August 2009


The Hurt Locker
Ultra-realistic. Butt-clenchingly tense. Completely character compelling. Jeremy Renner should be a bigger star. Makes Point Break's adrenaline-junkies look like pussies. Simply wow. One of the best war movies ever made. I concur with this.
**** (and a half)

Funny People
Funny People is a funny film about people. So does exactly what it says in the title then? Think a condensed but still long (at 2hrs 20minutes), stand-up instead of acting end season of Entourage and you're in the right area.
***

The Final Destination (in 3D)
Despite being dumbed-down with both dialogue and acting now diluted to death, Final Destination v.4 still manages to be a giggle due to the endlessly creative and convoluted death scenes. It’s almost a parody of itself and its own conventions now though, going the same way Freddy once went before .
***

Inglourious Basterds (full review - SPOILER warning)
What you are watching is undoubtedly a QT (master)piece, but quite unlike any other war movie you’ll ever have seen before. Inglourious? This is anything but.
*****

The Time Traveler's Wife
Clinically-adapted and classily-made, the life vignettes of The Time Travel(l)er and his Wife suffers however from a lack of atmosphere, engagement and sense of intimacy unfortunately. A valiant attempt at a difficult adap, but just a little bit off nonetheless.
***

A Perfect Getaway (full review)
A Perfect Getaway is by no means a perfect film, but it is a pacey and punchy holiday-themed thriller that stands apart in this summer of bloated blockbusters.
*** (and a half)

The Ugly Truth (full review)
The Ugly Truth is that this is a surprisingly funny, watchable and romantic chick flick. Recommended for boys even also.
***

Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (full review)
Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus isn’t one of those so-bad-its-good films. It is just so-bad. Do yourself a favour and watch the teaser again a few times over instead of the full length fiasco. It’s got all the goods and none of the guff.
*

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (full review)
G.I. Joe has no grand ambitions and no pretentions. It purely-and-simply wants to be big dumb awesome throwaway fun. It achieves this with aplomb. Go Joe!
*** (and a half)