FILM: The Hangover Part II (dir: Todd Phillips, 2011)

"I don't get it!  Is this a magic show?"

The Hangover Part II is literally a re-run of the original movie - right down to structure, set-ups and characters - just set in a different location.  Nevertheless, this sequel is still very entertaining, as the jokes and situations become cruder, Galifianikis plays peculiar Alan much more convincingly this time and with hilarious detail (including towards the end probably the funniest single sight gag - involving a speedboat -  we will see this year), and Ed Helms goes into manic overdrive as this film's bridegroom Stu.  The photo-montage which accompanies the end credits easily out-grosses the exact same trick used in the original film.The settings are used to good effect, from inner city seedy squalor to beautiful countryside and coast, but this window dressing does not hide the fact that a considerable amount of the running time feels very familiar indeed.

DVD: I Saw The Devil (dir: Kim Jee-Woon, 2010)

"You were right.  I underestimated you."

I Saw The Devil is an extraordinary South Korean film which challenges in many ways, notably its running time of over two hours and its wonderful juxtaposition of cold beauty and bloody violence.  From its visually and musically elegaic opening and the subsequent catalytic killing, Kim Jee-Woon controls camera movements and framing very carefully to confront the viewer with the reality of grief to set up Agent Soo-Hyun on the path of 'true revenge' for the death of his fiancee at the hands of serial killer Kyung-Chul.  The length of the film allows a real study of both lead characters, as Soo-Hyun stalks, catches and releases the killer, each time inflicting harsher and more physically extreme punishment.  Lee Byung-Hun (seen in G.I. Joe) and Choi Min-Sik (Oldboy) are both superb throughout and carry most of the film either alone or together on-screen.  The wonderful score supports the visuals most effectively, and whilst the final act may be a little too Saw-like for some, the final image of the film is truly haunting.    I Saw The Devil is a fine example of an Asian film that can use gore with a truly constructive and cinematic sensibility.

FILM: Blitz (dir: Elliott Lester, 2011)

"You don't have the brains of a chicken, do you?"

Story-wise (serial killer targets cops) there is little that adds to what we have seen in TV shows such as Cracker and Prime Suspect, but here it is done very effectively indeed and with an eye for the big screen, rather like The Long Good Friday achieved thirty years ago.  The violence is brutal, the script is amusing, earthy and very well-constructed (even plugging later on what appear to be some early plotholes) with a great pay-off, and the film constantly engages. Although character stereotypes and genre cliches are thrown about with carefree abandon, Statham and Considine give terrific performances as the two mismatched policemen (one gay, one The Stath) and work very well together on-screen, and Aidan Gillan's trademark swagger is used to good effect, creating a real sense of menace whenever he pops up to observe his next victim.  London looks good, although it has probably not appeared so empty since 28 Days Later.  For this genre of low-budget London-based film, Blitz is very successful, and it would be good to see the characters return in a further movie.

FILM: Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 2 - Rodrick Rules (dir: David Bowers, 2011)

"I don't know how to make paint!"

This sequel to last year's Wimpy Kid movie is generally delightful - sweet without being saccharine, knowing without being patronising, and above all made and written with a real desire to entertain consistently.  The character of young Greg Heffley is styled essentially as a Charlie Brown for the 21st century (also reflected in the soundtrack), brought to life by a fresh and likable performance by Zachary Gordon, which is contrasted effectively by the more cartoon-like stylings of Devon Bostick as his older brother.  There is a good hit-rate in the comedy aspect of the film, and the more heartfelt moments feel natural and unforced.  For the adults, Greg's parents are recognisably well-meaning and embarrassing to their offspring, and a couple of well-observed pastiches (The Partridge Family and a spoof 80s-horror movie The Foot) are nicely realised.  This is a simple, well-written and very enjoyable movie for its main (young) target audience and beyond.

FILM: Pirates Of The Caribbean - On Stranger Tides 3D (dir: Rob Marshall, 2011)

"I think we've been down this road before, Jack."

The fourth Pirates movie serves its function well as a part-reboot and an attempt to claw back public and critical support after the sprawling confusion of the previous two parts.  On Stranger Tides is a very busy, noisy and spirited movie from the outset, with Rob Marshall handling its three main narrative strands effectively (if not equally) and creates good forward momentum that only gets a little shaky in the final act.  Although there is humour as expected, the tone is generally serious in both word-heavy script and direction, missing the occasional lightness of touch that Gore Verbinski managed previously.  Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane and Geoffrey Rush triumph over often poorly-written lines, all three of them working especially well when paired on-screen with Johnny Depp, whose physical and verbal timing in this role remains a joy to watch.  3D is generally good, especially in the sea-borne scenes, and effects work is impressive, with the London escape chase and the mermaid attack in particular working very well.  The melodramatic orchestral soundtrack grinds away relentlessly, even when clearly not needed.  The action set-pieces are very well-executed throughout, in spite of the occasional familiarity to scenes in the first film in particular.  On Stranger Tides feels overlong at more than two hours and provides few surprises, but in general it provides efficient entertainment overall without ever being great, and it improves considerably on the last two outings for the franchise.

FILM: Attack The Block (dir: Joe Cornish, 2011)

"Allow it."

The excellent and carefully-structured trailer for Attack The Block generated much buzz and accented the comedic element.  It is something of a surprise that not only is the actual film very funny, it is also an extremely effective alien-invasion-horror.  Writer/director Joe Cornish creates a snappy, tightly- constructed and energetic movie and gets uniformly excellent performances from a mostly young cast, led by a towering focused turn by John Boyega as gang-leader Moses.  Once you get past the unsettlingly joyless racial and authority stereotyping, the film's rather obvious fundamental messages of tolerance, understanding and brotherhood win the day.  With characters you genuinely care about, a terrific Chemical Brothers soundtrack and the genuinely creative craft on display, Attack The Block is an exciting, amusing and immensely enjoyable movie that does not disappoint.

FILM: Hanna (dir: Joe Wright, 2011)

"Hanna, what did your mother die of?"
"Three bullets."

Hanna presents itself as a very peculiar hybrid of action-thriller and art film.  The few action beats are superbly handled, but they are marooned amongst unsubtle fairytale motifs and an increasing number of curious, downright bizarre and occasionally laughable script and directorial choices to which bemused eye-rolling becomes a recurring response.  Eric Bana and Cate Blanchette give very strong performances as the leads, and Saoirse Ronan is entrancing as Hanna, the genetically-enhanced assassin discovering the world for the first time on her implausibly globe-trotting mission.  The soundscape is intriguing but not always appropriate or supportive of the on-screen action, and there is some fine cinematography of the varied snowy, desert and cityscape vistas.   Luc Besson understood the fine balance between style and entertainment in Leon and La Femme Nikita; in Hanna, the self-conscious and self-indulgent trappings make the film quite a tedious chore overall.

FILM: Priest 3D (dir: Scott Stewart, 2011)

"I always preferred the hard way."

 

In this second pairing of director Stewart and lead actor Bettany, mankind is under attack not from angels but vampires of the nasty variety in this awkward mash-up of Blade and The Matrix.  There is quite a lot of violence on show for a 12A certificate film (in the UK), as this is of course fantasy violence, but it is this element of compromise that weakens the film, which has every indication of being tough and uncompromising but which ultimately leaves little lasting impression. The film attracted a good cast, with effective performances from Paul Bettany and Karl Urban, but Cam Gigandet feels mis-cast and Maggie Q is given little to do.  The grimy Blade Runner-eque dystopia of Cathedral City is excellently designed, and there is some good vampiric creature work on display, but the harsh desert sunlight and gloomily-lit interiors both frequently neutralise the 3D effect.  Probably the most frustrating aspect of Priest 3D is that it ends just as the real finale is about to begin - or is that simply being held over for an optimistic but unlikely possible sequel?

FILM: 13 Assassins (dir: Takashi Miike, 2011)

"Your samurai brawls are crazy fun!"

 

 

One of the joys of the prolific Takashi Miike is you never know which genre and tone he will unleash with each film. 13 Assassins plays the historical setting straight, with the director's trademark excesses here used to service the story in a serious way. It is very much a film of two halves; the steady scene-setting references Kurosawa in its masterful control of both camera and a mostly mature cast in the classic story-telling formation of the band of assassins with the aim of overthrowing the amoral Lord Naritsugu (a wonderfully cool and cruel performance by Goro Inagaki), leading to the extended 'death trap' village sequence where the all-out final confrontation is played out. Even though not all of the assassins' characters feel sufficiently differentiated, the high standard and sheer gravitas of performances gives the relentless fight scenes at the end some genuine emotional impact. The subtitling is frequently stiff and stilted, but to a large extent this could reflect the formality of the samurai. 13 Assassins is one of Takashi Miike's strongest works; whether you bought your ticket for the historical samurai story or the blood-and-guts battles, the director delivers a compelling film on both counts.

FILM: Insidious (dir: James Wan, 2011)

"When did the voice of reason become the bad guy here?"

This is what Poltergeist would have been if directed by the love-child of Dario Argento and Ingmar Bergman. Insidious is a classic daft low-budget ghost-train ride of a movie, seemingly referencing as many supernatural movies as it can (intentionally or not) from The Haunting through to Drag Me To Hell, even down to the (stunt) casting of Barbara Hershey as the grandmother, nearly thirty years on from The Entity. Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne give capable if occasionally too understated performances as the parents of the 'haunted' boy which centres the film on a more reflective note, contrasted with the GhostFacers-style investigative duo and the expected spiritualist, which is indicative of how the much the tone of the film wanders inconsistently. The washed-out colour palette creates a chilly atmosphere, clearly used to highlight the increasing use of red as the film progresses. The film nevertheless delivers some effective moments - the first jump-scare is a belter - only slightly let down by the obvious lack of budget for the finale. Insidious just about fulfils its purpose, but nothing more.

FILM: Cedar Rapids (dir: Miguel Arteta, 2011)

REVIEW No. 150!

"Of course, I am talking about my integrity....!"

Cedar Rapids is a delightful film. Having been oddly promoted as a grown-up Porky's, this little indie has so much fine acting acting and writing on display. Ed Helms (Stu in The Hangover) and Anne Heche give terrific performances, and John C Reilly gives the stereotypical 'jerk' character some real emotional depth. The narrative never goes anywhere that is completely unexpected, and the slightly self-conscious scripting and character lurches in the second half are a little unconvincing, but overall the film shows a beautiful balance between humour and pathos and the writing gives the seemingly limited characters real warmth and credibility. The seeming sequel-set-up towards the end is actually played out during the credits, which is some ways is a shame, and it would have been good to revisit these characters again.