Vampires Suck (2010) M

Starring: Matt Lanter and Jenn Proske.

Now if you recall my review of Eclipse you may remember that I am not quite a fan of the dull dialogue, uninspiring, bad acted, boring, lifeless films which they like to call a 'saga' pffft, please! So when I first got mail that a spoof film based on the Twilight film series was in production I was pretty excited.

To be honest there is not much to really tell you about this film apart from that it revolves around the Twilight Saga storyline and to be honest the film is very much like any recent spoof film and really does not have anything new to offer. Dull jokes, seen-it-before humour and a forgettable cast really sums up this film, I do not recall myself laughing more than once throughout this film and when it ended the first thing I thought of was that this could have so well fitted into that dull dialogue, uninspiring, bad acted, boring, lifeless films which they like to call a 'saga'.

So do Vamipres Suck? No. In this case the movie Sucks more.

NO STARS for me!

Mortal Kombat: Rebirth (2010) MA 15+ (Short Film)

Starring: Michael Jai White, James Law, Matt Mullins and Jeri Ryan

Based on the popular 90s fighting game series, this short film has the movie world in a buzz. The film was initially made by the director to sell to Warner Brothers on his vision for a Mortal Kombat film and over the last month this film has sent the internet into meltdown! Will there be a feature length film? When will it be released? We don't know as yet but for the sake of the MK series fans, I hope it's bloody soon.

The short film provides a new, raw feel to the franchise, I would call it a Kick-Ass meets Saw short film. It is dark, disturbing, action-packed and filled with all your MK favourites. The short film which cost just about $1000 per minute is nothing but entertaining and leaves you begging for more. It is a new take on Mortal Kombat and the short film definately provides the foundation of what we could expect in future if Warner Brothers go ahead with the idea.

I loved it, wish there was more and that's what you expect from a short film. If you like dark films that will keep you on the edge, well look no further!

8/10 for me.

It's an eight minute short film and available to the public. I have included a link from YouTube below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6jDcN7mcbw.

PLEASE NOTE FILM FEATURES HORROR THEMES!

Shrek Forever After (2010) PG

Starring: Mike Myer, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz

Shrek, after becoming a domesticated father and husband, realises he misses being the scary ogre he once was. The villagers no longer fear him and he dreams of times past when people ran from him and left him alone in his muddy swamp. Rumplestiltskin, ever the opportunist, overhears Shrek's grumblings and offers to give him one day as his old scary ogre self in return for one day of Shrek's past. Shrek agrees only to find out he has been duped and that he must battle the odds to defeat Rumplestiltskin and regain his one true love.

I wasn't sure if I would know what was going on in this, the fourth, installment of the Shrek series since I hadn't seen Shrek The Third. My neice brought me up to speed in two concise sentences in the way only an eight year old can. Feeling I knew exactly what was going on our party headed in to watch Shrek Forever After in 3D.

All the Shrek characters we love are still there only things are a little different because Shrek is unknown to them. This means we get to see him make friends and fall in love all over again which was such a draw card for the first and second movies in my opinion. Rumplestiltskin, however, steals the show. He is a great character, wonderfully animated, and strange enough to be both scary and interesting. Look out for his collection of wigs.

I'm not sure how much the 3D really enhanced the viewing and I don't think much would be lost from the movie without it. The story hums along nicely with enough interesting twists to the old characters to keep you watching.

A good installment that, if you are a Shrek fan, should not be missed.

7.5/10 - Kim

Kick-Ass (2010) MA15+

Starring: Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Lyndsy Fonseca

They say that with no power comes no responsibility, except that isn’t true.

KickAss is about a nerdy comic book reading teenager (called Dave Lizewski) who decides to become a superhero. He no longer wants to be an observer, he wants to be someone who takes action instead of just thinking or talking about it. So he buys a scuba diving suit from the internet and commences his new venture out on the streets of New York. He has no experience, no special powers, no strength, no wit and no street cred but that doesn’t stop him trying.

After a few interesting altercations I wondered just what this guys deal was. Had this wanna-be superhero ever been a real superhero, the most he ever had to offer the world is good intentions and an over inflated capacity to take a good kicking because up until now he was getting his ass kicked and it just seemed all wrong.

I don’t want to give away too much because this is a good little movie with lots of surprises, twists and unexpected turns, but just when I decided I had absolutely no clue where this movie was heading it took another turn with the introduction of "Big Daddy" and "Hit Girl" - in my opinion the true superheroes of the movie. By the time "Hit Girl" 'hits' the screen the real carnage, mayhem and murder begins and ends mainly with her.

The acting of the main characters was excellent. I especially enjoyed that Big Daddy (aka Damon MacReady) sounded exactly like the original Batman "Adam West" complete with hesitated wording - loved it! But Hit Girl (aka Mindy MacReady) was a total standout, her performance is reminiscent of Uma Thurman’s role as The Bride in Kill Bill yet somewhat original in that Hit Girl is only eleven years old! This young lady stole most of the movie.

I have to add that the music which accompanied the movie was very unusual to say the least but it worked well for example: The Banana Splits Tra-La-La song, The Barber of Seville, Battle Hymn of the Republic Extract from American Trilogy - sung by Elvis Presley!

I’m still unsure how to categorise this movie given that it has a MA 15+ rating despite there being some pretty gory scenes, which concerned me. Suffice to say that it had me intrigued right to the very end when I decided that a subsequent KickAss sequel would be most welcomed.

7/10 - I can't read your mind but I can kick your ass! the BOFA.

Lots of violence, not for the kiddies.

Inception (2010) M

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Ellen Page

KJ did a great review of this film so I am not going to go into it too much except to agree it is a sophisticated movie with a complex and layered plot. Once you see it you will understand what I mean by 'layered'.

The opening scene does what it should, gets you involved, starts you wondering and then you're hooked and just need to hold on until the end. The plot unfolds in a natural fashion so each revelation layers on the last building our understanding of the world and the characters. I didn't get lost and yet the dialogue doesn't spoon feed you the whole time laying out what is happening so you do have to stay with it but I found little difficulty even though the film was close to 2 1/2 hours in length.

The characters are strong and well rounded, especially Dom (Leonardo DiCaprio), his goals and motivations are clear and drive him which makes his actions believable. A slew of fantastic actors - I just love Cillian Murphy, he is one of those actors that should be in more movies -all give solid performances and the plot gives enough breaks for you to catch your breath before the next onslaught of action.

The plot itself is a well crafted piece of storytelling that is refreshing in its originality. The director did a good job of bringing it out visually and whilst you suspect you are watching a futuristic movie, all the locations are - for the most - realistic and contemporary. This makes it feel like there are very little effects used to get the story across and the story is the winner because of it.

My only complaint: a few times it was difficult to hear the dialogue clearly and I have never had that problem in a theatre before; DVD yes, theatre no. It was only a few times and didn't stop me understanding the movie but still I thought to mention it for those aurally impaired. I have a friend who is deaf in one ear and he would have found this movie frustrating in parts. KJ said he did not notice this as a problem. To make matters worse I had an idiot two seats from me that liked to pre-empt the plot and tell his partner what he thought was about to happen. Grrr...I ended up moving.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and it has gone to the top of my list for 2010.

9/10 - Kim

Kick-Ass (2010) MA 15+

Starring: Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz, Nicolas Cage

This is not your average Superhero flick, Kick-Ass is something abit more silly, abit more funny, and perhaps abit more closer to reality. Kick-Ass explores the life of a geeky teenager, Dave, and his voyage to become a real-life Superhero in New York despite having no Superpowers or real training.

This film is definately an interesting take on the whole Superhero concept and really looks into the validity of Superheroes and the real world. But be warned! Though the film is rated MA15+, I would not watch this film with any of my teenage siblings, the cencorship board must have been puffin' muffin's when they chose a modest MA15+ rating. The film stays true to it's adult nature as per the Kick-Ass comic book by injecting a seriously large amount of graphic violence and profanity, that being said it really blends in perfectly in this film which attempts to explore the reality in the life of a Superhero. Kick-Ass is not the only guy cruising the streets in tights in this film and each Superhero-wannabe has their own story to tell.

I really enjoyed this film and felt that the plot was strong, the characters were interesting (especially Hit-Girl, wait till you see this Superhero in action!), and the film kept me gripped until the very last minute. Not a family movie, especially if you have kids under 18, but definately a must see film of 2010.

8/10 for me

Inception (2010) M

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Sophisticated, that is what Inception is. Christopher Nolan, the writer and director of this film achieved something truly amazing in this motion picture, it is cinema at a new level. Forget about those days when good guy kills bad guy, or a girl is in love with a vampire, or even the days of a computer hacker by the name of Neo discovering that life is nothing more than cyber intelligence called the Matrix.

This film begins leaving you perhaps somewhat confused and wanting to take a step back for a moment, however the brilliance of Christopher Nolan assists you in understanding the idea of Inception and by the time he does this, you will be up to speed and on the edge of your seat until the very last second of the film, literally! The story follows Dominic Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) the best in the business of 'Extraction' , proffesional theifs who steal secrets from within shared dreams and his journey to complete a mission in order to get his life back on track.

Inception is a film that will leave you thinking for hours, maybe days or weeks, it is truly genious and as much the film is sophisticated, the film has a strong plot that will truly engage you for an experience of a lifetime. It's storywriting at it's best which makes Hollywood Special Effects look like a bonus rather then the selling point of this film.

Leonardo DiCaprio is at his best and certainly assists in making you understand the film better, however all credit goes to the director who executed the film wonderfully and made the experience feel 'cool'. I would say that it is a film that will require 100% concentration from the the get-go as the plot is very complex, nothing like you have perhaps ever come across, it's a film that should be watched when you are craving for a thriller, something to get your mind working. A true masterpiece.

9/10 for me.

Lastly, I wanted to leave you with a Prediction. I have a strong feeling that in the next Batman film, the Riddler will be played by Leonardo DiCaprio! Christopher Nolan likes using the same actors in his projects and Leonardo DiCaprio could really make the role of Riddler his own little baby.

Sex and the City 2 (2010) MA 15+

Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon

Okay so I really did enjoy SATC-2 and I can’t really fault it at all. In fact I was disappointed when it ended because I wanted to see more and I think the rest of the audience felt the same way too.

I particularly enjoyed seeing the ladies as their former selves in the 80’s - complete with big hair and daggy clothes - that brought back a few ugly memories for me (from 2009)!

I also loved the wedding scene and I was fully inspired by Liza’s singing and dancing..…inspired to eat another choc top!

I was completely captivated by Abu Dhabi (which was actually shot in Morocco) and the "palatial resplendence" of the hotel they stayed in. OMG - I loved the apartment Mr Big and Carrie now live in which is gorgeous and I particularly adored the expensive décor and Carrie‘s quaint wardrobe.

Overall the storyline is good, it’s fairly believable and moves along at a good pace except for the dialogue which wasn’t as fast paced as the original t.v. series. Also, all the characters seemed to move slow and they appeared to think, react and talk slower than in the past and that really irritated me.

Movie highs:
The top Samantha wears while shopping with Carrie - where can I get one?
Samantha’s beautiful blue earrings.
Miranda’s attempt to speak Arabic!

Movie lows:
Carrie’s stupid hat which she wore on the plane.
Samantha not conforming to Arabic protocol.
Those weird shoes Carrie buys.
The unflattering close ups.
Carrie’s hair tossing, eyelash batting and posing.
The tu-tu Carrie wears to go shopping.
Some of the bad puns.
Charlotte sitting down for breakfast in front of a huge delicious smorgasbord feast and announces she only wants fruit - is this girl insane???
Carrie’s over-the-top reaction to an incident which causes her to panic everyone into an unnecessary meeting, even forcing Samantha out of a relaxing bubble bath just to discuss her own stupidity.
How they cause their own problems.

In my opinion, if you have seen SATC-1 then you will enjoy SATC-2, so go see it. But don’t go with any expectations of being intellectually stimulated. Expect only to be entertained by colour, fashion and "rich-girl" fantasy during 2+ hours of escapism, or alternatively just watch Glee!

7/10 - Definitely a chick flick! - The BOFA

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010) M

Starring: Wolf-Boy, The Sparkly One and the......girl

The movie centres around two separate stories. The first being about a group of evil vampires who have descended upon random people in a nearby city and converted them into an army of ferocious and bloodthirsty ‘newborn’ vampires. It soon becomes evident that they are being recruited by someone to seek out and kill Bella out of revenge for the murder of her true love at the hands of Edward.
The other story focuses on the very strange and continuing love triangle between Edward, Bella and Jacob. Jacob is convinced that Bella loves him, in fact he believes that Bella loves both him and Edward but she just doesn’t realise it yet and he wastes no time telling Bella and Edward about his theory. Despite believing that Bella could never choose Jacob over Edward you wonder whether Bella may be having second thoughts about her true love.

Meanwhile, the newborns are on a "seek & destroy" Bella mission and make their way to the little town of Forks. An unprecedented but necessary alliance is formed to protect Bella and causes headaches for everyone. Jacob and Edward continually clash horns throughout the movie and in one scene Jacob even declares to Edward that he is ‘hotter’ than him. Edward also remarks to Bella sarcastically ‘doesn‘t he own a shirt?’and it’s true as Jacob does spend an awful lot of time being shirtless in the movie. It made me wonder whether this was really necessary for the story or whether it was only made necessary for the female viewers.

This movie has action, suspense, romance and some danger and I particularly enjoyed the flashbacks which helped explain the existence of some of the characters. But don’t expect to see acting noteworthy of any important awards. Take it from the BOFA, buy yourself a popcorn and coke and sit back and enjoy the continuing saga of Bella, Edward and Jacob as they take you through a rollercoaster ride of 'will they, won’t they' and just resign yourself to the fact that it is what it is.

6/10 (you will not be disappointed if you are a fan). - The BOFA

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010) M

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner

Okay…Here we go.

I truly believe this is so far the best Twilight Saga film, But! What does that really mean?. It has made improvements on blending the ongoing love story and fantasy/action, however the buck really stops there for me. The start of the film was very promising and kept me on my toes and entertained, however as the dull dialogue continued, the movie headed for an uninspiring ending like its predecessors. I did feel Eclipse made vast improvements to the Twilight Saga with character development and a few rib ticklers here and there but I guess it does not help when you have shoddy actors doing one of the hardest things in the film industry, portraying characters from a novel from which we come to expect so much. I have always felt that a novel is a novel, and a film is a film, and to successfully complete a screenplay adapted from a novel, you should improvise because things when read aren’t the same when seen on the big screen. I believe the whole Twilight Saga has failed to do this, though Eclipse was the best yet. In my opinion Full Moon and Eclipse should have been amalgamated, it would have been more entertaining and would have had potential to build Victoria’s character which has been so crucial to the Saga thus far.

Eclipse made me realise that this Saga is not a love triangle but rather about the test of strength of Edward and Bella’s love, Jacob is just a test, as is Victoria, and the Volturi. I believe that the film could have offered more to the audience than just a stop-gap until next years two part finale.

I have not read the novels, but can appreciate the fans of the novels. However when it comes to films, I believe the true aim of Screenplays adapted from Novels is for the story to reach a broader audience and win over new fans in a new medium, something that this Saga has failed to do for me, however with so much time and money invested, we have to see how it pans out don’t we, and to my discovery we are in for something ‘thought provoking’

5/10 for me - KJ

Toy Story 3 (2010) G

Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Michael Keaton, Whoopi Goldberg

They're Back! 11 years after the sequel and 15 years since the original, so if you do have high expectations, don't worry I won't blame you. The first two films in this Trilogy have been nothing but classics and in a certain way I myself did not believe the filmmakers at Pixar could pull it off again. Or could they? The film circulates around Andy the owner of 'the toys' who is preparing to move to college and deciding the destiny of his beloved toys that he has outgrown.

Toy Story 3 is a true adventure which plays on quality comedy and human emotions whilst establishing new characters on the way, move over Bella and Edward!, Barbie and Ken are the real deal, their toy chemistry is truly a joy to watch. The old characters still have a lot left in them, Woody and Buzz's friendship is surely one to remember. The film oozes creativity and you can definitely tell that Pixar made the right choice in fine tuning this film for the last 11 years. Without giving the story away, Toy Story 3 is a truly fitting way to conclude one of the most enjoyable quality Trilogies ever made. If you enjoyed Toy Story 1, Toy Story 2, then you will definately enjoy this instalment as well.

9/10 for me - KJ

Grown Ups (2010) PG

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider in a standout performance.

The story is based around highschool friends who have all gone on to live separate lives until reunited in unfortunate circumstances. Whilst the cast sets you up for non stop laughs unfortunately it didn't quite deliver. There were some funny and memorable scenes, however when you have Sandler, James, Rock, Spade and Schneider you expect alot more.

The plot was a little too predictable and fell short of delivering what the cast had promised. Overall it was easy viewing with mild entertainment, a great movie to stumble across at 10:30pm when nothing else is on!

5/10 - Fitzy

Knight and Day (2010) M

Starring: Couch-Jumping Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz

Another Action Comedy for the American Summer? Yes Sir. The film follows the adventures of Roy Miller (Tom Cruise) and June Havens (Cameron Diaz) in this high energy spy flick. The film starts of keeping you on your toes and in love with Tom Cruises' character and his comedy which is reminiscent of the Couch-Jumping Tom we all have come to know, totally crazy. The action scenes are spectacular and the story builds as a Action Comedy/Thriller and the chemistry between Cruise and Diaz brews minute by minute, but that minute just starts to drag and drag as the film goes on and the potential for this film to really exploit something special starts to look as bleak as the two salty cold pieces of popcorn left in your Popcorn Cup!

The film becomes a real let down as it could not give the audience more then the bar it set in the first half with its spectacular actions sequences and promising plot, however the film is like a shot of caffeine which starts wearing off as time goes on. The film in the end falls victim to its weak and uncreative plot which even Tom jumping on a coach could not have saved! Cruise and Diaz's chemistry for me was the highlight of the film which at least did last from the opening to closing credits.

If all you want to do is just let your hair down, have some fun, like the idea of Cruise and Diaz combining on-screen, then this movie is for you. However if you take heavy interest in film plots then you may come out feeling the same way as you did going in, just neutral.

6/10 for me - KJ

Predators (2010) MA

Starring: Adrien Brody, Alice Braga, Topher Grace, Laurence Fishburne.

When a group of people find themselves stranded in a jungle, they soon realise they are the hunted and that it will take all their skills to survive. Action awaits our rag tag team of mercenaries, freedom fighters and convicts as they come under attack from a variety of interesting creatures.

I went to see this movie with some trepidation being a big fan of the original Predator movie, plus the mixed success of the Predator franchise added to my misgivings. Listening to the hype it was hard to tell if I would be watching a remake or a continuation of the series. Well, it's a little of both. There are scenes that seem to be lifted straight from the original mixed in with enough new concepts to make it feel like the next chapter.

Adrien Brody surprised me by being a convincing action male lead. Just didn't think he could pull it off and to my mind he did. The cast was excellent and acting as good as you are going to get in this style of movie, they're not going to win an Oscar anytime soon though. The story line was okay and had a few interesting twists to keep the audience in the game though I would have thought there would be more tension and lack of trust between the 'killers' who find themselves in an unknown environment.

Got a bit annoyed with the references to the original and I get why they did it but I have seen it done better.

Go and see it on the big screen if you love the Predator franchise otherwise wait until it hits DVD and save yourself some bucks.

6/10 - Kim