This month sees the DVD rental release of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, originally titled Män Som Hatar Kvinnor or Men Who Hate Women. The film, much like its source material, has enjoyed mass acclaim from pretty much everyone, and deservedly so.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo introduces the trilogy’s two main protagonists; firstly Mikael Blomkvist, a middle-aged investigative journalist writing for the magazine Millennium. His attempts to uncover the corrupt nature of Swedish billionaire and industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerström have gone awry and resulted in a libel case against him. He will have to serve three months in prison, but has a few months before he must face his sentence.

The title character and movie heroine is Lisbeth Salander, a twenty-something with prior issues relating to behaviour and mental stability, but a brilliant researcher. She has been hired by ultra-rich Henrik Vanger of the Vanger Group in order to check the legitimacy and authenticity of Mikael Blomkvist’s reputation as a skilled investigator.

Satisfied with Mikael’s credentials, Vanger meets with Blomkvist and requests that he investigate the disappearance of his foster child Harriet, who has been missing for 40 years and presumed dead. The circumstances surrounding the disappearance are more than suspicious, and Henrik suspects foul play from none other than a member of his own twisted, money-hungry family.

The story steadily builds the mystery, as dark and utterly terrifying secrets begin to unfold revealing the truly shocking nature of Harriet’s disappearance. Blomkvist and Lisbeth join forces, delving deep into a case that has gathered dust and been left for dead; their inquisitive dispositions are only fuelled by the unseen forces that attempt to stop them.

It is a rarity; a film that can be classed as flawless. Of course this is subjective, but even examining the film after the experience has settled, it is truly testing to find any negative criticism. To begin with, Noomi Rapace’s performance as the tattooed girl is at once invigorating, exhilarating, powerful, vengeful, tortured and loving. Her perfectly paced portrayal of a girl who thrives on independence, but must report to a guardian due to her difficult history, is a wonder to behold.

It should be noted that some early parts of the film involve some extreme sexual violence against Lisbeth, and it is very difficult to watch. However, it is an integral part of the story; her responses to such situations play a key part in providing character depth and a representation of the things that this girl can achieve when pushed by some of the vile creatures that walk this earth and call themselves human.

Michael Nyqvist plays middle-aged jail-bound Mikael Blomkvist, and although he has to work hard to keep up with the striking performance from Rapace, he succeeds by giving us a likeable and genuine character, concerned with the corruptibility of men in a capitalist society. He is enjoyable to watch, and his wonderful scenes with Lisbeth are touching and lighten the tone. Their innocent and unspoken relationship is beautiful, especially given the girl’s traumatic history and issues with affection.

The story itself is utterly riveting; a crime thriller that unfolds at an excellent pace, with a careful balance of questions and answers, and a brilliant and thrilling conclusion that puts many Hollywood endings to shame. The mystery becomes increasingly engrossing, and the little clues and minor discoveries are as intriguing as they are satisfying.

Never underestimate the power of a subtle director; Niels Arden Oplev allows the film to progress naturally without making his presence as filmmaker known to the audience. The cinematography of the middle-of-nowhere Swedish island which provides the film’s main setting is beautiful, embodying the secluded nature of the characters and their potentially futile plight.

The film’s score serves to accentuate some key moments and never becomes over-bearing, acting as a subtle catalyst to the many thrilling beats that take place over the 2 hour-plus runtime which effortlessly breezes by.

Needless to say, the imminent arrival of the trilogy’s other entries will be greeted with boundless enthusiasm. The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest will continue the investigative adventures of Mikael and Lisbeth, and if The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is anything to go by, we are in for a treat.

This film is brilliant in all the ways a film could be; it is exciting, harsh, challenging, breathtaking, beautiful, terrifying, devastating and genuinely gripping.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo will remain heavily emblazoned, etched and marked on your mind for years to come.

Image: Wonderhowto

Set in the fifties, Shutter Island sees Leo’s U.S. Marshall Edward ‘Teddy’ Daniels investigating the apparent disappearance of a mental patient from a totally locked and guarded room. The patient, Rachel Solando, is a resident at the Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane, located on the otherwise desolate Shutter Island.

Daniels is accompanied by his new partner, Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), as they attempt to solve the unusual case. Their hospital ‘guide’ is head psychiatrist Dr. John Cawley, portrayed by Sir Ben Kingsley, who makes no bones about coming across as rather sinister and creepy.

It does not take long to establish that there is a lot more going on that a crazy woman with a talent for matter displacement. Daniels believes from the offset that the island and its inhabitants, including Cawley, have some dark and desperate secrets buried within those not-so-solid hospital walls.

Secrets from Teddy’s own past, a few suspect twitches from various characters, a cameo from Max von Sydow, a visit to the ‘off-limits’ prison/hospital on the hill, a secluded and mysterious lighthouse and some weirdness on a cliff all help to create a bizarre, baffling and intriguing mystery shot by a master of cinema.

Well, mostly…

Shutter Island looks phenomenal; it has all the feel and ambience of a creepy 60s Hitchcockian thriller, with a harsh and foreboding score, and some incredible visuals that demonstrate the power of a genuinely multi-faceted director.

The sound in the film is a particular highlight; as Daniels approaches the looming hospital gate an eerie silence dominates, until the powerful, awkwardly late entrance of the strings, stretching one lingering low-end note after another, creates the disturbing and intentionally unsubtle effect. It is brilliantly unsettling, and this kind of work on the score is achieved with aplomb throughout the movie.

The score is in fact made up of a selection of classical music handpicked by Robbie Robertson, a regular collaborator with director Martin Scorsese.

The performances are a true exemplification of acting talent; DiCaprio shines as the man surrounded by crazy people, but the only person seeing crazy things. Ruffalo is excellent support as Daniels’ partner, whilst Ben Kingsley, as always, turns out a performance that provides effortless authenticity.

Appearances from talented actresses Emily Mortimer (Harry Brown, 30 Rock) and Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain), as well as legend Max von Sydow (The Exorcist) and Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen’s Rorschach), give the film a brilliant stream of powerhouse performances.

Our obviously imminent qualm stems from the film’s focal point. Everything hinges on the mystery; a twist that builds up in such a way that it is almost impossible to gain a satisfactory solution. There are story threads, then a ton of weirdness, followed by a complete resolution to all events.

Although this is down to subjective perspective, the twist, upon which the film relies heavily, is surely as clear as day. One would have to be facing the other way, with cotton wool in at least one ear, in order to miss the utterly obvious truth of the situation. As the events become increasingly surreal, very few answers remain plausible, save for the one that is elaborately revealed towards the end. In itself, the twist is nigh on unbelievable whilst being obvious, and this is frustrating.

The issue really lies with the disappointment of the truth. Films and novels can intend to disappoint as part of the story’s underlying intention (No Country For Old Men), but, in the case of Shutter Island, it does not work because the filmmakers are not deliberately trying to challenge conventions; quite the opposite in fact, it is one of the most coherent and well-crafted explanations for a mystery in recent cinema.

This is the only problem, but it is quite a major one which inhibits the enjoyment of the film.

Mystery movies ask the viewer to guess; no-one watched Scream without trying to guess who the killer was. Therefore, a mystery that creates so much drama and suspense about one or two plot twists must work to make the true nature of the story far more opaque, otherwise we will guess, and we will be disappointed.

Everything else is brilliant; as we have come to expect from Scorsese, helmer of instant of classic The Departed, as well as epic masterpieces such as Gangs of New York, Goodfellas and Casino.

Whilst Shutter Island leaves you stranded for suspense in the final third, it is safe place to go for a few tantalising thrills, superb soundtrack, masterclass direction, outstanding acting and just a few edge-of-your-cliff moments.

Image: Filmofilia

Such surprise success would almost certainly result in talk of a film adaptation, and Peter Jackson, the man behind the glorious Lord of the Rings adaptations, was the man eventually handed director’s duties by producer Steven Spielberg.

The film adaptation of The Lovely Bones sees 14 year-old photographer-wannabe Susie Salmon lulled into an underground trap by a neighbour named George Harvey. It appears at first that, after a brief struggle, she manages to escape and run to freedom, but it quickly becomes clear that she has been murdered and is watching the subsequent events that occur after her death.

She watches from a heaven-like place; a world that is only limited by her own imagination, and one which serves as a precursor to her spirit’s final resting place. She remains in this limbo until such time that she chooses to move on; something which she is regularly encouraged to do by a mysterious little girl who accompanies her.

She observes her family and friends, and their respective responses to her untimely, grotesque demise. Her attempts to contact her loved ones have minimal success and only serve to aggravate the situation, as her father, Jack, starts to lose his mind in his relentless quest for justice. Meanwhile, her murderer attempts to cover up any evidence of his sickening act, although it is clear he has other secrets to hide.

One of the most striking aspects of The Lovely Bones is the fine acting; any story that offers filmmakers an opportunity to indulge heavily in aesthetics could, and often does, produce a cinematic experience where visuals eclipse performance. In The Lovely Bones, the actors hold their own.

Newcomer Saoirse Ronan captures the wonderful innocence and rapid maturity of Susie Salmon. Her minor early moments of teenage angst are a fitting reminder of her age, and that the tedious little arguments that inevitably take place in the home can be easily dwarfed by an emotional bombshell of real importance.

Stanley Tucci (Julie & Julia, Lucky Number Slevin) portrays psychotic neighbour, and Susie’s murderer, George Harvey. Tucci received mass praise for this role; he delivers a powerful performance of a man with a chilling and utterly evil mind, sick and twisted beyond comprehension. He is as sinister as he is methodical.

Praise should also go to Susan Sarandon, Susie’s pragmatic and alcoholic grandmother. She is a wonderful actress who will always bring a delightful and authentic edge to any role. Susie’s parents, portrayed by Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz, are also excellent, delivering many of the film’s most heart-aching moments.

Peter Jackson is a master of visuals; even his early work with grim horror flicks Braindead and Bad Taste showed a real eye for aesthetics. He could, in many respects, be positively compared with visual maestro Terry Gilliam.

Sebold intentionally set out to create a story that involved an ambiguous heaven – no mention of God or religion, simply a separate plane of existence. Jackson captures the ethereal and oft-imagined idea of heaven, where there are clouds, colours and glorious landscapes; he also manages to maintain Sebold’s idea of ambiguity by leaving out any trace of angels, harps or any of the other more dubious stereotypical images. This ambiguity is ideal because the story is not one that adheres to any religious ideology; the main focus is that of a child’s objective awareness and understanding of a situation out of her control.

Her friends and family, much like Susie herself, need time to accept the new way of things before they can all move on. The visual representation of this transition could be mental, physical or metaphorical, but it is universally necessary for the characters’ closure.

The film is by no means perfect, however. As we reach the final third, the film becomes somewhat clumsy and muddled, with an ending that feels rushed, and a conclusion to Harvey’s character that is only disappointing in its blatant act of audience awareness. Tucci’s incredible performance is almost undermined by Harvey’s unlikely final few moments. Even though this is lifted straight from the book, it feels slightly lazy, and is therefore out of place.

Minor parts of the script are slightly clunky, and Jackson holds back during the film’s harrowing opener. In the original novel, Susie is actually raped, murdered and dismembered in an act of ultimate brutality. This is essentially removed, and only partially implied, but Jackson could be forgiven for doing this in order to reach a wider audience with the story and its message (such a scene, if faithfully adapted, would surely result in something stronger than the allocated 12 certificate).

Which leads nicely onto the final point; what is the film’s key message? It seems to imply that an act of pure unrelenting violence requires no retribution, only understanding and acceptance. This, however, directly contradicts Harvey’s final moments, where nature appears to randomly intervene. If the message is that intervention is not necessary, then why pander to an audience’s instinctive wish for the villain to receive an appropriate punishment?

Perhaps the film’s most resonating sentiment is its stark message to treat every moment with a loved one as if it were the last.

The Lovely Bones is undoubtedly a beautiful tale; brilliantly-acted, shot with glorious imagination and packing an emotional punch that would see Mike Tyson crash to the canvas.

It is at once bright and dark, joyous but devastating and ultimately an excellent two hours of vivid, powerful storytelling.

Image: Hawtmag

The twins were brought on board, and their ability to tackle the visual and the emotional would be key to the film’s successful transition from script to screen.

Denzel Washington plays Eli, a man heading west through a post-apocalyptic wasteland; he has nothing more than a backpack, a mysterious book and some Matrix-style combat skills. When a gang attempt to trap him, he dispatches them in an extraordinary fashion. One assailant is warned by Eli, “If that hand touches me again, you will lose it”. Needless to say the man calls Eli’s bluff, and does not fare too well.

Eli’s travels bring him to a town that is operating as a primitive society, with an aggressive but educated man called Carnegie (Gary Oldman) running the show. Eli’s dogged persistence to travel west with his book is matched by Carnegie’s desire to find the exact same item. Carnegie, unaware of Eli’s possession, bears witness to his incredible combat skills, and attempts to recruit him, offering a luxury lifestyle and constant clean water. But Eli is unflinching and resolute in his mission, and he declines, although agreeing to a single night’s stay.

Carnegie offers his step-daughter Solara (Mila Kunis) as a further temptation for the skilled fighter to remain in the town, but Eli is not forthcoming. However, during their meeting Eli reads from the book and Solara picks up a few words. The following day, she unwittingly recites them back in Carnegie’s presence and he realises that the book he seeks is in the town, and in the possession of Eli.

Aware of a potentially precarious situation, Eli escapes the town and continues his quest, with a hot-headed Carnegie on his trail.

Saying that there is a religious subtext to this film would be an understatement, but those who do not follow religion, or indeed denounce it, can still enjoy this film. It can be viewed as much about faith as it is about religion, and faith comes in many forms. Atheists can still have faith in a given situation; faith that a sick person can get better, or faith that a missing person will be found. Faith is surely a concept that can be demonstrated by those who do not necessarily believe in God or a higher power; it can simply be faith that good will overcome, and this is a positive and universal concept.

The Book of Eli is shot with a glorious grey-metallic finish, which gives the film an utterly convincing and breathtaking post-apocalyptic landscape. Whilst Waterworld went bonkers with the sets, props and clothes, The Book of Eli favours a more subtle approach with the focus directed at dialogue and only a handful of action sequences. Nevertheless, the action, though sparing, is immense, and Denzel’s hand-to-hand or blade-to-face combat excursions are a joy to watch.

Denzel and Oldman are brilliant and certainly add necessary gravitas and authenticity to the film; lesser actors would have screwed it up. Eli is portrayed as such a pillar of strength, and he believes that he is guided and protected on his seemingly endless journey. The fact that he could give Jet Li a run for his money is simply a bonus. It is worth noting that Eli has a very interesting secret, and one that only the most eagle-eyed viewer would spot before the big reveal at the end.

Oldman’s Carnegie is yet another demonstration of the British actor’s brilliance; he never fails to impress and deserves his reputation as one of the finest in the business. Carnegie is wannabe tyrant, and one of the few educated men left in the world which makes him even more dangerous.

The movie’s structure is interesting; the last half hour involves almost no conflict or action, but is in fact a beautiful resolution to the story. The two hour running time zips past, but Eli only ever seems in real danger once. A typical action flick would place the protagonist in an array of near-fatal situations, and would certainly utilise some kind of overblown climactic ending.

The Book of Eli has received some negative press for alienating those who do not have some kind of devout belief in God, but this is a weak criticism. Horror movies are not watched exclusively by those planning to put on a mask and go around attacking people with a machete. Similarly, films about drug use are not necessarily watched by those who enjoy getting high.

The Book of Eli is an exciting, entertaining and well-executed stylish twist on the post-apocalyptic thriller. It challenges some standard conventions of storytelling, benefits from two leads of the highest calibre and looks absolutely gorgeous. Taglines such as “bELIeve” and “Deliver Us” have scared a few atheistic and agnostic punters off – if religious undertones are too much for you, remember it is just a film and it is not telling you what to think; The Book of Eli should not be judged by its cover, but instead by its content.

We saw it, and it was good…

Image:  Freebestmovies

It is hard to believe that something so short, aimed at kids, could metaphorically encompass the complexities of childhood, aggression, loneliness and love; but a picture paints a thousand words.

Almost 50 years later, quasi-loon and creative genius Spike Jonze has brought the story to the big screen with a lavish adaptation. You may remember him as the lead street dancer in the video for Praise You, by Fatboy Slim. He directed this video, as well as countless others including Weapon of Choice (Slim, again), Buddy Holly (Weezer) and surreal Kaufman movies Adaptation and Being John Malkovic.

Where The Wild Things Are would be a new challenge, but he certainly possesses the imagination to bring it to life.

Eight-year-old Max is a lonely boy with an active imagination, and once he becomes frustrated with his perceived lack of attention from his sister Claire and divorcee mother Connie, he decides to do a runner dressed as a wolf.

Max keeps running until he finds a small unattended boat at a nearby riverbank, and sets off into unknown territory. The seas take him to a strange land of sand and forest, and the home of 7 large surprises.

He meets the ‘Wild Things’; a collection of 7-foot creatures with a penchant for eating new arrivals. Max stares them down and tells them that he has great powers from another land – he can ‘explode heads’. He tells them that he is a great king, and will punish them if they try to devour him.

Utterly convinced by this tall tale, the creatures inaugurate young Max as their king, with the boy promising to make them all happy and take away their troubles.

One of the Wild Things, Carol, is the most impulsive of the creatures, and suffers greatly from a sense of loneliness. He warms to Max, believing that he is the key to harmony and happiness within the group. However, Max is not the person they think he is, and Carol’s sensitive nature could spell trouble for the newcomer if his secret is discovered.

Whilst being an apparent story for children, it is probably more accurate to call this film a story about childhood; equal in relevance to those young and old. It is a touching tale that truly exemplifies the deep, dark and ultimately adult undertones of the original piece.

Jonze elaborates and embellishes the story, but as a means to an end; it only serves to strengthen both the tale and its meaning. There is this wonderful parallel of Max’s relationship with his mother, and that of the Wild Things with their king.

The Wild Things themselves are astonishing – strong, sweet, sensitive and scary. The designs are brilliant courtesy of the Jim Henson Co. (responsible for The Muppets and Labyrinth to name but a few). The use of real puppets/costumes as opposed to CGI is a timely reminder of the effectiveness and wonderment that comes exclusively with practical effects (although it is worth noting that some CGI was used for facial expressions).

Max, played by Max Records, is quite simply a revelation. As a child actor it is easy to get it wrong, and be forgiven anyway. It is also easy for such an actor to retreat into a safe, cutesy, novelty act that actually lacks any gravitas (we are looking at you overrated Sixth Sense and actually very annoying Home Alone franchise).

Max Records is the embodiment of an imaginative child, learning on the go. He wants it all; a kingdom of creatures, a world of his own, complete control over everything, no stress, no need to grow up, no need to compromise. He has to learn that his connections with other people have ramifications and consequences. Records’ ability to portray a character that truly represents that struggle of childhood is astounding and a joy to watch; his performance alone brings a real air of authenticity to a very surreal story.

Spike Jonze’s direction is lush, well thought-out and delivered with aplomb; there are some beautiful images, both delightful and terrifying, and a wonderfully poignant ending is handled with the necessary care.

The music is excellent, composed by Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and ‘the Kids’ (various collaborators). Her unique voice can be heard resonating throughout the movie, and it is a perfect fit.

A brief contribution from Catherine Keener as Max’s mum is also spot-on, and it is a testament to her acting skills that she can take such a small role and make it her own; she is the essence of a caring mother dealing with a mammoth task that is fuelled simply by her love for her children.

Where The Wild Things Are is a beautiful piece; a work of art that will touch those open-minded enough to accept it. It is weird, and downright surreal in places, but does this not accurately reflect the energetic, excited and confused mind of a growing child?

The imagination is something that knows no bounds, and, as this film so succinctly exemplifies, it is a powerful tool that can be the key to realising the importance and effect of the actions we take and the relationships we experience throughout our lives.

Image: Screenrant

The latter is a truly brilliant and breathtaking book, and many who did not appreciate the film would have done well to check out the source material first, in order to gain a better understanding of the story, its purpose and the reasons behind the opinion-splitting ending.

McCarthy won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction with The Road, a literary work that is magnificent beyond words. It is the story of a man and his son as they attempt to survive an arduous journey through a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

The film version, directed by The Proposition helmer John Hillcoat, faithfully adapts the book into a stark, vivid and harrowing piece of cinema.

The two embark on an emotionally and physically draining quest to stay alive in a barren, cold and savage environment where vicious cannibals are a constant threat, and thieves would not think twice about stealing a blanket from a sleeping child.

Man and boy are heading south, out of hope more than anything else. We do not know their names, we do not know what happened to the world and we certainly do not know if they can survive this bleak, unforgiving hell.

A moment of weakness and fatigue sees them investigate a house where they find something truly horrifying in the basement, whilst the man’s own savage survival instincts cause him to defy his son’s desperate request of leniency towards a thief they hold at gunpoint.

As the man battles to keep his son alive by any means necessary, his son teaches him to remember the essence of humanity at a time when there is little left to speak of.

They have a gun with two bullets; the man brutally explains to the boy how to use the gun on himself should they be discovered by the cannibals, who harvest people over time to make their body parts last.

This truly horrific and slow death is not an option, and thus the man must show the son how to end it all quickly if the time comes.

Their desperate tale is set against some flashbacks involving the child’s mother (ever-reliable Charlize Theron), as we gradually discover the devastating reasons for her absence.

The book is so incredibly evocative and heart-wrenching that a film version would always struggle to recreate, or even echo, the original immensity of the tale. John Hillcoat was a wise choice after his superb direction of instant western classic The Proposition, and he does very well to produce a piece that is so committed to the source material.

But, as is almost always the case, the whole book could not be adapted because the film would be too long. The story is streamlined, and this results in some loss of power and intensity.

McCarthy’s novel has long, aching and beautifully crafted paragraphs detailing the harsh surroundings and tragic plight of father and son; bringing such literary brilliance to the screen was always going to be tough.

An excellent job has been done with the landscape and the cinematography; the dull greys and wintery whites have the desired effect, whilst the bleak and endless road, which is such an important and vivid metaphor within the novel, is wonderfully brought to life using some of the astounding natural landscapes in America, such as the abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Viggo Mortensen (Lord of the Rings, History of Violence) is absolutely brilliant as the man; the epitome of perfect casting. Newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee is a revelation, embodying a child who has never known the world that was, but is wise and caring beyond his years.

The legendary Robert Duvall (Godfather, Apocalypse Now) makes a brief appearance as an old man wandering the road. His wondrous cameo could easily have stolen the movie, if it wasn’t for such stellar performances from Mortensen and Smit-McPhee.

Certain integral and essentially devastating moments, when read within the novel, impact as a truck would at high speed into a wall of glass; the film struggles to deliver here.

We are not sure why the intensity, at times, becomes slightly blunted; it is as if the film almost strolls casually and carelessly past some very important and shattering elements of its brave and beautiful source material.

Despite this, the film version of The Road is still excellent; it simply misses the beat on a couple of occasions. Although the novel dwarfs the film, it is an ultimately impressive, haunting and must-see movie experience.

Image: Dinca.org

Utterly compelling, brilliantly scripted, a masterclass of acting and direction – the original Jaws is quite simply one of the greatest films ever made…

Following up Quint’s devastating Indianapolis speech, as well as Chief Brody’s awesome toe-to-toe with the shark in the finale, was never going to be easy. Director Jeannot Szwarc had a fairly acceptable attempt with Jaws 2, which saw Roy Scheider’s Brody electrocute a bigger, badder and very annoyed underwater beastie, whilst single-handedly carrying the film on his shoulders.

The almost vertical decline in quality would follow.

Jaws 3-D was an upsetting mess with Dennis Quaid portraying Brody’s eldest son Michael, who is now working at SeaWorld. The aquatic park manages to attract a psychotic 40-foot (?) shark that can roar and swim backwards. Suffice to say, this was not a positive step, and certainly not Quaid’s finest moment. The shark death: protagonists use a very long rod to pull the pin out of a grenade that is still in the hands of a diver eaten earlier in the film (what?).

If you haven’t seen it, we assure you it makes even less sense than you think.

Surely the best thing to do at this stage is kill the franchise before anyone turns mental and goes on a mad, murderous rampage in disgusted protest. Alas, this was not to be, and a fourth instalment was given the green-light.

Jaws: The Revenge returns to Amity Island, where Sean, the late Chief Brody’s younger son, follows in daddy’s footsteps by becoming a lawman. Whilst out at sea, he is very efficiently chomped to death by a shark.

Ellen Brody, Sean’s mum, believes that the shark deliberately went for her boy, and also that the ‘fear’ of another shark attack killed her husband years before, as opposed to the heart attack mentioned by doctors at the time.

Ellen’s insistence that the shark is hunting her family must surely render her certifiable, and in need of some very intense medication in a hospital far far away from any water or other people.

Michael Brody, Ellen’s eldest son, is now a marine biologist (Jaws 3-D is ignored throughout the film), and he thinks his mum is a wee bit bonkers, so he takes her and the rest of his family on a break to the Bahamas.

Somehow, the shark follows them. This is painfully ridiculous and would involve the shark swimming almost 1,500 miles in 2 days, as well as utilising some kind of very advanced ‘Brody radar’.

We have to suffer through a collection of awful moments that try, and fail, to crank up the tension, and unfortunately Michael Caine has somehow got caught up in the madness, playing Ellen’s potential love interest Hoagie.

A journalist asked Caine, “What did you think of Jaws: The Revenge?” He simply replied, “I haven’t seen it, but I have seen the house that it built, and it’s terrific.”

A very nice escape Mr. Caine, similar to his own climactic moment in the film where he manages to avoid a good munching whilst face-to-face with the shark, emerging unscathed from the water with dry clothes and a cheeky smile.

One can easily squirm through the movie for a laugh, but the climax is truly shocking.

The shark jumps several feet out of the water in order to eat Michael’s work partner and friend Jake (Mario van Peebles), who has some kind of sonic device in his hand. Once the shark returns to the water, Michael starts triggering a sonic charge. This upsets the shark so much that it sort of bobs strangely in and out of the water whilst roaring incessantly and doing a great job of looking like a cheap toy.

Seeing an opportunity to attack the shark with the boat’s broken bowsprit (what????), Ellen charges toward the beast.
Inexplicably, Ellen begins to have flashbacks of Brody’s final moments battling the shark in the original Jaws (how?). Brody’s glorious moment (“smile, you son of a…”) is juxtaposed with Ellen spearing the shark, and then it proceeds to explode for some reason.

Van Peebles’ character, Jake, had spent the movie being spectacularly irritating, and his demise was a rare moment of joy. He was quite clearly devoured, yet the ending sees him appear from nowhere alive and well, floating amongst some wet sushi.

We are seriously considering instigating some form of belated justice by making our own film, People: The Revenge, where we repeatedly stamp on a copy of this movie, shortly before it explodes. Mario van Peebles will not co-star.

Image: Jawsmovie.com

Whilst Paranormal Activity provides a potent reminder of how much a film can make with little or no financing, the enormous team behind James Cameron’s Avatar will have no concerns about being shown up thanks to a return on their movie that is enough to fund the purchase of an island.

Avatar is driven by a tried and tested story which has been unrelentingly rehashed beat-for-beat. However, it is likely that master storyteller Cameron has shamelessly and purposefully sought out a classically standard story framework, so as to avoid detracting from the main focal point - his groundbreaking visual extravaganza; an aesthetic masterpiece that he has been planning since he sunk the Titanic.

Paraplegic ex-marine Jake Sully is given the opportunity to live vicariously through a bio-engineered alien body, whilst learning to live with a secretive forest-dwelling race known as the Na’vi. With a minimum amount of arm-twisting, he takes up the offer and works undercover, acting as a hired gun to protect the exploring scientists from the variety of colourful surprises offered up by planet Pandora’s lush eco-system. He is also acting as an informant for trigger-happy nutcase Colonel Quaritch, a soldier who wants to flatten the locals and their glorious surroundings.

Predictably, the alien embodiment of Jake meets an alien girl, learns the culture, and starts to question where his loyalties lie. The relationship between lead male and lead female has very blatant allusions to Jack and Rose of Titanic fame, which has a somewhat semi-tedious effect.

The real heart of the film is the 3D visuals, no matter how much Cameron claims it is a message about environmental awareness. We were genuinely in awe of the groundbreaking efforts on display.

The astounding breakthrough in visual innovation and design work is sheer genius; embers drift past your face, wild beasts leap from the screen, the landscapes dazzle with depth and detail. The sequences are genuinely breathtaking because the photorealism of the animation forces your mind to be utterly involved.

Sadly, the story is very dull; the running time of 2 hours and 40 minutes is therefore a bit of slog, but Cameron’s wonderfully crafted aesthetics will keep you going.

Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation, Clash of the Titans) continues to take the world by storm with his turn as Jake Sully, although he is essentially a support to his Na’vi counterpart. The really impressive performance comes from Stephen Lang as Colonel Quaritch, a real lunatic with massive arms. Able additional support comes from Sigourney ‘Ripley’ Weaver and Giovanni Ribisi (Gone in 60 Seconds, Public Enemies).

The current DVD and Blu-ray release comes with a slight hitch; it is not 3D, and thus the really gripping aspect of the film is somewhat blunted. Nonetheless, the non-3D release has smashed sales records, and Avatar is certainly still well worth a watch. Cameron has suggested that a 3D release could happen by the end of the year, but no confirmation.

It is fitting that an eco-themed film has a recycled story, but that does not detract from yet another mega-achievement from James Cameron. He has made the two highest grossing films in history, he has broken new ground in terms of special effects on three separate occasions (T2, Abyss, Avatar) and he turned Arnie into a global icon. Suffice to say, he will be back.

Image: Filmofilia

His brave turn in Mysterious Skin and brilliant performance in modern noir Brick were clear signs that Gordon-Levitt is very talented actor, with a good eye for a great role.

In (500) Days of Summer, Gordon-Levitt plays Tom Hansen, an ex-architecture student who now works as a writer for a greeting card company. His generally nonchalant disposition is radically altered when Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) enters his life. Summer does not believe in true love, but finds Tom interesting enough to start dating him.

She makes it clear that she has no intention of becoming involved in a relationship; this spells disaster because Tom does believe in true love and thinks he has found it.

At the beginning, it is revealed that the couple break-up, and the nonlinear format of the narrative serves to show us sporadic moments of their time together. The relationship is deconstructed, and various days numbered between 1 and 500 are used to bookmark the film’s events.

A romantic-comedy, this is not. It is a coming-of-age story, and one that has its harsh moments. The relationship is summarised nicely in the tagline: “Boy meets girl, boy falls in love, girl doesn’t”. Tom is smitten, and many will relate to his total devotion to his first love. Although the audience will sympathise with Tom’s feelings, he was in fact told by Summer that it could not develop into anything long-term. This, of course, doesn’t make it any easier.

Tom stands by his ideals; determinedly believing that the two are destined to be together. Gordon-Levitt’s performance is, once again, excellent, and a fitting display of his talents. He masterfully depicts the spectrum of emotions that his character experiences, and it is a joy to watch.

However, the film lacks the necessary exploration of Summer’s character; she is a lead, and we never really get a chance to understand more about her. Zooey Deschanel is a brilliant actress (we enjoyed her turn as the big sister in Almost Famous), but there is not enough for her in the script.

Summer comes across as a bit selfish and careless, which is perhaps intentional. But this leaves the film somewhat lopsided, and we think it could have benefited from some elaboration on the title character.

The film is well shot, nicely paced and the performances are strong. The film as a whole cleverly epitomises the harshness of a break-up, and the ending has an interesting semi-twist (combined with a terrible last line). It just seems to lack a little bit extra from the development of other characters, especially Summer.

(500) Days of Summer is an enjoyable indie flick, which, whilst lacking originality, evokes those feelings of intense emotion that one can feel for another, and the absolute heartache when they are gone.

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That is, of course, unless you happen to fancy a trip down the holes under the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina.

The original Descent saw director Neil Marshall produce a tense British horror that generated widespread acclaim. Whilst this film was indeed scary, well shot and a lot of fun, it has to be said that Neil Marshall’s ability to write dialogue for women is somewhat akin to a dog’s ability to play hopscotch.

Considering that the whole cast was female, this was a bit of a problem; however, The Descent was not a dialogue-driven piece, and thus it escaped unscathed and turned out to be a very enjoyable movie.

We were excited about the prospect of a follow-up (although what we really wanted was a sequel to Marshall’s awesome directorial debut Dog Soldiers). The end of The Descent saw Shauna MacDonald’s sole surviving character, Sarah, believe that she had escaped the hellish cave, only to wake up realising she was still stuck down there. The deliberately ambiguous ending was brave, and worked well.

The Descent Part 2 picks up immediately after the original, with Sarah successfully negotiating her way out of the cave and into the side of an unsuspecting local’s truck. She is taken to hospital, and questions from the dubious Sheriff Vaines, and his deputy Elen Rios, prove fruitless thanks to Sarah’s memory loss.

Apparently, the locals have been frantically searching for the missing girls, and the emergence of just one cave-diver instead of several raises a few eyebrows. The blood of Sarah’s treacherous friend (and subsequent enemy) Juno, whom she left to die in the cave, is all over her clothes, acting as a catalyst to the sheriff’s suspicions that there has been foul play.

Using a new entrance that has been discovered, the sheriff insists that Sarah join him, his deputy and some specialists in their attempt to locate the missing girls.

What ensues is a beat-by-beat remake of the first movie, with key moments taking place at the same time and in the same way as the predecessor. A great moment of the original came when we finally got to see the monsters for the first time; we are sharing one character’s infrared vision, when she turns to another and we see the frightening creature standing, motionless and silent, right behind her. A great pause follows, before the piercing screams and horrifying melee take over.

The Descent Part 2 completely rehashes this moment, which is thoroughly disappointing, but the general craziness and chaos are entertaining enough. The final third sees a nice twist (although slightly predictable), which turns the situation on its head.

A real issue is the supporting cast; a credulous collection of irritating characters whose subsequent grizzly deaths lose impact as a result of their lifeless, two-dimensional personalities. This is not a fault of the actors (although the performances are not great); blame must lie with the rushed screenplay that does not even attempt to provide back-story or character development for The Descent’s new additions.

Neil Marshall probably thought that a sequel would be a bit tricky, and chose instead to act as a sort of producer, overseeing the project from a safe distance.  Newcomer Jon Harris mainly tries to recreate the same atmosphere and visual style implemented by Harris, which was probably the safest option.

Sadly, there is only a nonchalant attempt to provide new shocks and scenarios, but they are still fun nonetheless.

We were a little bemused by the search party that kicked off the film; Juno specifically took the girls to an unexplored cave, and one which was not the agreed destination. It is painfully unlikely that a search party would know where to look, if the girls themselves did not know where they were going,

The new cave entrance that happens to be down an old man’s mine shaft is fairly ridiculous (and a blatant set-up for something else), whilst Sarah’s memory loss is also a little dubious. She single-handedly takes on so many of the beasts in The Descent, and obviously survives down there for several hours. She manages to escape and suddenly remembers nothing. Of course trauma can cause memory loss, but the handling of such an idea is not executed well, and diminishes the film’s credibility.

It seems like a half-hearted attempt to justify Sarah’s return to a cave that no informed individual would want to revisit. James Cameron was infinitely more successful at pulling off the same trick with Ripley’s return to LV-426 in Aliens.

The Descent Part 2 is certainly watchable, and many viewers will probably get some satisfaction from this follow-up, but there is no attempt to cover any new (under)ground which will leave fans of The Descent Part 1 desperate to escape.

Image: Filmofilia