Source Code

The Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright.

The Story:  An action thriller centred on a soldier (Gyllenhaal) who wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he is part of a mission to fuel the bomber of a Chicago commute train.  

US Military helicopter pilot Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes with a jolt to find himself on a commuter train bound for Chicago; last time he checked, he was a marine fighting alongside his battalion in Afghanistan.

The woman seated across from him, Christina Warren (Michelle Monaghan) seems to know him and insists on calling him Sean.

He doesn’t remember how he got here in fact; he doesn’t even know who is. The last thing Colter remembers he was coming under fire on a combat mission in Afghanistan.

When he looks into a mirror in the bathroom he sees another man's face. Eight minutes later the train explodes, killing everyone on board and waking Colter again, this time in his own body, locked in what looks like a dank cell which is leaking hydraulic fluid.

His only human connection is through a screen that broadcasts live feed from a government office into his cell. He is greeted by an agent named Carol Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) who monitors his every move and vital signs.

She is very careful to explain to him as little as possible. He learns he is part of a top secret military operation that enables him to relive the last eight minutes of a persons life.  

The military has figured out a way to tap into the final eight minutes experienced by a dead person, sending the test subject to relive their final moments in order to figure out what killed them. The theory is that each person contains a short term memory that can be explored and expanded on, and while in that eight minute cycle, you are essentially in an alternate reality that allows you to explore and interact with your surroundings.

Colter must repeatedly life through the last eight minutes of newly killed passenger Sean Fentress until he finds the bomber. If he is successful he can prevent another attack from happening that same day.

As he revisits the train time and time again he becomes smitten with Christina, even abandoning his mission at one stage to save her life. Although he is assured by Goodwin that this is impossible as she is already dead, but it doesn’t stop him trying. He is reminded that the aim of ‘Source Code’ is to change the future and not to fix the past. 

Time travel stories have been attempted more times than you could probably count in science fiction but director Duncan Jones (Moon) has made Source Code one of the more successful examples.

THE VICDICT: This science-fiction thriller, has very little to fault. It is put together brilliantly and despite the constant flash backs it is very clear to understand. Gyllenhaal is a solid leading man and plays the part of Captain Colter Stevens brilliantly.  It is extremely entertaining while also connecting emotionally with the audience. It will have you consistently confused, off guard and intrigued right to the end.

Red Riding Hood

The Stars: Amanda Seyfried, Lukas Haas, Gary Oldman, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons, Virgini Onadsen, Julie Christie.   
The Story: Dealing with her frowned-upon love for woodcutter Peter (Fernandez), Valerie (Seyfried) also has to contend with a wolf stalking her medieval village home.
Set in a medieval village, this dark retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood fable, where a werewolf has been terrorising the citizens is directed by Catherine Hardwick and bares more than a passing resemblance to her last film Twilight.

With everyone’s recent obsession with monster movies, especially vampires and werewolves, this take on the children’s classic fairytale follows the frightened people of the village of Daggerhorn.


For decades they have maintained an uneasy truce with the werewolf, who prowls at every full moon, by offering the beast a monthly animal sacrifice to quench its appetite. But under a blood red moon, the wolf changes the stakes by taking the life of one of their own.

The victim Lucy, is the older (half) sister of Valerie, a beautiful, young woman, who is torn between two men.

Valerie, who had previously looked as if she were a Renaissance fair fashion victim, accepts the scintillating red cloak from her proto-hippie grandmother (Julie Christie).

She has just found out that her parents (Burke and Madsen) have arranged for her to marry Henry (Irons), the town’s rich boy, a perfect young gent who really does not care for her.

But Valerie is in love with Peter, an impetuous, danger-loving, bad-boy type. He is the poor woodcutter she has loved all her life and unwilling to be parted, the couple plan to run away together, but, in a horrifying instant, the wolf changes everything.

As the townspeople hunger for revenge, famed werewolf hunter Father Solomon (Oldman) is summoned to Daggerhorn to kill the beast once and for all. His character comes to town to warn the locals that the hound of hell that has been killing their children is actually one of their neighbours. No one is above suspicion.  


As the death toll rises with each red moon, panic grips the town tearing apart the once close-knit village.  

But it is Valerie who discovers she has a unique connection to the wolf that inexorably draws them together, making her both suspect and bait as the villagers attempt to trap the wolf.

The Verdict: One of the classic fairytales filmed as a sexual fantasy for teenage girls especially those Twi Hards who cant wait for the release of Breaking Dawn. The similarities are plain to see, with duelling hot young males and Twilight’s Billy Burke as Valerie’s father.

 The gothic re-imaging of the fairy tale is not the horror film you would expect from the trailers but rather a supernatural teen drama right along the lines of this directors previous offerings. 



I AM NUMBER FOUR

I Am Number Four" directed by D.J. Caruso ("Eagle Eye," "Disturbia") is an action-packed thriller about an extraordinary young man, John Smith. Based on the young adult novel by Pittacus Lore, 20-year-old British actor Alex Pettyfer plays the handsome alien, dubbed "Number Four” who is one of nine teen aliens from another planet called Lorien.

These aliens, who closely resemble humans, flee their home planet to hide on Earth, and are slowly being hunted down and killed by another alien race, The Mogadorians.The invading species, have destroyed their planet, and have followed them to Earth.

Each of the nine aliens is given a guardian to protect them from the evil. Raised separately, each castaway has a mentor, Henri (Timothy Olyphant) looks after John. In order to stay alive and avoid being found by the Mogadorians they are constantly on the move.

As they become adults, they develop superhuman powers called Legacies to protect and ensure their race’s survival. John has powers ranging from super strength to telekinesis.Each of the nine has been assigned a number and these last children of Lorien can only be killed in the sequence of their numbers.

With Number 3 dead John and Henri are on the move again and end up in Paradise, Ohio where John enrols in the local high school where he tries to blend in, in an attempt to hide from his pursuers.
He immediately connects with Sarah (Dianna Agron, Quinn from TV's "Glee") a sweet Midwestern girl who is a photographer. After being on the run his whole life, Number Four falls in love and now has something to stand up and fight for.
Sarah has a possessive jerk of an ex-boyfriend, Mark (Jake Abel), and by making a connection with Sarah, John's set himself up as a target of bullying by Mark and his football buddies.
He is quickly befriended by another victim of the school bullies, Sam (Callan McAuliffe), a loner who prefers reading up on aliens to interacting with his fellow students. The two hit it off, although at first Sam is totally unaware his new friend is in fact an alien.

This tale of a hunky teen alien trying to fit in at a small town high school benefits from a fine young cast and thrilling action scenes. Much better than the romance-heavy commercials make it out to be “I Am Number Four”, though aimed at the teen crowd doesn't totally alienate adult sci-fi fans.

With the Glee star delivering a fine performance as Number Four's love interest this sci-fi hit is a very entertaining boy-meets-girl film with some truly incredible fight scenes and special effects.
With the Twilight Saga drawing to a close, “I am Number Four” looks set to be the start of another series of Teen action movies that will keep this audience fulfilled with the same highly charged mix of action and romance that they’ve become obsessed with and they will leave wanting more of the eternal story of personal survival.

The Kid

BASED on the best selling autobiography by Kevin Lewis, ‘The Kid’ is directed by actor and filmmaker Nick Moran. Growing up on a poverty-stricken London council estate during the 70’s and 80’s Lewis escapes a life of horrific child abuse at home. He is locked in his room and beaten by his mother for the smallest offences, so it’s impossible to not feel for him. After being bullied at school and abandoned by the Social Services he worksas a bar manager before becoming a bare knuckled boxer, earning money for small-time crooks.

The film, which is hard to watch at times, opens with a young Lewis played by the brilliant William Finn Miller, being savagely beaten by his mother Gloria, played by the nearly unrecognisable Nastascha McElhone before being taken into care by social services. His upbringing leads him to react violently at the least provocation and he’s eventually taken into a foster home. McElhone is well supported by Con O Neill, her on screen alcoholic and epileptic husband Dennis.

After years of foster homes and a short time at a children’s home he finally settles with a lovely family, Alan and Margaret (James Fox and Shirley Anne Field).


Finally things start to look up for Kevin as he gets his life on track. However when Alan dies and Margaret emigrates, Kevin decides to buy the house which ends up leaving him with a crippling mortgage. Forced to take up bare knuckle boxing, he is savagely exploited by a bunch of underworld hardmen he had previously regarded as friends. Aged just 17 when he started he was nicknamed ‘The Kid’, and despite his horrific upbringing Kevin survived to make a better life for himself. Today Kevin Lewis is an acclaimed crime novelist.   


This truly touching film is heartbreaking, raw and absorbing with outstanding performances by everybody involved. Rupert Friend gives a fantastic interpretation of the mild mannered Lewis, with the high pitched voice. This seems out of place until real footage of Kevin Lewis appears at the end and you realise he is spot on. Everybody should see this remarkable story of one mans wretched upbringing and courageous determination to not just survive but to shine. For lovers of ‘True Stories’ this is definitely one to see.

Jonah Hex

Based on a DC comic series, ‘Jonah Hex’ is a permanently disfigured cowboy, who has survived death after being saved by Crow Indians. Since his near death experience, Hex (Josh Brolin) is left with supernatural powers enabling him to speak with the dead. Directed by Jimmy Hayward (“Horton Hears a Who!”) this film is set in the Wild West and follows a bounty hunter whose horrifically scarred face and sarcastic personality hides his honourable nature.

Western Fans will probably appreciate this film more than Superhero fans. Set in the aftermath of the Civil War, Jonah Hex is a story of betrayal and redemption. His violent background is steeped in myth and legend. His only human connection is with prostitute, Leila (Megan Fox) in a New Orleans brothel. Though she is obviously devoted to him, as a love interest for Hex, this relationship just doesn’t work. From his point of view its simple, he pays her for sex. She might as well have been cut out of the movie altogether, not because of her bad acting but because there’s no reason for her character to be in the movie at all.


However Jonah’s past is about to catch up on him when the U.S military makes him an offer he can’t refuse. In exchange for his freedom Jonah must help them stop dangerous terrorist Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich), a former Confederate Officer, who is ready to unleash hell on the US government. Turnbull is also Jonah’s oldest enemy and he is out for revenge since Turnbull killed his wife and child and left his face brutally scarred.    

This was never going to be one for the purists. Not a great script and some of the performances leave a lot to be desired but Brolin who is terrific in the lead brings a charm to Hex. At a mere 81minutes and given its 15A/15 certificate the best parts of this movie may have been left on the cutting room floor.   

The Switch

Directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck this Romantic Comedy stars Jennifer Aniston as Kassie, a fun loving, smart, unmarried 40 year old woman who wants a baby by any means possible, and Jason Bateman as her best friend Wally. The pair have been friends for a number of years even after an attempt at a real relationship.

However things change when Kassie decides to get pregnant. Despite Wally’s objections she chooses to go it alone with the help of the perfect donor, handsome and charming married man Roland (Patrick Wilson).   

At a party to help celebrate the insemination thrown by Kassie’s friend Debbie played by Juliette Lewis, Wally in a drunken state ‘Hijacks’ Kassie’s pregnancy unbeknown to her. The next day he remembers nothing. From here on the direction of the movie is predictable but that doesn’t take from the enjoyment for the audience.

This story has been played out dozens of times on screen but the cast carry it off very well. Aniston is right at home in this role, which has a sitcom feel to it. Her fans know exactly what to expect from her and here she delivers. Some critics may accuse her of playing it safe here but ‘if it ain’t broke….?’.


When Kassie falls pregnant she leaves the hustle and bustle of city life and moves to Minnesota to raise her child. She keeps in touch with Wally through Christmas cards etc but seven years later they are reunited when Kassie returns to New York with her seven-year-old son Sebastian played by the adorable Thomas Robinson.

Kassie also re-connects with Roland, now divorced who she starts a relationship with. Wally who feels more towards Kassie than ‘just friends’ must find a way of letting her know while also coming clean with his seven year secret.  After spending a lot of time with Sebastian, Wally forms a bond with him and starts to recognise lots of similarities between them.

Based on the short story ‘Baster’ by Jeffrey Eugenides who is best known for his two novels ‘The Virgin Suicides’ and the Pulitzer Prize winning ‘Middlesex’, The Switch is an easy watching entertaining, feel good film with great performances by Aniston and Bateman.
The Switch may not be in the running for next years Oscars but for Aniston fans its still a great night out, with a good helping of laughs thrown in by Bateman.   

The Green Hornet 3D

A classic character of  film, television, radio, and comic books returns to the big screen in Columbia Pictures’ feature film The Green Hornet, starring Seth Rogen as the vigilante crime-fighter.

Directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) from a screenplay written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express),it is based upon The Green Hornet radio series created by George W. Trendle, and produced by Neal H. Moritz (The Fast and the Furious).

In this 3D action comedy, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), is the hard-partying son of LA’s most prominent and respected media magnate James Reid ( Tom Wilkinson) who single-handedly built a media empire, but unfortunately his industrious genes weren't passed down to his son.

Heir to the largest newspaper (The Daily Sentinel) fortune in Los Angeles, Reid is a rich, spoiled playboy who has been happy to lead an aimless life.

When his father mysteriously dies, Britt is left with the vast media empire. He strikes up a friendship with his father’s former mechanic and coffee maker Kato (Chou). Britt sees a chance to do something meaningful in his life: fight crime. In order to get close to the criminals, the pair set about cleaning up the streets of LA with a plan to ‘pose as villains but act like heroes’.

Using Kato’s technical expertise and amazing fighting skills and Reid’s money to fund their actions, Britt becomes the vigilante Green Hornet, protecting the law by breaking it, as he and Kato (his unnamed sidekick) hit the streets.

Driven by the murder of a close friend and the realization that his media empire is infested with ruthless heroin smugglers, Britt Reid, and his human weapon Kato jump into action on a heart-pounding quest to rid the city of this mob once and for all.

With the help of Britts resourceful secretary, Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), who unknown to her is the brain of the operation, they begin to gather intelligence on the notorious underworld.

They begin hunting down the man who controls LA’s gritty underworld, Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz) a criminal who holds the entire city in the palm of his hand, and represents everything that Britt's father fought against.

So far as police are concerned, the Hornet is himself a criminal. This misunderstanding enables Reid to operate "outside the law" to battle criminals and racketeers with his faithful valet Kato, the only living person who knows the true identity of the Hornet.

The Hornet spends his off hours thwarting criminals with his Black Beauty, an indestructible, crime fighting car with every weapon and gadget imaginable. As the public's fascination with the mysterious crime fighters hits an all-time high Chudnofsky has plans of his own, to swat down The Green Hornet once and for all.

While he may not be familiar to movie audiences yet, Jay Chou who plays Britt Reid’s sidekick Kato is already very popular in the Far East as a very well known singer, actor, director and producer. To help audiences get better acquainted him, Columbia Pictures has released a short interview with Chou in which he discusses working with writer, producer and title star

Seth Rogen in The Green Hornet and how it feels to be stepping into the shoes of the man who made Kato famous, Bruce Lee.

This is not the funniest or best action movie you will see but it is still very entertaining and doesn’t fail to deliver. The makers of The Green Hornet have jumped on the 3D band wagon with this one but apart from Kato’s vision sequences and the odd fight scene it is more of a distraction than anything else.

The Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of GA'Hoole

Acclaimed filmmaker Zack Snyder makes his animation debut with the fantasy family adventure “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of GA’Hoole based on the beloved Guardians of GA’Hoole books by Kathryn Lasky.

This animated 3D film which follows Soren (voiced by young British actor Jim Sturgess) is visually stunning. He is a young, adventurous barn owl who is enthralled by his fathers epic stories of the guardians of GA’Hoole, A mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil pure ones.

His younger sister Eglantine (Adrienne de Fariad) is also enamoured by these stories but their older brother, Kludd (Ryan Kwanten) is jealous of the attention Soren receives. While Soren dreams of someday joining his heroes, Kludd, scoffs at the notion, and yearns to hunt, fly and steal his fathers favour from his younger brother.

One night while out branching (learning to fly) Soren and Kludd accidentally fall out of their tree. While on the ground they are kidnapped by owls working for the evil Metal beak (Joel Edgerton) and his mate Nyra (Helen Mirren). As they are taken to St Aggie’s, ostensibly an orphanage, where owlets are brainwashed into becoming soldiers. On the way they come across a huge group of workers for Metal beak with more young owlets. There Soren meets Elf Owl Gylfie (Emily Barclay).

Unlike Soren, Kludd is happy there. He finally gets the approval he’s been craving all these years. He’s trained as one of the elite warrior class and has no problem going to the dark side.

Now it’s up to Soren to make a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls. Together they soar across the sea, and through the mist to find the great tree, Home of the Legendary Guardians, Soren’s only hope of defeating the pure ones and saving the Owl kingdom.  

He and his new friends escape to the island of GA’Hoole, to assist its noble, wise owls who fight the army being created by the wicked rulers of St Aggies.  

The 3D in this film is used to great effect and was very well done. The gorgeous bright colours, defined imagery and texture are very effective in its use of 3D.

It’s breathtaking, the level of quality the movement of the owls, the design of their world, everything is quite beautiful and excruciating by detail.  

The story however is quite basic and those who haven’t read the books may find it has a level of complexity. In saying that, the level of 3D is so spectacular that children will probably be so mesmerised that it won’t take from their enjoyment of the film.  

In Cinemas from October 22nd this great children’s movie with fantastic animation is out just in time for the mid term break and definitely one to see.

Eat Pray Love

JULIA Roberts is Liz Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love directed by Ryan Murphy, creator of the hit T.V. series Glee. This film, which is adapted from the best selling memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, proves that there really is more than one way to let yourself go, and see the world at the same time.
For those who have not read the book, the film is very easy to follow. It is about Gilbert, a successful writer in her mid thirties who had everything a modern woman is supposed to dream of, a husband, a house, a successful career. Yet like so many others, she found herself lost, confused and searching for what she really wanted in life.  

While trying to get pregnant she realises her life needs to go in a different direction. She ends her marriage to her sweet but hapless husband Stephen (Billy Crudup). Newly divorced and at a crossroads in her life, she steps out of her comfort zone, risking everything for change. Shortly after the spilt she meets a handsome young actor David (James Franco). However when things don’t work out she is left devastated and alone.

In order to give herself the time and space to find out who she is and what she really wants, she drops everything, gets rid of her belongings, quits her job and undertakes a yearlong journey around the world alone. The film follows Liz’s journey as she meets new people and experiences new things.

Stopping off first in Italy she immerses herself in the culture, learning the language and overindulging in the local cuisine. Her next stop India provides a different cultural experience and so her journey continues.

The Gilbert Italian diet is ‘a no calorie counting diet’, which Julia Roberts experienced, as she gained up to 10lbs while filming in Italy, reportedly having to eat up to 10 slices of pizza a day. If this is how Roberts looks after gaining 10lbs then there will be a lot of woman queuing up for the pizza and pasta diet.
The film menders through beautiful locations with emphasis on the scenery, flowers and food but always comes back to Liz’s longing for independence and longing to be loved.
Roberts, whose excellent performance in the lead role was obviously helped by the fact that she is a self confessed fan of Gilbert’s best selling book (7 million copies sold worldwide in 40 different languages).

Not only did the film’s locations echo Liz’s actually journey, the scenes were also filmed in chronological order which Julia Roberts believes added to her performance. Her role allowed her to display buckets of emotion as a woman seeking answers to life’s big questions. She delivers a Liz Gilbert who is both relatable and likeable.

The relaxed, meditative film, which is produced by Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner, is ultimately charming and inspirational. Giving a beautiful, very honest and very tender account of a 30 something woman searching for meaning to her life.

The portrayal of the life of travel and freedom will connect with the female audience as it offers female wish fulfilment. However it probably should be aimed at the teenage audience to fill them with possible dreams instead of filling middle aged woman with regret. With some Hot Hollywood men thrown in (Javier Bardem, James Franco and Billy Crudup) this chick flick will have some shed tears a number of times throughout the 140 minutes.  
Eat Pray Love is full of life, loving, emotions and lots of good eating. This is definitely one for the girls to see.
Fans of the book who are eagerly anticipating the release of this movie won’t be disappointed as its romantic, touching and fun.

Skyline

SKYLINE is an upcoming alien invasion Sci-Fi thriller directed and produced by the Brothers Strause (Colin and Greg Strause).
Skyline is written by Joshua Cordes and Liam O’Donnell and stars Donald Faison (Scrubs), Eric Balfour, David Zayas, Scottie Thompson and Brittany Daniel.
The Strause Brothers are better known for their visual effects experience in such films as Avatar, 300, and a slew of super hero films.
The storyline is one we’ve seen many times, a mass alien abduction with a singular purpose of wiping out the entire human race. With massive Spaceships’ hovering ominously above Los Angeles and giant aliens with strange tongue-like tentacles ripping Army helicopters out of the sky.
Faison plays Terry, a former New Yorker who has become an entrepreneur in Los Angeles. When Terry decides to throw a party, his best friend Jarrod (Balfour) flies in from New York with his girlfriend Elaine (Thompson).
Jarrod and Elaine's trip to Southern California was supposed to be a simple weekend away to visit Terry and his girlfriend, Candice (Brittany Daniel), for his birthday.
After a late night party, the group of friends are woken in the dead of the night by an eerie blue light beaming through the window. Like moths to a flame, the people are drawn by the strange light put in place by an extra-terrestrial force determined to take over Earth.
Once caught in the glare of the light people are suddenly vanishing into thin air. They soon discover an otherworldly force is swallowing the entire human population off the face of the earth and that they are some of the last few members of the human race left.
As they watch in terror from Terry's penthouse windows, the seductive blue lights come crashing down into homes and businesses as people across the city are swallowed into massive alien ships that have blotted out the L.A. skyline. The city is left in rubble and engulfed in smoke.
The good people left in Los Angeles try to flee the city to safety out of sight and sound of the aliens by any means. And so the group of friends set about avoiding the same fate as those around them, as they struggle to resist temptation to look into the light and try to discover the source of the luminous threat but with destruction and chaos everywhere, will they survive?
Visual effects supremoes The Strause brothers the team behind AVPR: Aliens Vs Predator Requiem, returns yet again with a no doubt good-looking sci-fi thriller.
Skyline has some good special effects, but it doesn’t make up for the poor storyline. The dialogue and cast isn’t the best but at the very least Skyline looks fantastic.  
Billed as an edge-of-your-seat action thriller with an extraterrestrial twist, there's not much happening throughout most of it, but the final scene is breathtaking with an interesting ending. The film will keep you anticipating their survival till the very end.

This film opens nationwide on Friday 12th November 2010 I’m sure it will attract a lot of attention from Sci Fi lovers, but more so for the special effects rather than the storyline and acting.

Going the Distance

Centred around the relationship between Garrett (Justin Long) and Erin (Drew Barrymore) a couple who are pulled apart by economic circumstances and forced to live in different cities. Despite the time difference, they are 3000 miles apart, they try to make it work.

Erin and Garrett meet in a Manhattan bar when Garrett spoils her game of ‘centipedes’, offering to buy her a beer. This leads to them spending the night together and over breakfast the next morning she makes it clear she’s only got six weeks left in New York before she goes back to Stanford. They decide to have a no strings attached summer fling, which neither expect to last once the summer is over.

Garrett works as a talent scout for a record label in New York while 31year old Erin is a summer intern for the New York Sentinel where she hopes to be offered a full time job as a reporter at the end of her internship.

When the time comes for Erin to go back to San Francisco they realise they have a strong connection. They vow to make the relationship work by giving the long distance thing a go, keeping the flame alive via phone calls, video chats, texting and the like with the occasional visit thrown in.

But with interference from Erin’s over protecting sister Corrine (Christina Applegate) who is keen to ensure that her sister doesn’t repeat the same mistakes of her past, Corrine makes no attempt to hide the fact that she disapproves of the long distance romance. Garrett also has interference from his friends Box (Jason Sudeikis) and Dan (Charlie Day) who feel like their loosing their drinking buddy to another failed romance.  

Will their coast to coast relationship survive despite the disapproval from family and friends and a few unexpected temptations or will they have to call it a day?

Rom Com lovers won’t want to miss this one. The convincing on screen chemistry between on/off real life couple Justin Long and Drew Barrymore is set to entertain moviegoers. This chemistry also gives a big helping hand to first time feature director Nanette Burstein who is better known for her award winning documentaries.

Going the Distance’ is an easy watching enjoyable movie with lots of wacky humour thrown in from the excellent supporting cast.

Alpha & Omega 3D

LIONSGATE presents this animated tale of two wolves trying to find their way home to their pack after being kidnapped. This children’s animation 3D romance film is directed by Anthony Bell and Ben Gluck

The story takes place in Jasper Nation Park (Canadian Rockies) and involves a weird community of wolves. To them not just everybody, but every aspect of life, is broken down into one simple question: Alpha or Omega?

Humphrey is an omega wolf whose best friend Kate is an alpha wolf. The law of the wolf pack is that alpha wolves cannot mate with omega wolves.While they’re friends, they’re also part of two separate social groups. Humphrey likes Kate but he is a goofball who basically just sits around making jokes all day while waiting to be fed while she is a skilled hunter and leader

Kate is a newly crowned alpha who is now acclimating to her responsibilities. She spends her time leading a team of hunters through the park as they look for caribou to kill. There is also the rival wolfpack, the Eastern pack as they are known (colored coded brown for your convenience), who are always trying to invade their hunting grounds.

Her family, all alphas, are actively involved in the dispute first by trying to physically destroy the pack and then by trying to force a truce by setting up an arranged marriage between Kate and the Easterners most eligible bachelor Garth (Chris Carmack), to keep peace in the valley

But on the night in which Kate is meant to “howl” with Garth, both she and Humphrey are captured by humans and brought to a park in Idaho to repopulate. With the two packs ready to go to war, Kate and Humphrey try and make it back to Jasper before it’s too late.

Back home rival wolf packs are on the march and conflict is brewing. Only Kate and Humphrey can restore the peace. But first, they have to survive each other.
Alpha and Omega is a fun movie aimed at a younger audience. The combination of 3D and colourful animation does look family friendly but with its predictable plot parents may find it dull.

Burlesque



Christina Aguilera in Burlesque



Burlesque is the latest musical movie extravaganza, directed by Steve Antin, first time writer-director and former music video director for The Pussycat Dolls. It is a glitzy tribute to two of the greatest divas ever starring Christina Aguilera and Cher.

Burlesque tells the story of Ali (Christina Aguilera) a small-town girl with big dreams and an even bigger voice who escapes hardship and an uncertain future to follow her dreams to LA.

After a seven year break Cher is back on the big screen and what a fun way to make a comeback. Christina Aguilera co stars in this, her first feature film and her legion of fans won’t be disappointed. This is just two hours of fun and escapism.

Fresh off a bus from Iowa, Ali stumbles upon The Burlesque Lounge, a majestic but ailing theatre that is home to an inspired musical revue, Ali lands a job as a cocktail waitress from Tess (Cher), the club’s proprietor and headliner. Tess, a retired dancer is struggling to keep the aging theatre alive, facing all kinds of financial and artistic challenges.

Burlesque’s outrageous costumes and bold choreography enrapture the young Ali, who vows to perform there one day. Soon enough, she builds a friendship with a featured dancer (Julianne Hough), finds an enemy in a troubled, jealous performer (Kristen Bell), and garners the affection of Jack (Cam Gigandet), a bartender and fellow musician.

She manages to fulfil her dreams of being on stage herself with the help of a sharp-witted stage manager (Stanley Tucci) and gender-bending host (Alan Cumming), Ali makes her way from the bar to the stage. Her spectacular voice restores The Burlesque Lounge to its former glory, though not before a charismatic entrepreneur (Eric Dane) arrives with an enticing proposal ...
Ali as a character is both sexy and innocent. She was also incredibly determined to be successful and was not going to let anyone hold her back. This was the ideal debut for Aguilera, who did a great job bringing Ali to life.
Burlesque is a feel good musical which offers some mindless entertainment, spectacular dancing, amazing costumes and songs that have so much energy and soul that will make you want to sing and dance. It’s a little bit sexy and just fun to watch.
With a bit of romance thrown in for good measure Burlesque definitely has a chick flick feel to it and Aguilera’s singing performances are exactly what you would expect, Mind blowing. Her fans will only add to the great number of musical fans out there who will be queuing up to see this film.

How Do You Know?

Director James L. Brooks ( Terms of Endearment, The Simpson’s) returns to the helm with this ensemble comedy ’How Do You Know’ starring Reese Witherspoon, Jack Nicholson, Paul Rudd, and Owen Wilson. It centres on
A gold medallist softball player with a can do ultra positive way of looking at life, she is cut from her team at the ripe old age of 31. Everything she has ever known is suddenly taken from her.
Not knowing what to do, she stumbles toward regular life. In this mode, she begins a fling with Matty Reynolds (Wilson), a rich and famous major league baseball pitcher, a self-centered ladies man – a narcissist with a code of honor who she has little in common with. Lisa (Witherspoon) a woman whose athletic ability is the defining passion of her life, having been her focus since early childhood. However his vanity is offset by his sunny guilelessness and he offers great sex and good times?
Paul Rudd plays George, the straight-arrow businessman whose complicated relationship with his father, Charles (Nicholson), takes a turn when he is accused of a financial crime, even though he’s done nothing wrong. Though he may be headed to jail, George’s honesty, integrity, and unceasing optimism may be his only path to keeping his sanity.

Before Lisa’s relationship with Matty takes root, she meets George for a first date on the worst evening of each of their lives. She has just been cut, and he has just been served. When everything else seems to be falling apart, will they discover what it means to have something wonderful happen?Is she better off with George, a sweet but anxious business guy who, as the naïve target of a federal investigation into business shenanigans, is watching his life fall apart?

The best thing about this movie is Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson who make up the few laughs that make this film worth sitting through and Jack Nicholson is his usual charismatic self. However Reese Witherspoon who has performed well in her previous films (Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama) fails in this film. She comes across whiny and annoying.

How Do You Know doesn't break any new ground in the romantic comedy genre, and some of the writing is suspect. With this A list cast you would expect this movie to be much better, instead it drags on, some scenes fall incredibly short. A number of which could have been cut and it would still make sense and probably be more enjoyable..

Its like watching three different movies that have no connection. The story line is very basic but there are some enjoyable comedy moments. Might do for a night in but I wouldn’t be queuing in the cold for this one.