Synopsis: Based on the Marvel character, "Ghost Rider" is the story of motorcycle stunt performer, Johnny Blaze, who agrees to become the host of a "spirit of vengeance" in exchange for the safety of his true love, but the price he pays is to be cursed with the avenging spirit that takes its form at night as a demon with a flaming skull on a motorcycle of hellfire. Source: Yahoo Movies.

---

Conclusion: Excellent movie, following on from the great works of Marvel Comics. The Film was edgy and dark with the battling Good – oh scratch that, Bad vs. Bad (actually). There was a part in the movie I thought to myself "Right, you’ve set the scene.. next bit…" but it went on.. and on.. you’ll know the bit when you see it. Apart from that it’s worth a shot.

Sysnopsis: Eisenheim (Edward Norton) is a stage magician who amazes the audiences of turn-of-the-century Vienna, drawing the attention of Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). When the Prince’s intended, Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel), assists the magician onstage, Eisenheim and Sophie recognize each other from their childhoods — and a dormant love affair is rekindled. As the clandestine romance continues, Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) is charged by Leopold to expose Eisenheim, and Eisenheim prepares to execute his greatest illusion yet. Source: Yahoo Movies

---

Conclusion: It had great potential, but I was waiting, and waiting… and waiting. The effects were good, fascinating concept and a good story, but it it just didn’t really do it for me. "The Prestige" still my favourite in this category ( blog entry ).

Thought I’d take some time out and go and see a movie. You may of read a movie review last year that inspired me (name escapes me at the moment) but I love Victoran magic and mystery movies…

Ill let you know how it goes…

Try to imagine, if you can, The Wicker Man crossed with The Naked Gun. At that glorious intersection lies Hot Fuzz, the latest from the Shaun of the Dead team. Though retaining the same spirit as Shaun, director Edgar Wright and co-writer Simon Pegg have came up with an entirely new and fresh batch of characters and created a wonderful world for them to play in.

Pegg is Nicholas Angel, a London super-cop who, much to his superiors’ annoyance (lovely cameos from Martin Freeman, Steve Coogan and Bill Nighy) is just too good at his job. He’s making the rest of them look bad, so their solution is to ship him off to the country. He’s so obsessed with his work that when he arrives in the West Country village of Sanford, he immediately begins trying to clean up a town where, on the surface, nothing ever happens.

At his new station, he’s partnered with Danny (Frost), the none-too-bright son of the chief (Broadbent) where he seems doomed to spend his days eating gateaux and trying to find lost swans. But when a local couple are killed in a car crash, Angel becomes suspicious of Dalton’s supermarket boss, who looks like he knows a bit too much. Before long, bodies are piling up like it was Midsomer, but only Angel believes they’re anything other than accidents.

It’s really quite difficult to find fault with Hot Fuzz. It delivers everything it promises and a bit more besides. At its heart, we have the buddy/love story between Nick and Danny, played to perfection by Pegg and Frost. They’re supported by the absolute cream of British comedy and acting talent and everyone involved is an absolute delight.

The jokes go from silly to inspired back to very silly indeed, but belly laughs are plentiful and surrounded by dozens of smaller giggles. As a parody of police action movies, it’s also right on the money, but actually, it’s as much homage as it is piss-take, as they recreate some of the cheesiest scenes from the “masterpieces” of the genre with obvious affection. Even better though, it’s also a damn good action film in its own right.

The climax does drag on a touch, with the old “he’s behind you” being used a couple of times too many, and the final payoff isn’t quite as satisfying as Shaun. But these are minor quibbles that don’t detract from Hot Fuzz being surely the funniest film you’ll see this year.

Source: Future Movies

Synopsis: For customers of Super Club, the largest high-volume, bulk-discount retailer in the country, membership has its privileges. For workers at the cavernous store, the most coveted honor is the "Employee of the Month" award, and having one’s photo immortalized on the wall of fame in the staff lounge. Enter Zack Bradley and Vince Downey, two ultra competitive Super Club workers whose ten years of employment have resulted in drastically different career paths. While Vince–with the aid of his trusty sidekick Jorge–has advanced to become head cashier and winner of 17 consecutive "E of M" awards, Zack is the ultimate slacker whose scruffy appearance and laid back attitude has made him popular with his colleagues, but kept him stuck in the lowly ranks of the store’s box boys. The duo’s longtime rivalry comes to a bitter head when Amy–a beautiful new cashier with a reputation of only dating "Employee of the Month" winners–transfers to the store, immediately becoming the object of both Zack and Vince’s affection and often comical gamesmanship. While Vince instantly impresses Amy with his crowd pleasing, flamboyant style behind his checkstand register, Zack’s feeble attempts to charm his beautiful new co-worker quickly backfire against him. With the race to win Amy’s affections slipping away, Zack determines his only chance rests in winning the store’s next "Employee of the Month" award.

---

Conclusion: Yeah, it was funny… but wait for DVD

Synopsis: Good-hearted dreamer Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), despite being perpetually down on his luck, thinks he’s destined for something big. But even he could never have imaged how "big," when he accepts what appears to be a menial job as a graveyard-shift security guard at a museum of natural history. During Larry’s watch, extraordinary things begin to occur: Mayans, Roman Gladiators, and cowboys emerge from their diorama to wage epic battles; in his quest for fire, a Neanderthal burns down his own display; Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher) pillages his neighboring exhibits, and a T-Rex reminds everyone why he’s history’s fiercest predator. Amidst the chaos, the only person Larry can turn to for advice is a wax figure of President Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams), who helps our hero harness the bedlam, stop a nefarious plot, and save the museum.

---

Conclusion: Great kids movie (I really enjoyed it!), nice story that parents tell kids – "At night all the creatures and people in the museum come to life.." I know I’ve certainly heard it before.. Go see it, watch out for it on DVD.

Synopsis: So now we know what little Christopher Paolini was doing with his time while he was supposedly being home-schooled, and writing the "Inheritance" fantasy novel trilogy.

Eragon, the film based on Mr. Paolini’s precocious fantasy novel, is about a boy fulfilling his destiny, an inscrutable mentor, a daring dungeon rescue of a fair maiden, a big battle between the "rebel" forces of good and those of the Dark Lord.

The kid’s got to fly a dragon into battle to save humanity. No biggie.

Eragon introduces handsome young Ed Speleers as Eragon, a boy abandoned by his parents, left behind by his older, hunkier cousin who flees the army recruiters (foreshadowing, foreshadowing). Then, this huge magical jellybean falls into Eragon’s hands, and next thing you know, a cuddly little dragon hatches.

A mentor (Jeremy Irons) arrives. Even though the lad is "one part fool, to three parts brave," he trains him. For a day or so.

But the dragon grows up so fast! They all do. And she (who has the voice of Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz) and Eragon set off on a quest to meet the Varden, led by Djimon Hounsou, where they’ll help battle evil king John Malkovich and his sadistic sorcerer henchman, Robert Carlyle ( Trainspotting).

It’s a mash-up, to be sure, with elves, or at least elvish language, ogres, shape-shifting wizards and Black Riders. Only they don’t have horses.

All looking for Princess Leia and the One Ring of Power. Or not.

The movie plays like a script written by a teenager, a smorgasbord of fantasy plot points, character types and brawls. The experienced actors earn the big bucks just for keeping straight faces.

It’s all quite silly, but with sharp production values (director Stefen Fangmeir comes from the visual effects department) and lovely, under-utilized Hungarian locations.

Not the worst dragon movie ever. Not whilst Dragonheart hangs heavy on the memory. But chalk this one up as strictly for kids, home-schooled or not.

---

Conclusion: Yes, it was ok – it was a bit slow, and not a lot of direction. There were some good fight scenes, but not enough to keep me interested. One thing that did grate on me was this suposed farm boy with a perfect "upper class" accent – very strange.. Lets hope the other parts of this trilogy are a little better.

Synposis: You could be forgiven for thinking that Denzel Washington actually is a cop, given the amount of times he seems to play one on screen. To be fair, he manages to put a reasonably fresh spin on each new character, here replacing the sarcasm from Inside Man with a sort of jovial efficiency.

This time around he’s an ATF agent investigating an explosion on a New Orleans ferry that killed 500 people. When the body of a young woman washes up full of clues it forms the basis of his search and leads him to a government agency led by Kilmer who have developed technology that allows them to look exactly 4 days, 6 hours into the past (no, really). They can go to any location within a certain radius, round corners and through walls, allowing them to search for clues and identify the bomber. But what if the contraption can be used to go back and actually stop the event from ever happening?

More talk than walk, Deja Vu is a really rather pedestrian police procedural dressed up as high concept sci-fi. Action scenes are surprisingly thin on the ground, limited to a couple of car chases and a couple of shoot-outs. And, like any time paradox thriller, what the filmmakers seem to get away with on the surface will ultimately cause your brain to fold in on itself if you think about it too much. This leaves Deja Vu as far too silly to take seriously and far too serious to be any fun.

Still, Tony Scott at least seems to have temporarily regained the ability to direct a film like a normal person. Perversely though, a bit of his usual hi-jinks is maybe just what Deja Vu is lacking. The trailer kind of hints at flashiness and events repeating themselves, but it’s played straight as a die and is unfortunately all the duller for it. Washington’s presence does manage to elevate it to a cut above but, in all honesty, without him it could just as easily be a piece of DTV hokum with Christopher Lambert or Mario Van Peebles.

---

Conclusion: Interesting concept, but I’m sure I’ve seen something like this before – it dragged a bit, and I’m not sure it would be for everyone – rent it, don’t buy it.

more to follow…