MOVIE CENTRAL

American Beauty
Run Time: 2hrs. 1 min.
Dir: Sam Mendes.

Amidst much Oscar hype, including the nomination for best picture, we have American Beauty, a character driven film about a set of dysfunctional people within an American suburb. At the head of this excellent cast is the brilliant beyond words Kevin Spacey as the hapless and forlorn Lester Burnham. A henpecked and downtrodden husband of a permafrost wife (Annette Bening) obsessed with cleanliness, success, a happy family, or at least the appearance of all of the above and the father of a typical American teenage daughter (Thora Birch), i.e. Ungrateful, moody and completely embarrassed by her parents mere existence. Needless to say the worm does turn once he meets the pot-dealing son of his new next door neighbour Ricky, brilliantly played by newcomer Wes Bentley, who becomes like a sage to Lester and reminds him of his lost youth. He begins to work out to impress his daughter�s jailbait cheerleader friend Angela (Mena Suvari), starts listening to his old rock music, smoking pot, and quits his job to flip burgers whilst blackmailing them for a large cash settlement. The most enjoyable and amusing parts of this film arise from Lester�s mid-life crisis and the consequences thereof, but there is much more to the film than just this. Although the wife is a bit of a bitch, there are reasons for it and you can empathise with all of the characters involved. None of them are all bad, nor are they all good, and it is their faults which make them all the more believable. Ricky records everything on a camcorder, including Lester�s daughter with whom he is infatuated, whilst trying not to incur the wrath of his Father who is a strict ex-Army disciplinarian, devoid of emotion with Nazi porcelain in his cabinet. Angela has insecurities that belie her popular little miss perfect prom queen image, and indeed there is more to all the characters than meets the eye as they are all very intelligently written. The visual elements of this film also lend it a cutting edge above it�s contemporaries, Lester�s fantasises are signalled by bright red rose petals, his monitor at work represents prison bars and the camcorder viewpoint enables some unique camera shots. Although Spacey does get all the best lines this is an ensemble piece and as such all involved get the opportunity to excel. This is much more than a mere black comedy, it is a look at the hollowness of both the American dream and modern life in general, as well as the search for true beauty and happiness. Well written, intelligent, visually stunning, this deserves all the acclaim it has procured.

Blast From The Past
Run Time: 118 mins.
Dir: Hugh Wilson.

Brendon Fraser ('George of the Jungle') and Alicia Silverstone ('Clueless') star in this lighthearted tale about Adam, who has grown up in a nuclear bomb shelter, and Eve, who is a cynical girl from 90's LA. Adam gets out of the shelter he has spent his entire life in when the 35 year lock, designed to prevent radiation by his paranoid father (Christopher Walken) during the cold war, opens. Needless to say alot has changed since 1962 which is where much of the humour is derived. This is a bit like a reverse 'Back to the Future' with a 60's guy in the 90's opposed to an 80's guy in the 50's and it is also a perfect situation for some genuinely funny moments as Adam's perception of good old fashioned 'apple pie' America is shattered. Although improbable, this is an entertaining comedy that is well worth a look.

The Bone Collector
Run Time: 1hr. 58 mins.
Dir: Phillip Noyce.

Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington) is a quadriplegic New York City police forensics expert who is on the trail of a taxi driving serial killer. Angelina Jolie plays a voluptuously pouting street cop called Amelia Donaghy who stumbles across one of the victims and some vital evidence and is recruited by Rhyme, as he believes she has a gift for forensics. Donaghy sets off following the clues to prevent the next murder whilst Rhyme guides her from his bed using state of the art computer technology which he controls with the only part of his body that conveniently works beneath the neck, his finger. Although the two lead roles are well played several things made it hard to suspend an air of disbelief. These include, Rhyme being allowed to conduct the investigation with a cop unqualified in forensics, Donaghy�s grumpy character changing mid-way through the film after pep talk from Rhyme and the Head of the investigation doing everything possible to make things more difficult for the two main characters. I also guessed the murderer less than half way through because they usually play psychos and at the risk of giving it away, they crop up several times for little or no reason. Putting these gripes aside, this is still a good example of a murder mystery very much in the mould of Seven, which does have some chilling and gruesome moments as the victims are brutally killed in variously unpleasant ways, including being boiled alive and eaten by rats. Jolie exploring the dark and dank murder scenes are typical edge of the seat moments as you wait for something to jump out at her the whole time thinking �don�t go down there alone, don�t open that door!� The only other negative point is the typical American ending, which without saying too much, is as sickening as some of the murders.

The Faculty
Run Time: 117 mins.
Dir: Robert Rodriguez.

Knowing this if from the director of �From Dusk �Till Dawn� and the screenwriter of �Scream� (Kevin Williamson) means you should know what to expect and you shouldn�t be disappointed. With Williamson already revitalising the horror genre for the 90�s, here he adds a sci-fi element to his established teen formula and the result is a blend of �Breakfast Club� meets �Bodysnatchers�. The fact that this isn�t anything new isn�t much of a concern as the standard is much higher since the days of �Freddy Krueger�. So for a good Friday night film that will make people jump and cover their eyes, you could do much worse than this.

Fight Club
Run Time: 139 mins.
Dir: David Fincher.

Jack (Edward Norton) is man very unhappy with his job, his life and modern society in general. He is also an insomniac who takes to going to self-help evening classes in an attempt to feel better, such as men with testicular cancer. This works until he keeps bumping into a bizarre woman (Helena Bonham Carter) at the same support groups (including the men with testicular cancer!) and therefore begins fearing exposure as a fraud much like she is. This is until Jack meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). The two embark upon an unusual friendship leading to the formation of Fight Club and a general rebel against the apathy, nihilism, and consumerism of modern day society. Needless to say it all gets a bit out of hand. Brilliantly directed by David Fincher (�Seven�) this is both a superb black-comedy and statement about our society that has got little to do with the bad press that accompanied it�s release and depicted it as a bare knuckle fighting film. Both Pitt and Norton shine in their respective roles and helped raise my already high opinions of them. This is a film that demands to be seen time and time again. Partly due to the twist at the finale, which compels the viewer to re-trace every step much like �The Usual Suspect�s� or �The Sixth Sense�. But mostly because it is just so hugely enjoyable from start to finish.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Dir: Hironobu Sakaguchi.

Gladiator
Run Time: 2hr. 30 mins.
Dir: Ridley Scott

Epic, is the only word that can be used to describe this lavish production that follows in the big-screen tradition of films like Spartacus, Ben-Hur and Cleopatra, and who better to create such visual splendour than director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner). Russell Crowe (L.A. Confidential) plays Maximus, a Roman General who has been away from home for 2yrs and 264 days leading the Roman army against the Barbarians to expand Caesar's Empire. Tired and longing to go home to his wife and son, Maximus is asked by Caesar (played by an older than God Richard Harris) to be the heir to his throne and save Rome from the corruption and turmoil that has consumed it, by giving it back to the people. Furious at this news, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), Caesar's son and rightful heir, sends pop to the grave ahead of schedule and promptly orders Maximus, his wife, and kid, to join him a.s.a.p. Maximus of course escapes, finds his family burned and crucified upon arriving home, and is none too pleased. He loses the will to live, gets captured, turned into a slave and bought by Proximo, excellently played by a leather faced, steely eyed, white bearded Oliver Reed in last screen role. Proximo uses his slaves as Gladiator's and once he realises Maximus is a bit tasty at the old slaying game, he takes him to Rome where the new Emperor is holding a series of brutal games in an attempt to win over the people. Needless to say, it is revenge and not glory that is on the agenda for Maximus, and so follows the General who became a slave, who became a Gladiator, who defied an Emperor, truly epic stuff. The re-creation of the coliseum in Rome is breath taking, Rome itself is stunning, and the battle scenes are stunningly bloodied and realistic, you can almost feel the cold steel of the blades cut through the air past your ear. Ridley Scott has re-created the feel of a classic big-screen epic, but used the latest technology to make the picture as realistic as possible. Although it is a great pity that Oliver Reed died whilst making this film, and therefore is CGI'd into certain scenes. This does not detract from the overall effect of the film, and the scenes he did finish act as a fine farewell as he is excellent as the wily old ex-Gladiator. Joaquin Phoenix is suitably hammy as the evil emperor, and more than a little reminiscent of Alan Rickman in Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves. But the true praise must go to Russell Crowe who is being hailed as the new action hero, and deservedly so as his physicality and screen presence are unmatched in recent years. Although the ending was a little hollow and overly sentimental for my tastes, this is easily the biggest blockbuster of the year so far and it will be hard to beat as you can see all of the one million dollar budget up there on the screen. I would say they don't make 'em like this anymore, but they have!

Kevin & Perry Go Large
Run Time: 1hr. 28 mins.
Dir: Ed Bye

Stroppy TV teenager Kevin (Harry Enfield) and his slow-witted sidekick Perry (Kathy Burke) make the transition from the small to big screen in this comedy about DJ wannabe's in Ibiza. One of the things that struck me about this film was how conventional and formulaic it was within the teen-flick genre. It reminded me of other recent teen comedies such as American Pie in the way that the story was wish-based, as the main characters in both films were on a quest to lose their virginity's, and the plot follows quite a standard format. The boys long to pop their cherries and be superstar DJ's, but are a laughing stock and are knocked back at every turn, then just before the last act the main character suffers the ultimate humiliation before everything turns out alright in the end. It follows the same lines as just about every other teen-flick out there, the main differences here are that the teenage boys in question are actually played by a thirty something man and woman. The world in which they inhabit is nothing like that of a real teenager and the humour is altogether more British. The effects of which are the jokes being a lot cruder and disgusting than anything we've seen from the States. Turd's float in the sea, vomit flies, there are more knob gags and hard-on's than in any other film, and the scene where the girls are getting ready to go out defies description. Never before has waxing the bikini line and popping zit's be so over-the-top and graphic, a word of warning, do not eat before seeing this film. All of which leads the film to be both genuinely hilarious and disgusting at times and results in the ending being a lot less sentimental and nauseating than its American counterparts. Considering this originated from a three-minute sketch, it translates to the big screen surprisingly well, although this might not have been the case if it were any longer, and as for a sequel? Well, just forget about it. Other plus points include a multitude of cameos and it is worth seeing just for the Ford Focus piss-take at the beginning, as I said, very British.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Run Time: 96 mins.
Dir: Simon West

Angelina Jolie plays iconic pixellated heroine Lara Croft in this big screen conversion of the hugely popular video game series. And I'd have to say that it's not a bad piece of casting, because although she may not be everybody's idea of Lara, she more than fills the shoes (and bra) of Miss. Croft. The film itself is much as you'd expect, as it is in the tradition of other archaeology related action adventures, such as Indiana Jones, and the Mummy Returns, released around the same time as Tomb Raider. The question is what's the difference between the two? Well, this is shorter! Both have fantastic special effects, great action set pieces, and an abundance of CGI, and not a whole lot else. In comparison to Tomb Raider's contemporaries however, this does have an altogether more English feel largely due to the director, location, and non-too shabby accent of the lead. This gives the film a slight James Bond feel, although there is also a hint of Batman (main character lives in a mansion, with a butler, has a limitless supply of wealth and vehicles/gadgets). Now the one thing I've not mentioned in all this is the plot and that's because, as I said, there isn't much of one. Basically there is a planetary alignment about to take place that some relics can harness the power of and needless to say, if they fall into the wrong hands, can be used for unspeakable evil. Therefore our heroine needs to beat the bad guys to it and destroy the relics, the only snag being that she might be able to bring back her long lost Dad (played by real life Dad Jon Voight) with them, and therefore it's decision time, and that's about it. So in short, what we have here is an enjoyable action romp with some great set pieces and a little bit of a story to string them together. Not to say that this is such a bad thing as this, much like the Mummy Returns, is a good night out at the cinema, but whether there is any longer lasting appeal once the credits roll, only time will tell.

Life Is Beautiful (La Vita E Bella)
Run Time: 122 mins.
Dir: Roberto Benigni.

This truly is a film of two halves, the first a hilarious romantic comedy, the second, a touching and tragic tale. Directed by and starring Roberto Benigni, whose most notable role to date for English audiences was probably as Inspector Clouseau�s son in �Son of the Pink Panther�, his performance is one of the most memorable in cinematic history, much like his acceptance speech at the Oscars for best actor. Benigni plays a Jewish Italian waiter in 1939, who falls in love with a local school teacher (Nicoletta Braschi) and sets about winning her hand in hilarious fashion. His antics as he chases her are some of the funniest to appear on the big screen. The second half of the film is set towards the end of World War II where the waiter is placed in a Nazi Concentration Camp along with his young son, whom he convinces that the camp is just a big game in an attempt to help him through the ordeal. This is a remarkably touching film that has the rare ability to make you laugh and cry. I feel fortunate that I did not know what to expect before the film, as I was pleasantly surprised. I feel that it is a shame that some won�t want to see a foreign subtitled film because after a short while you forget your reading as you�re drawn into the story and it would be tragic if people missed a film of this magnitude for such a trivial reason. Although a comparison between the Oscars best picture winner and this is like that of apples and oranges (a matter of taste), this is at least as good as the excellent �Shakespeare in Love� and my film of the year so far. I do not get a lump in my throat easily but this film that captures the meaning of the human spirit managed it and with the events we�re seeing in the news it is very relevant right now.

Minority Report
Run Time: 148 mins
Dir: Steven Spielberg

First off, forget who the director of this film is, because knowing that it is Spielberg will create all sorts of preconceptions. Next forget about the major Hollywood star, because although we have come to know Tom Cruise as one of the finest and most versatile big screen stars of our generation, it's easy to forget this is due to his acting ability rather than his other, more aesthetic, attributes. If you can manage that you won't sit through this film thinking how unlike the previous work of Spielberg or Cruise this is. The film is set around fifty years in the future and murders have been prevented from happening thanks to three gifted youths called pre-cognitives, or pre-cogs. The pre-cogs were born damaged due to their parents drug use and upon treatment have gained visionary powers that have been used to set up a pre-crime unit to prevent murders. The best of these pre-crime officers is John Anderton (Cruise) who is driven by the loss of his son several years earlier, however that all changes when the pre-cogs foresee Anderton himself commit a murder. Naturally confused as to why he might murder a man he has never met before when he of all people should know he has no chance of getting away with it, Anderton sets off to solve the mystery. Why would he commit murder? Is it a mistake? Was he framed? Can he solve the mystery before the pre-crime unit catches him, or before he commits the murder?
This is a dystopian view of the future and as such has drawn comparisons with various other films of the same genre, in particular Blade Runner, which is unsurprising as both have been taken from Philip K. Dick source material. This is not to say that this is a similar film but merely a different view of a less than perfect future. There are many Orwellian themes throughout the film, such as the constant surveillance in all walks of life. For example, in the mall of the future retinal scans help to tailor the shopping experience for the individual so that instead of generic advertisements for everyone, the scan can identify you and then check what your tastes are or what your last purchase was. Which brings me to my only gripe about the film as it's difficult to understand how this technology can be so advanced and yet fail to set off alarms when Anderton re-enters the pre-crime HQ once a warrant for his arrest is issued. That aside, this is a brilliantly made, morally intriguing, well thought out film, made by a director who has once again proved that he is one of the best despite this being totally different to that which he has done before, and starring an actor whose memorable performances seem endless.

The Mummy Returns
Dir: Stephen Sommers

This sequel to the 1999 blockbuster hit �The Mummy� reunites the main cast from the original film in this enjoyable if somewhat formulaic action adventure romp. As is the trend in most sequels nowadays, this follow up doesn�t do anything that drastically different from the first film but merely does it bigger, better, louder, and more often. Not that this is such a bad thing as at least we�ve got away from trends of the past where mere half hearted attempts were made at re-hashing a film in an attempt to cash in on an originals success without any intention of making a halfway decent film. Set in 1933, nine years after the first film, Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) are now married and have an 8-year-old son, but are still routing around tombs in ancient Egypt. Needless to say, as if they didn�t learn the first time, this can lead to all manner of nasties being resurrected from the dead. This time however it isn�t just the evil mummy Imhotep but also The Scorpion King (played by the WWF�s The Rock). The basic story line sees our heroes racing against Imhotep to get to The Scorpion King first as he who defeats him can either send him back to hell or command his forces to take-over the world. This film is a tribute to directors such as Spielberg and Lucas as it is made in the tradition of films such as �Indiana Jones� and in particular �Return of the Jedi� in that it has a multi, or more specifically, three-way finale. Fraser fights the bad guys, the armies of good and evil have a gigantic battle in the desert, and just for good measure the girls get it on as well in an impressive fight with dagger�s that is like something out of �The Matrix�. As stated there is not much new here and criticisms might include the use of too much CGI or Brendan Fraser being no Harrison Ford. However he does seem to appease the ladies and the CGI has come along way since even �The Phantom Menace� as the effect is a lot less obvious in the final battle scenes of this film than in that of the latter. All in all this is an enjoyable Saturday afternoon matinee style movie that is no longer made that often, and although some of the more cynical of us might claim that we�ve seen it all before, it is suitably silly escapism and should only be treated as such.

Plunkett & Macleane
Run Time: 93 mins.
Dir. Jake Scott.

Robert Carlyle and Johnny Lee Miller re-unite to play Will Plunkett and Captain James Macleane for the first time since they appeared together in �Trainspotting�. Although set in the year 1748 this is unlike other mind numbingly dull costume drama�s, this is an ultra slick, fast paced, sexy adventure film. Plunkett is a working class robber and Macleane is a bankrupt dandy whose tastes are too rich for his purse. The two miss-matched characters are thrown together and set about robbing the pompous aristocracy as highwaymen to finance an escape to a better life in classless America. Of course all doesn�t go to plan especially once Macleane is distracted by the love interest Lady Rebecca (Liv Tyler) and Plunkett is obsessed by revenging the death of his friend by the devilish Thief Taker General (Ken Stott). Directed by Jake Scott (son of Ridley, nephew of Tony) famous for pop promo for the likes of U2 and REM. This film has a similar feel to a music video and manages to be very modern despite the period it is set in and although this means it might not be accurate historically, it is very entertaining.

Scream 3
Run Time: 1hr. 58 mins.
Dir: Wes Craven

The third (and we are assured final) part of the Scream franchise has arrived and takes up where the other two left off with plenty of slasher antics upon good looking young movie stars, self-referential and knowingly ironic humour, and the usual Agatha Christie style "whodunnit?" ending. However, this time the film has relocated to the movie set of 'Stab 3' in L.A where good-looking young actors are playing the surviving characters from the first two films. Which gives the film an interesting doppelganger effect as all of our favourites from the previous films, including Courtney Cox, David Arquette (a.k.a. Mr & Mrs) and the 'lurveley' Neve Campbell, come into contact with their doubles. This gives the film an almost overly self-referential quality (if there is such a thing). Because it's a bit like watching a film within a film as the cast bitch about their roles and how stupid they are to get killed in the script, before actually being that stupid and getting killed themselves. Although this self-knowing irony is what gave the Scream franchise its initial appeal over other films in this genre, I feel they may have gone a little over the top this time. None the less it does give us all the elements we have come to expect and I didn't guess who the murderer is (partly because everyone is made into a suspect), in fact I didn't even recognise them. There are also plenty of cameos to keep people happy with "Jay", "Silent Bob" and Carrie Fisher, and this latest film does maintain the standards set by the previous outings, although I think they should definitely quit while their still ahead. I f nothing else this is worth seeing just for Neve Campbell, did I mention she's 'lurveley'?

Shrek
Run Time: 90 mins
Dir: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson

Mike Myers stars as the voice of a big green Ogre with a comedic Scottish accent not unfamiliar to the few that saw the underrated 'So I Married an Axe Murderer'. Shrek lives alone in a swamp and that's the way he likes it, so he's none too pleased when he is besieged by a group of nursery rhyme characters. The three blind mice are there, the seven dwarves have dumped Snow White on his kitchen table, and the Big Bad Wolf is in his bed! The reason for all this is that the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad has kicked all the fantasy characters out of his Kingdom (an excellent parody of Disneyland) as he wishes to have no imperfections. Obviously none to happy about this, Shrek goes to see the maniacal midget who tells Shrek that if he can rescue a Princess from a Dragon then he'll give him his swamp back, simple as that. What makes Shrek so hugely enjoyable is the post-modern self-referential humour that is evident throughout the film. There are references to all manner of modern day popular culture, such as 'The Matrix' and even a wrestling bout as Shrek takes on some of Farquaad's men. Although this is an animated adventure that can be enjoyed by all ages, I felt that the bulk of the material was aimed at the mature members of the audience. Even when I feared the film was about to descend into the usual overly sentimental, song filled realm of a Disney film, we were saved at the last minute by a gag. Even Eddie Murphy is hilarious as the motor mouthed talking Donkey, maybe it's because it's his face that sometimes makes him slightly annoying, but in this guise he's the funniest he's ever been. Basically I have nothing bad to say about this film, if you want a good comedy, see it now!

The Sixth Sense
Run Time: 1 hr. 24 mins. Cert. 15.
Dir: M. Night Shyamalan.

I�m not quite sure if I�ve ever been in a cinema that was quite so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop, such was the tense atmosphere The Sixth Sense created. People were literally on the edge of their seats as the plot unfolded, a fact that is even more remarkable when you consider this was achieved physiologically with little or no visual aid, quite a rarity in this day and age of CGI special effects. Much has been made of Willis�s subtle portrayal as vulnerable child psychologist Malcolm Crowe tying to make amends after a disastrous failure with a previous patient and his subsequent depression and estrangement from his wife. I�m not quite sure why as Mr. Willis, to my knowledge, has never claimed to be Sir Laurence Olivier. Therefore the need to make a fuss that he has managed a convincing non-action man performance defies me. However I am with the critics when they say real credit must go to newcomer Haley Joel Osment as the troubled and literally haunted young boy Cole Sear who, in his words "�Sees dead people". His terror and paranoia is both convincing and disturbing as his visitations grow ever more harrowing whilst he tries to keep his secret from his mother (played by Toni Collette, star of Muriel�s Wedding) and lead a normal life at school without the persecution of his classmates. You really feel his horror as he sees these tortured souls from the grave and although you rarely see them yourself, this makes it seem even more terrifying as one tries to imagine what could possibly scare him so much. You also feel for Cole as he carries the burden of this terrible secret, the whole time feeling unable to confide in anyone, not even the Doctor (Willis) sent to help him. Although slow in parts this film is intriguing as the plot unfolds and I was completely engrossed by it, the frights were also there as at one point the woman next to me literally jumped out of her seat. But it is the ending that truly makes this film because it is this that makes a good film into a memorably great film. As you might have heard this film has a twist at the end, and even though I knew this, I did not see it coming at all and when it did the silence that had enveloped the cinema for the previous two-hours was broken by the proverbial penny dropping! It literally is one of those revelations that make you mentally retrace all that you have seen, much like the twist in The Usual Suspects or The Shawshank Redemption. The nearest comparison I can make is with one of those Magic-Eye pictures, you see one thing for ages, and then all of a sudden you realise you have been looking at something else the whole time, it really leaves you bewildered. With the decidedly mixed reaction The Blair Witch Project has received on these shores, at least you can be sure this film will deliver what you expect, and that is the unexpected.

Sleepy Hollow
Run Time: 1hr. 45 mins.
Dir: Tim Burton

Once again director Tim Burton (Batman, Beetlejuice amongst others) is re-united with Johnny Depp (whom he worked with on Edward Scissorhands and the brilliant, but underrated Ed Wood) to bring us their third collaboration. Sleepy Hollow is a quiet little town that has been witness to a series of brutal beheadings in the year 1799. Depp plays the eccentric Ichabod Crane, a New York City police constable sent to investigate these bizarre murders by his superior (a cameo from Christopher Lee). Upon arriving in the town Crane is informed that the brutal murders are the work of a Headless Horseman, however he is sceptical of such superstition and instead sets about using his scientific beliefs and forensic knowledge to uncover the mystery of the murders. Depp is perfectly cast as the awkwardly weird Ichabod and I can think of few actors as able to deliver such an eccentrically inspired performance as he, just check out Ed Wood, the tale of the cult cross dressing director, or Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Christina Ricci (also re-united with Depp after Fear and Loathing) plays Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of the wealthy Baltus Van Tassel (Michael Gambon) and the love interest for Crane with an unusual interest in witchcraft. The supporting cast is also superb with Miranda Richardson playing the stepmother of Katrina and other Burton regulars such as Michael Gough (Alfred the butler in Batman) and Jeffrey Jones (Beetlejuice, et al), to name but a few. But it is Burton with whom the credit must truly go as it is the look and feel of this film that make it so enjoyable. As with all of Burton�s work this is visually stunning, yet still dark and disturbing. It has the look of a fairytale and the feel of a Hammer Horror film with dark shadows and swirling mist everywhere, seemingly the only prime colour being blood red, which is used liberally whenever the Horseman is around. It is scary in a similar way to a ride on a Ghost Train when you�re a kid and yet still amusing, providing you get the dark sense of humour. Burton has once again provided us with an enjoyable fantasy that is a little bit darker and different to the standard Hollywood fare, although this would have been better as a Halloween release as I believe it was in the US. This certainly is much better than some horror films around these days because although scary at times it also has elements of romance, mystery and fantasy. The impressive effects and in particular the Headless Horseman is a perfect example of how to employ CGI technology to better a film by removing things and making them look more real as opposed to using it to replace real things and have them look fake.

Star Trek: Insurrection
Run Time: 103 mins.
Dir: Jonathan Frakes.

Another year and another Star Trek film, this one the ninth big screen outing, should appeal to non-Trekkie fans and (even) woman if we are to believe what Paramount studios are telling us. Cynicism aside, this is both a good Star Trek movie and film in its own right. It manages to avoid the more obviously commercial formula of the usual battles with the Borg or Klingons and instead opts for a more poignant story. Not to say this is anything groundbreaking or original. The story revolves around a paradise world called Ba�ku, the inhabitants of which not only do not grow old, but due to a geological phenomenon their cells actually regenerate slightly. Naturally this leads to some interesting implications, namely the Federation and a race called the So�na wanting the planet for themselves. However, this does not compromise the prime directive as the inhabitants of Ba�ku are not the natural ones and only moved there 300 years ago. Therefore they can be moved without violating the directive. This is where the Enterprise comes in, as Picard has to wrestle with all kinds of moral and political implications, especially once he discovers the So�na may have a ulterior motive. And of course the planet of Ba�ku has some interesting effects on the crew, Worf goes through puberty, Geordi gets his sight back, Riker�s hormones go into overdrive and he shaves of his beard. There are some very funny moments, and at the end of the day it�s a nice film to go and see for a bit of escapism which isn�t too taxing on the old grey matter.

Three Kings
Run Time: 1hr. 54 mins.
Dir: David O. Russell.

Every so often a film comes along like a breath of fresh air and injects new life into a tired and stale genre. Of all the types of film that have been done ad nauseam, we have had to endure few as often as the war or action movie. However this Gulf War action film is most definitely in a different league to that which we have seen previously. George Clooney plays US Special Forces Major Archie Gates, whom upon hearing a rumour that three Desert Storm troops have retrieved a map, with the location of stolen Kuwaiti bullion, from the arse of an Iraqi prisoner, decides to lead the group on an unofficial mission to find the gold. Needless to say the group are a rag tag bunch of misfits that have more than a passing resemblance to The A-Team. Clooney is of course the grey-haired Hannibal type, Wahlberg is the pretty boy, Ice Cube is the tough guy, and Spike Jonze, who is incidentally the director and star of Fatboy Slims Praise You video and the forthcoming offbeat comedy Being John Malkovich, is the lunatic. As this is post-surrender Iraq the plan is to simply find the gold, get it to safety, with minimum fuss, and no shots fired. Of course this doesn�t happen and the proverbial hits the fan when the cease-fire is broken. Unlike other action movies however, endless rounds of ammunition and countless bullets (which in the case of The A-Team never hit anybody) do not bombard us. As director David O. Russell states, the intention here is to make every bullet count as people have become blasé and de-sensitised to gunfire on film. This was achieved by minimising the number of bullets and actually showing what happens when a bullet enters the body from the viewpoint of the camera and a cross section of the wound filling up with pus. Although this may sound disgusting (it is!), this does help you to not take people getting shot for granted. Another example is of an Iraqi soldier describing how his child was crushed to death by rubble when his home was bombed and we are actually shown this happening. Disturbing this may be, but it does make you think of the Iraqi�s as human beings and not just towel wearing bad guys for our heroes to blast away. Not that this film is all doom and gloom, quite the opposite in fact, as it is packed with large helpings of black humour and is genuinely very funny at times. Just check out the moment when our anti-heroes are rehearsing the heist with a cow and it steps on a land mine, hilarious! The visual elements of this film also make it stand out as the action is shot in a similarly breathtaking style to that of The Matrix and the look is a distinctively stark and realistic one, achieved by missing the bleaching stage in the developing process. There is also a message here as well, as the amoral group grow a conscience and attempt to help a group of refugees, whilst going against the orders of their superiors. Thus dismantling American foreign policy and exposing the way the US is viewed by the outside World. This film has been said to be a Kelly�s Heroes for the new millennium with Clooney as the new Clint Eastwood. Indeed there are similarities, especially in the way Clooney is contracted to do Warner Brothers pictures with varying degrees of success (Batman and Robin anyone?). Either way this is a very enjoyable film for the MTV generation, part action, part comedy, part media satire, with excellent characters and performances, very contemporary, well written, acted, shot, made and generally good all round.

Toy Story 2
Run Time: 1hr. 32 mins.
Dirs: Ash Brandon, John Lasseter.

This sequel to the 1995 original has exploded in a wave of publicity, and merchandising! Sat there in the theatre I felt like I was watching some giant advert leading up to the film with promotions for fast-food restaurants, cereals, video games and of course, toys, all tied in to the film! I�d hate to have been a parent sat there with a little bundle of greed, adding up the cost of what this outing to the cinema is really going to be after all the tie-in merchandise has been bought for the brat. Which is a shame as the advertising and money-making detract from what is genuinely an enjoyable film, which although not superior to the original, is good none the less. Woody (Tom Hanks) is toy-napped by Al of Al�s Toy Barn to be sold to a museum in Hong Kong as it turns out he is a valuable toy from a 1950�s TV show called Woody�s Roundup. He meets his co-stars from the show, Jessie the Cowgirl, Bullseye the mute horse, and the Prospector Stinky Pete (Kelsey Grammer). Needless to say his Pal�s led by Buzz (Tim Allen), set off to rescue him, and that pretty much sums it up. Although the new characters are good, they don�t add a great amount to the film and I found it hard to shake my scepticism that they�re there so the manufacturers have more to sell. Highlights include, Buzz going off to battle his evil nemesis Zurg in the brilliant opening sequence that is reminiscent of something from a Bond film, although like Darth Maul, Zurg�s appearances are too few. The Barbie dolls bopping in bikinis. And the end credits with spoof out-takes including a cameo by some characters from A Bug�s Life and the real reason Pete is called stinky. The main selling point of this film for me is it�s truly breathtaking animation that is even more stunning than the original, and it�s self referential humour, which almost makes up for it�s blatant merchandising. Although overly sentimental in parts this film has something to offer both Children and Adults and should be enjoyed by all.