Savages (2012)

Savages movie review

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1615065/

What could have been good just turned out mostly weird.  Del Toro is genuinely scary but the other cartel crims fail to make an impact and the stoners-turned-superskunk-dealer heroes are poorly written. Especially the part about them sharing a girlfriend (who provides irritating narration).  Naff ending too.

Two stars

Django Unchained (2012)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1853728/

Hyper violent and snappily scripted, this tale of a slave in search of his wife is another winner for Tarantino.  Waltz is flawless as the German bounty hunter accompanying Django and DiCaprio is great as the unpredictable big bad.  But Django is hard to like and sometimes the pace drags.

Four stars

Jack Reacher (2012)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790724/

CRUISE CONTROL! This adaptation of Lee Child’s ex-military cop character is so completely and utterly Tom Cruise it hurts.  Stern looks, badass fighting and pithy dialogue abound.  A formulaic but gripping detective story with a far-fetched protagonist, this is the pure definition of three stars.

Three stars

500 Days of Summer (2009)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1022603/

A romantic comedy sorely lacking in romance or comedy.  Essentially a break-up story with a formulaic and frankly tedious plot, god knows what Joseph Gordon-Levitt is doing – his talent is massively wasted on this insipid meet-girl, get-girl, lose-girl, be-miserable bore-fest.

One star

Jurassic Park (1993)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/

Still terrifying in parts, the classic dinosaur epic is a true Spielbergian masterpiece.  Giant animatronic dinosaurs chase a selection of in turn likeable and detestable characters around a giant “amusement park”.  Absolutely fricking fantastic and if anyone hasn’t seen it, you should definitely catch up on a timeless classic!

Five stars

Up (2009)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1049413

A truly joyous adventure of a lonely old man and an inquisitive young boy.  Stunning animation and an intelligent, heartwarming and very funny story combine in one of the greatest Disney films of all time.  Will have kids and adults alike in stitches.

Five stars

The Impossible (2012)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1649419

Hugely emotional and genuinely frightening; I was on edge for a massive amount of this film.  A family are torn apart by the 2004 tsunami in Thailand, and in the aftermath they each fight desperately to survive and to be reunited.  A hard-to-believe but extremely powerful true story.

Four stars

Safe (2012)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1656190/

Jason Statham proving once again that though he can “do action” he can’t actually “do acting”.  A nonsensical three-way bunfight between Chinese gangsters, Russian gangsters and corrupt police over a little girl with a number in her head is completely and entirely foiled by one washed-up cagefighter. Yeah right.

Two stars

Taken (2008)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/

Preposterous and daft but thoroughly enjoyable kidnap drama.  As the “hero” Liam Neeson mows down seemingly countless “baddies” without any repercussions the silly-o-meter rockets.  But it’s got some good lines (including the famous one!) and despite being trashy it’s not a bad action movie overall.

Three stars

Life of Pi (2012)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454876/

A beautifully realised adaptation of an ambitious story.  Stunning cinematography and a hugely impressive (practically solo) performance from Suraj Sharma.  Requires some suspension of disbelief but the story of one boy’s survival at sea is really captivating.

Four stars

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/

Not as grand as LOTR but succeeds in enticing us into joining Bilbo’s adventure.  Slow in parts (no need for 3 films!) and lacking emotional weight, but it’s pretty fun and let’s face it, it’s got dwarves, goblins, trolls, hobbits, elves, Gandalf, Gollum and a DRAGON.  You gotta watch it.

Four stars