingly good. This trend continues with 'The Crazies'- a reinvention of George Romero's little-seen 1973 original. The plot is beyond simple: a biological agent gets into the water supply of a small town in Iowa called Ogden Marsh and turns the inhabitants into homicidal maniacs. Things get even worse when a US Army unit initiates a brutal containment operation where shooting first and not bothering to ask questions is the order of the day.

The film wastes little time building up to the first outbreak of insanity and then chillingly portrays how the town's social fabric is obliterated at break-neck speed. There is an abundance of scary moments, inventive gore, and even some very black humor. Some moments are so intensely suspenseful that time seems to practically stand still. All the cast play their parts well; including Timothy Olyphant as the town sheriff, Joe Anderson as his deputy, and Radha Mitchell as the town doctor. The minimalist soundtrack is also strikingly effective. All in all, this film is a treat for horror fans and for anyone looking for an intense night out at the movies.

There is no shortage of on screen vampires these days. However 'Daybreakers' scores with a unique twist in what is becoming an overworked genre: What if the undead are the majority? In 2019, due to a plague, most of the world's population have become vampires and the few humans left are hunted down and farmed for blood. This topsy-turvy "new normal" is sharply and amusingly depicted as being eerily similar to current living with the important difference that the populace go about their business at night and enjoy shots of blood in their coffee. Aging, famine, and disease have been eradicated, however sunlight is lethal. There is also still a class system, with destitute vampires who cannot afford a regular fix of blood turning into violent, deformed creatures called "subsiders".

But there is a problem. The vampires' insatiable appetite for blood has driven the residual human population to the point of extinction and left the blood supply almost exhausted. Enter Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke), a scientist working for a massive pharmaceutical conglomerate headed by the evil Charles Bromley (Sam Neill). His job is to find a blood substitute to ward off mass starvation. Dalton secretly sympathizes with the remaining humans and hopes that his work will result in their persecution being halted. After connecting with some human survivors, he realizes that there may be an even more radical solution to the problem. However, not every solution is profitable..

From beginning to end this film is big, gory fun. There are some interesting and agreeable plot twists and the film's more metaphorical aspects (which are not exactly subtle to begin with) are upfront but not preachy. The special effects and action scenes are top-notch also, particularly a gruesome set-piece near the film's climax. The Spierig brothers also manage to insert some big scary jolts at regular intervals. All the cast are solid but special mention should go to Sam Neill who does not chew scenery as the main villain of the piece but definitely nibbles here and there. Willem Dafoe is good too, as always. "Daybreakers" also passes a key horror movie test: when you leave the theater, the outside world does not look quite as reassuring as it normally does. Well worth seeing.

It was pretty much inevitable that someone would make a movie based on all the 2012 hoopla. Nor is it surprising when that someone is disaster maven Roland Emmerich. His latest effort adheres closely to the formula established by his earlier films "Independence Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow"- in other words we get to watch a typically flawed-but-lovable American family (headed by John Cusack and Amanda Peet), along with a range of supporting characters, attempt to survive the end of the world.

That's all there is to the basic plot. The real stars of the film are the truly spectacular special effects. Emmerich really pulls out all the stops and creates some truly awesome set-pieces of destruction. In order to ensure that the main characters have endless perilous situations to escape from, we get to see a bunch of natural and man-made wonders get totaled by Mama Nature. Highlights include Los Angeles falling into the sea, Las Vegas being swallowed by the desert, and the Himalayas being submerged by tidal waves.

Improbable? Definitely. Ridiculous? You bet. But none of that matters since "2012" is exactly the film it was intended to be- a great big popcorn movie that offers big laughs, big thrills, and a lot of good old fashioned fun.

Director Sam Raimi undoubtedly reached the biggest audiences of his career to date through his work on the "Spiderman" franchise. However, in the Eighties, his work on the "Evil Dead" movies assured him a place in that elite Valhalla reserved for masters of horror. After years away from the genre, "Drag me to Hell" is renewed proof that few filmmakers posses his ability both to terrify an audience and then have them in convulsions of laughter- while reminding them that nobody can outrun their conscience.

The plot is pretty straightforward: Christine (Alison Lohman) is a loan officer who has been told that she needs to show toughness in order to secure a promotion that she covets. Hoping to win points with her boss, she refuses an elderly Gypsy's request that her mortgage be extended- causing this obviously ailing woman to lose her home. The old woman wreaks a horrific revenge by uttering a curse that unleashes the Lamia- an ancient demon that torments it's victim for three days before taking their soul to Hell for eternity. Christine is then subjected to increasingly terrifying manifestations of said entity (invisible to everyone but her)and enlists a medium to save her from damnation, but time is running out...

The plot moves along at a cracking pace and there is no shortage of genuinely scary and shocking moments. However what really makes this film a joy is the mischievously surreal humor that permeates the whole enterprise, for example when a demonic eye appears in a slice of fruitcake. All in all, this is a terrific horror film that has no problem scaring it's audience while staying in touch with the idea that movies are all about having fun. Top-notch entertainment.

At last we have the long anticipated fourth installment of the "Terminator" franchise. Has it been worth the wait? The answer to that question is one part "yes", and one part "well..maybe". This one is set after the nuclear war at the end of T3, in the year 2018 to be exact, and the war between humans and the Skynet computer system is going at full-tilt.

There are several different plot lines that don't really come together until the film's third act. The first centers on resistance leader John Connor (Christian Bale), who is involved in planning a major offensive against the machines but is also confronted by the dilemma of how to save the humans held prisoner at the Skynet facility that is to be his target. The second plot line centers on the mysterious Marcus Wright (Sam Robinson) and his journey from the ruins of Los Angeles to the HQ where Connor is based. The third plot introduces us to the teenage Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn's character from the first film) and his adventures with and without Wright. Finally, there is a half-developed love story between Wright and a pilot for the resistance played by Moon Bloodgood.

It is no surprise that the action scenes are what consistently work best in this film, particularly in the first hour and in the climactic battle. Some of the chase scenes are simply breathtakingly exciting and the various machines that the characters have to battle are just awesome. The bleak post-nuclear landscape is strikingly depicted also. The middle part of the film sags quite badly however and the love story between Wright and Bloodgood seems forced and an obstacle to the progress of the bigger plot (which is pretty good otherwise). Another problem is that both Bale and Robinson bring a curious lack of charisma to their characters. It's hard to care about them and they both lack some of the humanity and vulnerability that made the previous films so exciting. All in all, this is a great popcorn movie and well worth seeing on the big screen. However it does not capture quite the same oomph that characterized it's predecessors.

This film reportedly created quite a stir when it was released in the UK due to it's portrayal of the dodgy mores of young British holidaymakers overseas. There is certainly no dispute that the prudish will find no end of things to dislike about this explicitly raunchy, hard-nosed thriller. The film centers on three up-for-it young women from Leeds who are invited by four equally fun-loving young guys to hang out on a yacht where the lads were employed as crew members.

This intrepid group then sail out to sea, turn up the music, ingest some Ecstasy and what looks like crystal meth, and start getting very intensely busy with each other. However, just as this orgy is reaching it's peak, a sexual technique goes wrong and somebody dies. Things get worse when the group, stoned and terrified of the consequences they may face, cannot agree on how to handle the situation. All of a sudden, what had started out as an ill-considered but probably harmless outing turns into a nightmare of panic, paranoia, and murder as all the characters realize that they are going to have to fight for their lives.

The ensemble cast are top notch. The premise is credible and the behavior of the well-drawn characters remains believable. The film deftly changes pace in a heartbeat from depicting joyous hedonism to ice-cold fear and suspicion. The pacing is spot-on and the tension and sense of mounting horror are relentless. The soundtrack is also right on target. The only cause for complaint might be the thickness of some of the English accents but it really is not a big deal. On some other websites "Donkey Punch" has gotten very mixed reviews- people seem to love it or hate it. However, if you're interested in seeing an overlooked but world-class thriller then this film ought to be top of your list. Highly recommended.

The previews for this film make it look like a formulaic Square-among-Freaks stoner comedy about an uptight medical student who falls in with a bunch of potheads and discovers What Really Matters in the process. Up to a point that is exactly how "Humboldt County" plays out. However, that is not the whole story either.

To briefly summarize the plot: a repressed, emotionally muted young man- with the people skills of a lawnmower- fails one of his med school finals (BTW his father is the examiner-Ouch!) and is suddenly adrift in his life for what is apparently the first time ever. He has an unlikely hookup with an attractive, free spirit named Bogart (Fairuza Balk) and accompanies her to her home in the title county up in the far north of California. Bogart then disappears and Peter, completely stranded, is slowly but surely absorbed by her eccentric, stoner family and their equally baked friends and neighbors. Exposed to their initially alien values, lifestyle, and worldview- and away from his overbearing father- Peter finds the freedom and safety to actually start being himself. However, the dark side of the drug world (in the form of violent thieves and the DEA) is never far away and it threatens to destroy Peter's refuge...

Even though there is a lot of pot smoked by nearly all of the characters, this is not really a stoner movie. Much of the humor is low-key but there are some absolutely hilarious moments along the way.The film's view of marijuana is actually rather realistic, it's pleasurable effects are shown but so are the downsides- particularly with regard to the violence and legal problems that accompany cultivation. Additionally, it is made clear that being born into the rustic stoner life, for all of it's freedoms, can be as much of a prison as the middle-class existence that was suffocating Peter at the film's beginning.

"Humboldt County" is really all about how somebody discovers the things that are truly going to touch their heart and give their life meaning. The various characters represent the different paths that people choose in order to find a sense of connection to others and a purpose to their existence. The characters are very human, and all the more lovable for that.The ensemble cast are excellent and their interactions with other seem touchingly real. However special mention should go to Brad Dourif as the stoner clan's patriarch.

The film preaches the values of simplicity, humility, how materialism is meaningless, the importance of caring for others, and recognizing how small individuals are in the bigger scheme of things. It is also very honest about the reality that, for adults, there are fewer and fewer easy answers to any of life's questions. An added bonus is the setting, Humboldt county looks absolutely gorgeous and is filmed with deep love. In conclusion, this is a funny, serenely paced slice of cinema that has a big, beautiful heart.

This film offers unflinching, bare-bones, answers to the puzzle of what happens when a person's fifteen minutes of fame are over. In this instance the person in question is "Randy the Ram" (Mickey Rourke) a former wrestling powerhouse back in the Eighties who now ekes out a living on the VFW-hall circuit when he isn't unloading trucks at a grocery store. Randy lives in an America rarely seen on celluloid these days- a nation of trailer parks, strip malls, dollar stores, and grimy community halls.

At first glance he appears scarily close to dereliction: his body is breaking down, he can't pay his rent, but when Randy is in the ring he once again becomes a star. However, it becomes clear that even his wrestling days are numbered and Randy -fearful of what the future holds- attempts to reach out to the daughter he abandoned many years earlier (a wonderful Evan Rachel Wood) and also start a relationship with a guarded exotic dancer who is also nearing the end of her shelf-life (the fantastic Marisa Tomei).

At it's core, "The Wrestler" is a depiction of how people try to cling on to hope, dignity, safety, and a sense of connection to others in a world that appears hell-bent on stripping all those things away. The characters portrayed by Rourke and Tomei could so easily be reduced the stereotypes, or even worse played for laughs. Instead both are allowed to be complex, vulnerable and very real human beings that the audience can't help but care for. All of the cast are outstanding but Rourke's performance is truly seismic in it's depth and honesty. His wrestler is a fundamentally gentle, flawed, principled man who is only too aware of his many failings and shortcomings and wishes only that others see the good in him.

At times this can be a hard film to watch. The wrestling scenes skillfully arc between gratuitous brutality and dark humor. Director Darren Aronofsky allows the simple-yet-complicated story unfold at it's own pace. There are no simple answers. The pacing is low-key and the atmosphere is grimy. However the way in which the characters show compassion and allow themselves to falteringly care for one another gives this gem a big, beautiful, tear-stained heart.

Daniel Craig's second outing as Agent 007 stays very loyal to the traditions for his tenure in the role that were established in "Casino Royale". Once again there are very few gadgets, very minimal humor, and a plot line that is (somewhat) more reality-based than has been the norm for the Bond franchise. The plot centers on Bond's efforts to avenge the death of his love interest in "Casino", Vesper Lynd. This quest leads him to clash with a sinister philanthropist who wants to topple the Bolivian government, and also to ally himself with the beautiful Camille (Olga Kurylenko) who is seeking some vengeance of her own.

Once again Craig exudes a winning combination of subtle vulnerability, smooth charm, and overt toughness. His character's demeanor is closer to that of the suave-but-thuggish operator described in the original novels. The action scenes are skilfully executed and there are a number of neatly twisted references to previous films in the Bond canon.

Overall there is little to quibble with in this latest entry in a now decades-old franchise. However, at least one cool gadget (cellphones don't count!) would have gone a long way. In addition, a little more overt humor would have been appreciated and the title (which makes more sense as the plot unfolds) quite frankly sounds more like the tagline for a spa. All that having been said, "Quantum of Solace" is good value for money and a fun night out.

For the past few years a new entry in the "Saw" franchise has become as much a part of Halloween as trick-or-treating and media hysteria about candy apples being flavored with razor blades. However nothing lasts forever and, based on the evidence of the fifth and latest installment of the series, this particular tradition may be running out of gas.

After a promising opening set-piece that pays tribute to Edgar Allen Poe's classic "The Pit and the Pendulum", the film divides it's running time between two parallel plot lines. The first concerns the fate of the latest collection of wrongdoers who have been selected to run a gauntlet of the grisly tests that are the series' trademark. Some of the new traps that this unlikable quintet have to endure are equal to the best from the previous films, others however are most definitely substandard. Nonetheless, their misadventures are filmed compellingly and there are some delightfully horrific moments during their efforts to escape the mechanical hell that they have been condemned to endure.

The other plot centers on the efforts of an FBI special agent to prove that troubled homicide Detective Hoffman is responsible for at least some of the Jigsaw murders (which are shown in flashback). It appears that the screenwriters have lost sight of the fact that the "Saw" movies are slasher films, not murder-mysteries. Since the original (much, much stronger) plot was conclusively wrapped up by the end of "Saw 3", it is inevitable that an ever-more convoluted backstory would be necessary to explain why new Jigsaw-style killings would continue to occur. Nonetheless, the plot is carried forward this time around by a bewildering series of flashbacks that threaten to overload both the audience and the fragile narrative continuity so carefully constructed in the previous films.

In any case, director David Hackl raises the overall suspense to a reasonable level and there is enough gore to satisfy franchise loyalists. However this is also the first installment of the franchise that is better value as a DVD rental than a full-price movie ticket. All good things...

When this film was originally released it was promoted with the notably unimaginative tagline "Dirty Harry is at it again". Whatever this pitch lacks in originality is more than compensated for by it's complete and total accuracy. "Sudden Impact" retains all the aspects that made the previous three Dirty Harry movies so successful- tight pacing, a compelling plot, strong supporting characters, endless gunplay, and bone-dry humor. Some of these elements are not only retained but amplified- this is easily the darkest, bloodiest, and most overtly right-wing installment of the franchise.

The plot is somewhat intriguing: after killing a ridiculous number of hoodlums, Inspector Callahan is sent on a forced "vacation" by his superiors to the sleepy coastal town of San Paolo. He is tasked to investigate the background of a recent homicide victim who was shot in the genitals before being put out of his (no doubt considerable) misery by a second shot to the head. Early on in the film, the audience is made aware of the identity of the killer- an artist named Jennifer Spencer (Sondra Locke) who is hunting down the thugs who gang-raped her and her sister at a fun fair some ten years earlier. This incident is shown in a very disturbing flashback, snippets of which recur before each new murder. As more bodies start to appear with the same M.O, it becomes clear to Harry that both the local police chief and his new love interest (guess who?) know more than they are telling. To make matters even more complicated, the one-time rapists realize who is hunting them and start to hit back hard.

"Sudden Impact" offers relentless action from beginning to end. Clint Eastwood directed this film himself and expertly handles a series of set pieces that culminate in an exhilarating climax. Sondra Locke's performance effectively conveys the blend of ruthlessness and fragility that define her character. That having been said, it is fair to wonder if another actress (who was not Eastwood's off-screen companion at the time) could have brought more charisma and dramatic weight to the role- Theresa Russell and Cybill Shepherd jump to mind as possible candidates. Members of the supporting cast that punch significantly above their weight include Albert Popwell as Harry's partner Horace, Paul Drake as the psychopathic Mick, and the truly scene-stealing Audrie J. Neenan who portrays the vicious Ray Parkins.

However the film has some notable problems- some of the subplots (the animosity between Harry and a gang of twentysomething hoodlums, a Mob vendetta against him) take up too much screen time and don't really have any bearing to the larger story. Their only real use is to raise the body-count to absurd levels. In the first half of the film it sometimes appears that Dirty Harry shoots people more often than he has to use the restroom. However the film moves into top gear as it progresses and the triangulated cat-and-mouse game between Callahan, Spencer, and her former tormentors assumes prominence. This second hour makes it clear that a more stripped-down and slightly refocused screenplay would have given "Sudden Impact" the potential to be a first-class, neo noir-style thriller that could have taken the series to new levels but still have contained more than enough .44 magnum heroics to satisfy the Harry loyalists. Instead we get the film that Eastwood and Warner Bros. clearly wanted to make- a superbly executed but prototypical Eighties action flick that mostly declines to particularly challenge the intelligence of it's intended audience.

This was by far the biggest grossing of the series at the box-office and it is not hard to see why. Though not the film that it could have been, this is still big, trigger-happy fun. Even after repeated viewings, it's going to make your day.

Films like this are why late-night cable and mind-altering chemicals can be a marriage made in heaven. The wooden acting, atrocious script, and truly wretched dubbing are best appreciated in a let's say "altered" state of mind. In this effort, an American named Cole finishes his training as a Ninja in Japan and goes to visit a married friend in the Philippines. He then spends the rest of the film fighting off the thugs employed by a sinister businessman who is trying to force his buddy to sell the plantation that he owns. The fight scenes are mostly well executed and the action never lets up. "Enter the Ninja" is exactly what it appears to be: a low-rent, low-budget B-movie loaded to the gills with improbable chop-socky heroics. Don't Bogart that...

A characteristic of truly great horror fiction is it's ability to believably transform some aspect of our world from a reassuring pillar of certainty into a doorway to hell. In the case of "Mirrors", this process is applied to the fact that reflections in glass can simply never have a life of their own. The plot centers on an ex-cop named Ben Carson (Keifer Sutherland) who takes a job as a night watchman at a burned-out department store. This apparently easy gig turns into a nightmare after he attracts the attention of an evil presence that dwells in the mirrors that somehow survived the fire. To make matters worse, his family are also targeted by this entity -which can exert it's influence through any reflecting surface- and Carson is running out of time to save them.

At this point in his career, it is obvious that Alexandre Aja is destined to be one of the great horror directors. This film confirms his skill at building unbearable levels of fear and tension (which was so apparent in his remake of "The Hills Have Eyes") and then relentlessly shocking the audience. The pace is relentless and the atmosphere of terror only escalates as the film reaches it's climax. This is one of the few horror films ever made that is truly and deeply frightening. An undisputed classic.

The basic premise of "25th Hour" is "How would you spend your last day of freedom?". This is the dilemma facing Monty (the fantastic Edward Norton), a suave mid-level New York drug dealer who is 24 hours away from starting a seven-year prison term. Monty seems to have it all: a Manhattan townhouse to die for, stylish clothes, a vintage muscle car, A-list status at the chicest clubs, and a beautiful trophy girlfriend who actually seems to love him. But the clock is ticking and the film documents his progression around New York saying goodbye to the people and places that matter the most to him. Along the way he visits the private school where he was a basketball star, and the bar owned by his ex-firefighter father- who is only a couple of years sober from an addiction to the alcohol he now sells to others. He frets over who will take care of the stray dog that we see him rescue in one of the film's many flashbacks, and ponders exactly who ratted him out to the DEA (a question answered in one of the film's more wrenching scenes). The heart of the film takes place in the uber-sophisticated nightclub where Monty throws his goodbye party in the company of his closest friends (including an arrogant stockbroker, his Ukrainian enforcer, and a repressed schoolteacher) before taking the audience through the dawn hours right before he is to report at the gates of the penitentiary. That is, if he decides to turn up...

One of the film's central themes is the impact of personal choices not only on the individual making them but also on the people to whom they are closest. Director Spike Lee does not flinch from allowing his characters to be as complicated as they need to be in order for this point to be made clear. Edward Norton portrays Monty as in many ways a rather decent man, who tries to protect those he cares about, and is terrified of the future he is facing. But it is also made clear in one of the opening scenes that he sold hard drugs (the exact type is unspecified) and was fully aware of the part he played in the downfall of others. The film offers no judgments, but does articulate the thesis that sometimes any possible choice will lead to a negative outcome, it's just a matter of what kind.

In conclusion, this is a sharply-scripted and intelligent drama, that provides the uniformly excellent cast the opportunity to deliver lethally on-the-money performances. There are also some truly hilarious moments, particularly the monologue that Monty- in a moment of self-pity- delivers to his reflection in the mirror of a bar lavatory. If there were more films of this quality, it really would be a shame that there aren't more hours in the day. Recommended.

Ten years have passed since the release of this film's predecessor ("X-Files- Fight the Future") and the times have definitely changed. Almost immediately, director Chris Carter makes it clear that ex-Special Agents Mulder and Scully have moved a long way from being the maverick duo who fearlessly investigated paranormal phenomena regardless of the consequences. Scully is now a doctor in a large hospital and her former partner is a recluse who initially is in hiding from his former colleagues in the FBI.

However fate, in the form of a missing FBI agent, intervenes and our heroes are invited back to consult on the case. The primary reason for their involvement is that the only worthwhile leads in the current mystery are being generated by a disgraced priest, Father Crissman (a wonderful Billy Connolly), who has been experiencing visions related to the agent's abduction. Crissman seems to be sincere in his desire for help but Mulder and Scully are deeply divided about the nature of his true motives. In addition the investigation gains more urgency as it emerges that while the missing agent may still be alive, she may become the next victim of a serial murderer.

All this sets the stage for an exploration of numerous themes of a decidedly metaphysical nature including the nature of faith, the courage required to hope, and the existence of God. Furthermore, the question of what constitutes human life and who then controls it is also central to several different plot threads running through the film. The differing attitudes of the two main characters regarding their present life allows "I Want to Believe" to explore such topics as alienation, and the perils associated with living excessively in either the present or the past.

Though the plot moves along at a decent pace, the action scenes are subdued. Overall, this is a very cerebral and somber piece of cinema. The subdued mood is further emphasized by the bleak, frozen West Virginia setting which is photographed beautifully.

In conclusion, this latest installment in the saga of Mulder and Scully stays true to the spirit of the original TV show while also appearing to take the franchise in a new, more introspective, direction. Both Chris Carter and his co-screenwriter Frank Spotnitz have courageously chosen to make a film anchored in themes that take center-stage only in adulthood. Instead of taking the audience to outer space, this film plots a skillful course to the dark side of the moon.

This 1994 updating of "The Most Dangerous Game" stars Ice-T as a homeless man, Mason, who has lost everything and everyone that he cares about and is ready to kill himself. However fate intervenes and he is offered a job accompanying a group of rich hunters (led by a ridiculously evil Rutger Hauer) out into a remote mountain wilderness. Unfortunately, it turns out that he is their intended prey and -though outnumbered and unarmed- the chase is on and he is forced to fight for his life.

That is the plot in a nutshell and the film wastes as little time as possible before plunging the viewer into Mason's ordeal. There is high suspense throughout, excellent fight scenes, and some welcome doses of gallows humor along the way. The supporting cast (including Gary Busey being as OTT as ever) are very capable and the plot holes are easy to overlook. Great with popcorn, better with a few buddies and six-pack.