Vantage Point (12a)
21st March 2008 - Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt

Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid) and Kent Taylor (Matthew Fox) are two Secret Service agents assigned to protect President Ashton (William Hurt) at a landmark summit on the global war on terror. When President Ashton is shot moments after his arrival in Salamanca, Spain, chaos ensues and disparate lives collide. Forest Whitaker), an American tourist videotaping the historic event, Rex (Sigourney Weaver), an American TV news producer who is reporting on the conference. It's only as we follow each person's perspective of the same 15 minutes prior to and immediately after the shooting that the terrifying truth behind the assassination attempt is revealed. 

If you were to read most of the reviews about this film, you'd conclude that it isn't worth seeing. I think this is because most don't take well to the contrived way in which some of the action is replayed; five times but from different perspectives. I didn't mind this. I actually found it quite interesting to see what different people were doing at the same time (even if it did appear to sneakily borrow from 24). There's enough action to keep most interesting (although some of it appears plonked on for good measure. You'll know what I mean if and when you get to see the car chase) but, I have to say, if you can get beyond the script's desperate attempts to seem clever, and Sigourney Weaver's disinterested performance, it's not a bad film.    5 out of 10.   

The Bank Job (15) 14th March 2008 - Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Richard Lintern

September 1971, thieves tunnelled into the vault of a bank in London's Baker Street and looted safe deposit boxes of cash and jewellery worth millions of pounds. None of it was recovered. Nobody was ever arrested. The robbery made headlines for a few days and then disappeared - the result of a UK Government 'D' Notice, gagging the press. This film reveals what was hidden in those boxes. The story involves murder, corruption and a sex scandal with links to the Royal Family - a story in which the thieves were the most innocent people involved.

"Not another London gangster movie," is what I thought when I  heard about this film.  I've seen so many failed attempts at recreating the success of Lock Stock that I am sick of the genre. but I forced myself to keep an open mind and, on this occasion, wasn't disappointed. The Bank job is allegedly based on fact  and this undoubtedly adds a different dimension to a film that ambles along at a good pace.  It was entertaining although not particularly memorable. I wouldn't bother rushing to the cinema to see it although you could get up to worse mischief in your free time.  6 out of 10.   

I Am Legend (15) 29th December 2007 - Will Smith Salli Richardson Alice Braga Paradox

Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth... but he is not alone. Every other man, woman, and child has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville's blood. By day, he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn. How long can one man survive in a world full of vampires?

If you like to see lots of Will Smith then this is certainly the film for you because although it had its fair share of scares there was far too much of the Fresh Prince and his dog going about life as they know it. Both delivered the best performances they could with a script that was nothing out of the ordinary and took a while to get going and, what's worse, is just as things started to get interesting, it ends! Whilst  entertaining, I A L is ultimately just another vampire flick that borrows heavily from the very similar Omega Man with Charlton Heston. It's certainly what you'd expect from Will Smith but nothing that can't be seen on DVD or Sky from the comfort of your home.   6 out of 10.   

We Own The Night (15) 15th December 2007 - Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes

New York, 1988: A new breed of narcotics has swept the great city, bringing with it a ferocious crime wave more terrifying than any in recent memory. Outmanned and outgunned by the new criminal order, the police find themselves burying one of their own at the rate of two a month. Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) is caught in the crossfire. Manager of a Russian nightclub in Brighton Beach frequented by gangsters, Bobby keeps his distance, not wanting to get involved but Bobby has a secret; his brother is Police Lieutenant Joseph Grusinsky (Mark Wahlberg), who has followed in the footsteps of their father, legendary Deputy Chief Burt Grusinsky (Robert Duvall).

And yes, you just know there's going to be trouble! But not with the script nor the production of this film; it does not have an overcomplicated story but does have an excellent cast and, most refreshingly, the music isn't pounding in every scene but instead the director has allowed the sound effects and the actors to build tension and suspense, naturally. I enjoyed this film, I didn't get bored and I found myself involved in both the characters and their relationships. Compelling stuff, right up there with the likes of The Departed .   7 out of 10.   

Hitman (15) 2nd December 2007 - Timothy Olyphant, Olga Kurylenko, Dougray Scott

Agent 47 has been educated to become a professional assassin for hire, whose most powerful weapons are his nerve and a resolute pride in his work. 47 is both the last two digits of the barcode tattooed on the nape of his neck, and his only name. The hunter becomes the hunted when 47 gets caught up in a political takeover. Both Interpol and the Russian military chase the Hitman across Eastern Europe as he tries to find out who set him up and why they're trying to take him out of the game. But the greatest threat to 47's survival may be the stirrings of his conscience and the unfamiliar emotions aroused in him by a beautiful, damaged girl...

I hadn't heard much about this film other than one bad review, and I have to say that the trailer didn't exactly leave me breathless with anticipation either. But I was pleasantly surprised. This isn't a bad adaptation from the video game, there's always something going on in this movie and just as I was about to fidget in my chair, it ended gracefully. There are certainly some dodgy scenes and I don't know if it was just the soap in my ears but I'm sure something strange was going on with the sound. Regardless, Hitman is an entertaining film with an effective music score but don't expect anything out of the ordinary, it's simply an entertaining 5 out of 10.   

Shrooms (18) 24th November 2007 - Pearse Elliott, Lindsey Haun, Jack Huston, Max Kasch

Having been promised the 'trip' of a lifetime by their Irish friend and mushroom expert Jake, a group of American teenagers arrives in Ireland, keen for adventure. Despite Jake's warnings about the 'shrooms they shouldn't eat, things start to go horribly wrong for the tourists and the teenagers suffer horrific visions. The panicked friends are attacked by ghostly creatures, never sure whether they are experiencing gruesome reality or startling hallucinations. When one teenager unknowingly eats the dangerous "Death's Head" mushroom, the group's nightmare takes a deeply sinister turn. As the group is bloodily whittled down to one, it is soon clear that, whether or not these apparitions are real, the carnage they leave behind certainly is.

I can only assume that the football team of producers, including the Irish Film Council, were all on 'shrooms' when they agreed to put up money for this rubbish. Jam packed with clichés, such as a black hooded villain and rip offs from much worthier films, such as The Grudge and The Ring, this has to be one of the worse films I have seen in a long time. And as much as this turkey tries to recreate atmosphere by overworking the smoke machine and dumping its actors in a copse we're supposed to believe is remote forest somewhere in Ireland that just happens to harbour a couple of drooling inbreds, it fails dismally. Do not bother wasting your hard earned cash. 2 out of 10.   

Saw IV (18)10th November 2007 - Tobin Bell Lyriq Bent Costas Mandylor Scott Patterson

Jigsaw and his apprentice Amanda are dead. Now, upon the news of Detective Kerry's murder, two seasoned FBI profilers arrive in the terrified community to assist the veteran Detective Hoffman in sifting through Jigsaw's latest grizzly remains and piecing together the puzzle. However, when SWAT Commander Rigg is abducted and thrust into a game, the last officer untouched by Jigsaw has but ninety minutes to overcome aseries of demented traps and save an old friend or face the deadly consequences.

Just when you thought it was over....Jigsaw is back!  And with a vengeance. Now, it would be really easy to write this film off as just another gore fest. Why? Because it is; there's a more than adequate amount of torture, blood and death. However, what this film also has is quite a decent script that offers not only thrills but a deeper insight into old characters. Also, like other films in the franchise, scratch beneath the surface and you'll find a fairly heavy message about how, as human beings, most of us are guilty of of taking what we have for granted. It attempts to shock us into appreciating 'life'. It also poses the much darker question of whether or not the less than 'savoury' characters of our society should live or die. "Your choice..."   7 out of 10.   

So, here we go again, yet another film about the ever present menace of terrorism, complete with exploding bombs and, in some sequences, the retention of original language with subtitles just for that extra dimension. And I believe it worked. Whilst rendition recounts the familiar story of America's war on terror, it ventures into the realms of what happens when the overzealous yanks take that one step too far. Rendition is a compelling movie, made more so by its excellent cast. It doesn't deal with a particularly cheerful subject but then it's not supposed to, it's supposed to be a thriller and as such it delivers. Whether or not you see this film at the cinema isn't really important but you should see it, if only to enjoy Meryl assume the role of yet another 'evil' character! 7 out of 10.   

Not quite, the end of humanity might just come about by people committing suicide in the aisles when going to watch this drivel. I can only assume that as movie stars become more famous and thus more 'powerful', they don't particularly need the money and therefore choose to be in films that are, quite frankly, not worthy. What on earth were Kidman and Craig thinking of when they signed up to this film that attempts and dismally fails to recreate  infinitively superior films  known as 'Invasion of The Body Snatchers'. Do not bother to go and see this tedious dross that even sees Kidman's performance totally disengaged. 3 out of 10.

The Bourne Ultimatum(12a) 18th August 2007

All he wanted was to disappear. Having lost his memory and the one person he loved, he is undeterred by the barrage of bullets and a new generation of highly-trained killers. Bourne has only one objective: to go back to the beginning and find out who he was. Now, in the new chapter of this espionage series, Bourne will hunt down his past in order to find a future. He must travel from Moscow and London to Tangier and New York as he continues his quest to find the real Jason Bourne...

In what is being dubbed as literally the last in the trilogy, Jason Bourne finally remembers. But do the screenwriters remember the format that made the first two films so successful? The answer is yes. The Bourne Ultimatum delivers everything fans came to love in the first two movies; slick dialogue, action, editing and film score. This is without a doubt a film worth seeing, especially if you were a fan of The Bourne Identity and Supremacy. And, of course, because it features our beloved capital, amongst other nations, as well as my favourite Car; The Touareg. Even if it does get smashed up! If I have one criticism, it has to be about the incessant camera shake that appears to be somewhat endemic in action films of late. There is simply, in my opinion, too much camera movement during actions sequences that not only distracts from the story but also leaves one feeling somewhat cheated. What is it exactly that producers DON'T want us to see? This is a great film. Let us see it! Otherwise, a slick 7-10. 

Rush Hour 3 (12a) 12th August 2007
"Rush Hour 3" sees the beloved action comedy duo of Tucker and Chan reprising their roles as LAPD Detective James Carter and Chinese Chief Inspector Lee respectively. This time around, the two must travel to Paris to battle a wing of the Chinese organized crime family, the Triads.

This wasn't a bad film. As always, Chris Tucker has some good lines that made most of the audience chuckle regularly throughout. There really isn't much one can say about this type of film since it follows a particular format and you really do get what you expect; some action, a reasonable storyline (albeit one you've seen many times before) with a few laughs along the way. If your kids are bored during the summer holidays then you could do worse, otherwise it'll make a relatively decent afternoon DVD. Oh, be sure to hang around for the outtakes at the end ! 5-10

Evan Almighty (PG)
The last time we saw Evan Baxter, he was being tormented by rival Bruce Nolan onscreen, live from their Buffalo TV station. He is now newly elected to congress and leaves Buffalo behind. Once there his life gets turned upside down when God appears and mysteriously commands him to build an ark. But his befuddled family just can't decide whether Evan is having an extraordinary mid-life crisis or is truly onto something of Biblical proportions.

You really can't fault Steve Carell who plays his usual comedic part with good timing but you do find yourself thinking that you might have seen it all before. This was a predictable yet pleasant movie but I don't think it was worth the trip to the cinema but is certainly recommended for a Sunday afternoon family DVD.  5-10

Transformers (12A)
Dueling alien races, the Autobots and the Decepticons, bring their battle to Earth, leaving the future of humankind hanging in the balance.

But do we care? To say that Transformers was a bad film would be absolutely unfair. It is a lot of fun and, of course, the special effects are breathtaking. But as much as I wanted to like the film, after a while I couldn't help but think that it was simply more of the same. This is without  doubt a very predictable film and, in places, quite hard to follow due to the rapid action sequences and often unidentifiable characters. That said, this is a film worth seeing on the big screen and certainly a lot of fun for the family but it feels very long so don't go and see it late at night and take a pack lunch with you!  6 -10

Die Hard 4 (15)
 An attack on the vulnerable United States infrastructure begins to shut down the entire nation. The mysterious figure behind the shattering scheme has figured out every digital angle - but he never figured on an old fashioned, "analogue" fly-in-the-ointment: John McClane.
 
So, John is back doing what he does best; blow things up. And things get really hairy when the terrorists decide to pick on his daughter! I have to say that I quite liked this film. I am also really warming to Bruce Willis, he's almost like a good wine; the more he gets older, the better his acting becomes. This was a very entertaining, quick paced film with the obligatory yet amusing one liners. I recommend you see this on the big screen for maximum impact. It's an action movie so don't expect any philosophical debates but it's definitely entertaining and worth the trip. 7-10