Reviews in a nutshell
There’s an undeniable buzz of excitement at the thought of Captain Jack Sparrow returning for yet another swashbuckling adventure, simultaneously mixed with a feeling of intrepidation that the Sparrow charm might fail to translate this time around, especially after a four-year break. Sparrow is still a character with a lot of mileage, and thankfully, Johnny …
Continue reading “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ***”
Aliens landing on a South London estate are interesting enough to give new domestic schlock horror, Attack The Block, a moment’s consideration. Coupled with a stoned appearance from Anglo-US success Nick Frost (he of the Pegg-Frost partnership behind Paul and Shaun of the Dead) and Spielberg-backed Joe Cornish of Adam and Joe TV fame is …
There will inevitably be those weeping into their Sara Gruen novel of the same name after writer Richard LaGravenese’s film adaptation – even though the author swears nothing in the screen version diminishes her best-selling tale. And on the whole, Gruen is right. Water For Elephants recreates the story’s magical, old-fashioned love affair full of …
In a time of Norse folklore, where men were men and roared with pride, comes a larger-than-life and humour-rich take on the Marvel comic adventure Thor that doesn’t forget the personal angle in the midst of all its splendid grandeur. This thumping-good-fun romp has a true hero at its heart to cheer on, opting for …
Panto season is (thankfully) a long way off, but if you want some pre-Easter sauciness to tickle your fancy, and are a big fan of sword-fighting fantasy adventures, Your Highness is at your service. Crass, crude and boundlessly bonkers, Your Highness is quite literally a hilarious, sex-obsessed adult fairy tale with a big heart – …
It’s too easy to be blasé about visual maestro Zack Snyder’s new film Sucker Punch, and call it gaming-action porn with scantily-clad women – the opposite of the half-naked 300 men. Just as its Japanese manga influences revel in dubious paedophilia-like images of prepubescent schoolgirls kicking ass, this film could easily be dismissed as a …
Matt Damon has certainly earned our respect as an action hero in the series of Bourne films, combining intelligence and athleticism into one complex character. And his performance in The Adjustment Bureau as US Senator-to-be David Norris is no exception. The film ought to be the perfect vehicle for allowing the acclaimed actor to play …
It’s absolutely true that you need to be of the Twilight teen generation to engage with Gough and co’s screen adaptation of ‘Pittacus Lore’s youth sci-fi novel of the same name. It’s also true that you need to appreciate the ‘crash-bang-wallop’ nature of producer Michael Bay’s films – as in carnage of the metallic kind, …
The story of Rapunzel is a time-old tale about a girl with lengthy golden hair who is imprisoned in a tower by a wicked sorceress, until a passing prince hears her singing and rescues her. Once upon a time, Disney would have kept firmly to the original script. But times have changed, and like many …
