clockwork s'Mart

Synopsis: Harry returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts and discovers that much of the wizarding community is in denial about the teenager’s recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort, preferring to turn a blind eye to the news that Voldemort has returned. Fearing that Hogwarts’ venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about Voldemort’s return in order to undermine his power and take his job, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore and the Hogwarts students. But Professor Dolores Umbridge’s Ministry-approved course of defensive magic leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the dark forces threatening them and the entire wizarding community, so at the prompting of his friends Hermione and Ron, Harry takes matters into his own hands. Meeting secretly with a small group of students who name themselves “Dumbledore’s Army,” Harry teaches them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that lies ahead.

Harry’s come a long way since we met him living under the stairs; he’s got his own room now! And he’s growing up with his first "sloppy" kiss (ugh). The story works well, and we see a lot more of the Ministry this time – but to be honest, it’s all becoming much the same – glad #6 is the last (no really)..

Sysnopsis: A long time ago, far away on the planet of Cybertron, a war was being waged between the noble Autobots (led by the wise Optimus Prime) and the devious Decepticons (commanded by the dreaded Megatron) for control over the Allspark, a mystical talisman that would grant unlimited power to whoever possessed it.

The Autobots managed to smuggle the Allspark off the planet, but Megatron blasted off in search of it. He eventually tracked it to the planet of Earth (circa 1850), but his reckless desire for power sent him right into the Arctic Ocean, and the sheer cold forced him into a paralyzed state. His body was later found by Captain Archibald Witwicky, and before going into a comatose state Megatron used the last of his energy to engrave a map, showing the location of the Allspark, into the Captain’s glasses, and send a transmission to Cybertron. He is then carted away by the Captain’s ship.

A century later, Sam Witwicky, nicknamed Spike by his friends, buys his first car. To his shock, he discovers it to be Bumblebee, an Autobot in disguise who is to protect Spike, as he bears the Captain’s glasses and the map carved on them. But Bumblebee is not the only Transformer to have arrived on Earth – in the desert of Qatar, the Decepticons Blackout and Scorponok attack a U.S. military base, causing the Pentagon to send their special Sector Seven agents to capture all "specimens of this alien race," and Spike and his girlfriend Mikaela find themselves in the middle of a grand battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons, stretching from Hoover Dam all the way to Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, within the depths of Hoover Dam, the cryogenically stored form of Megatron awakens…

Conclusion: What can I say – it was truely worth the wait. It’s not just a kids film, it’s a full action CGI spectacular. The Tranformers have come of age. I dare you to watch this firm, and not come out secretly wishing your car was some kind of guardian Transformer robot (see BeetleBot below).

*** Best SCI-FI movie of the year so far…

At my favourite cinema in sunny Croydon awaiting the start of the Transformers Movie. Shame its in one of their smaller screens.

1408 movie sounds good

Life size Simpson family at Vue Cinema, Purley Way…
Synposys: When Homer mistakenly pollutes the river with toxic waste from his "Pig Crap" silo, he causes the EPA to encase Springfield in a glass dome, and must save them before President Schwarzenegger gives the order for the town to be destroyed.

Conclusion: Well, imagine your typical Simpsons episode – but stretched out to 86 minutes. It’s great, it’s fun, plenty of visual comedy and fun surprises… See it if you are a fanatical Simpsons fan otherwise wait for the video — oh and wait through the credits at the end there are some fun clips to watch.