Mama

A man takes his two daughters Lily and Victoria (who are aged 1 and 3 respectively) away from home, planning to kill them and then commit suicide, before he can do that however he is dragged away by an unknown entity and the two girls are left by themselves. 5 years pass and they are found by two men hired by the girls' uncle to find them. Lily and Victoria are placed in the custody of their uncle Lucas and his girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain). While in the house they're constantly showing animal-like behaviour which worries Annabel and there constant referal to 'Mama' is even more disturbing. A ghost story that- unlike many others that involve children- presents itself with real heart and genuine intrigue. I was really excited to see this film when I heard that Guillermo Del Toro and Jessica Chastain were involved and I was far from dissapointed. 'Mama' actually had me covering my eyes at parts because I was so scared, which I hardly ever do with horror films. I liked the ghost in this, she's a distorted version of her former self with elongated arms, legs, fingers and neck and a seriously bad attitude. If you had told me the ending before going to see it I wouldn't have believed you, I would think "no way they'd do that" and I'd be wrong, it was so shocking and weird and sad and slightly corpse bride-esque that I left the theatre with my mouth open in complete amazement at the ending, it really was a twist and with most horror films you can predict the ending before the film even starts so it was a nice surprise. Jessica Chastain as usual is brilliant and her character Annabel is extremely impressive, she starts off a bit cold towards the girls but she gradually starts to warm to them and by the end she's so determined to save them that she's willing to risk her own life, it was quite a sight! The only thing I would have liked more of, is the back story of Mama, they showed the important details but just delving a bit more into how she came to be this malevolent spirit would have made this film better- for me anyway, I think an extra 10 minutes dedicated to that would have opened the film up a bit more. Taken as a whole 'Mama' was thoroughly enjoyable, one of the better ghost stories in the last 5 years and one I'll definitely be buying on DVD.

Movie's #114-117- Underworld quadrilogy

Underworld follows Selene (Kate Beckinsale), a vampire who's been alive for 600 years. Lycans (werewolves) and Vampires have been in a war for almost 1000 years, so when the Lycans show a lot of interest in human Michael (Scott Speedman), Selene must get to him first to find out why. After Michael is bitten by a Lycan, Selene must decide whether to do her duty and kill him or go against her clan and save him. This isn't everyone's cup of tea, with critics calling it overacted and lacking in character development, but I have no idea what they're talking about as far as acting's concerned, Beckinsale is sexy and sleek and proves her ability to beat the boys up with ease and charm. I've always loved Kate Beckinsale and she's perfect for this role, giving a more human and honest performance that without it, Selene would be an unlikable lead. The Lycans weren't very believable but the story is so good you can easily forgive this, however werewolves aren't real and if they did exist how can we say "no, this is what they look like." I really liked the relationship between the two leads, I thought they had that awkward nervousness when around each other making it believable. I do agree about the character development, I think you could have seen more of a back story for both Michael and Selene and the film does feel a bit half-done, like they thought "we'll figure out the rest in the sequel." This film proves to be a hit with the audience but it also proves that sometimes critics don't know what the hell they're talking about. I really enjoyed this gothic tale of war and revenge. Underworld: Evolution picks up right where the first left off but to be honest maybe they should have left it alone and done a generic unoriginal rom-com because chances are that would have been more enjoyable. Selene and Michael are in trouble again - with both Vampires and Lycans - and must try to uncover the secret about Michaels bloodline and the horrors that come with it. So I still love Beckinsale and she does give a good performance but with a script that seems to lack just about everything even she couldn't save it. I like the fact that we saw Selene's past and she's connected to things a lot more than the audience was originally led to believe and I like the darker tone Evolution took on with the introduction of Marcus and his brother William - the original Vampire and Lycan - but apart from that I was extremely dissapointed with this one, don't get me wrong I'll still watch after seeing the first one but that's only because of the questions it answers. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a prequel to the first two and focuses on Lucian (the head of the Lycan clan from the first film) and Sonja (the vampire daughter of the powerful Viktor). It shows the events that lead to the war between the species. So again I liked that more things were explained in this one, how the war began and what happened between Viktor and Lucian. I also enjoyed the return of Michael Sheen who plays Lucian but the departure of Kate Beckinsale makes this third installment not as good as the first. Still a nice addition to the franchise with more depth to the script with an emotional core.

Underworld: Awakening sees Selene captured by humans, twelve years later the vampire species is nearly extinct and Selene is freed and must lead the battle against humans. I liked the introduction of humans into the series because we've hardly ever seen them apart from when they're being eaten and I like that they were the main threat as opposed to Lycans. However (again), this really lacked in its story and build up. I liked the new characters but I wanted more, its like the writers were trying to piss people off by not delivering a decent enough script. The film's only about an hour twenty and another 40 minutes of worthwhile scenes to polish the seriously rough edges that is Awakening might just have saved this film from being Razzie worthy. The ending was stupid and surprise surprise, opened up a whole page of questions, The only thing I loved about this film were the fight sequences and how easily Beckinsale makes them look. So if they make another one I WILL go see it just to see if they could screw up this franchise anymore or maybe just maybe, redeem it.

Movie #113- The Smurfs

The film tells the story of the Smurfs as they get lost in New York, and try to find a way to get back home before the evil wizard Gargamel catches them to try and steal their magic. So when I heard they were making a film of the smurfs, my reaction was "Seriously? What there are no talented writers left to come up with original screenplays? We're now making films about little blue people first introduced in the 50's, seriously?" Despite my little outburst I really enjoyed this film, in fact it's become one of my 'sick films' you know the ones you watch when you're ill to try and cheer you up? It does just that, it cheers me up and it really is the perfect family film. I thought it was funny, I thought the story was good and I liked the animation. I didn't like the fact that Neil Patrick Harris was in it, for some reason he didn't act very well, it was a wooden performance and the chemistry between him and Jayma Mays was beyond awkward and just a little embarrassing. Don't get me wrong I love Harris in How I met your mother, he's funny and charming but also he never has flat chemistry with ANYONE, so I don't know what went wrong, however the focus of the film is the smurfs whom I loved so as a whole I enjoyed it immensely and really pleased I bought it on DVD.

Movie's #110-112- Ice Age trilogy

Set during the Ice Age, a sabertooth tiger (Diego), a sloth (Sid), and a wooly mammoth (Manny) find a lost human infant, and they try to return him to his tribe. For anyone who's seen these movies or at least one they know that the main reason for them being hilarious is Sid the sloth, probably my favourite animated character, he's lovable and ridiculous and a complete mess but he really does care for his friends making a pretty good role model for kids. Can an animated Sloth be a role model? I don't know but if the answers yes then it'd be Sid. Ice age is so well written and developed it'll make you laugh for the entirety of it. Ice age 2 sees the world slowly melting and the only thing stopping the valley from being destroyed is the glaciers which have formed a dam, which will soon break and flood everything. A lone vulture warns the animals about a boat that can save them if they make it to the end of the valley within three days time, and all soon set out to find it. Along the journey Manny, Diego and Sid meet Ellie, a female mammoth who believes she is an opossum, with the encouragement of Diego and Sid Manny tries to woo Ellie but first he must convince her that she's a mammoth. I actually like this one a little bit more than the first one probably due to the introduction of Ellie and her brothers Crash and Eddie, which provides a lot of laughs. Also in this one Sid is captured by a tribe of mini sloths which is a very funny scene. Ice Age 3 has Sid being taken by a female Tyrannosaurus after he steals her eggs, leading Manny, Diego, a pregnant Ellie and Crash and Eddie to rescue him in a tropical lost world inhabited by dinosaurs beneath the ice. I really liked the idea of this one but the story just didn't deliver, I think it was because for most of the film Sid is separated from everyone else, so he doesn't have as many of his famous one-liners. Probably my least favourite in the series.

Movie #109- Life as we know it

Holly (Katherine Heigl) and Messer (Josh Duhamel) were set up on a blind date by their friends Alison and Peter which ends up going horribly wrong and results in them both hating each other. As the years go by, Peter and Alison get married, and have a baby girl named Sophie, and select Holly and Messer as godparents of her, but they still don't get along and only put up with each other for their god daughter's sake. Not long after Sophie's 1st birthday Peter and Alison die in a car crash and in their wills name Holly and Messer Sophie's joint guardians, so they now must put their differences aside because not only will they be living together but also raising a little girl. This film isn't anything special and not exactly memorable but it's cute enough to buy on sale or rent for the night. I love both Heigl and Duhamel and I love them together, I thought their chemistry was great not only with each other but also the little girl. While I say this film isn't high on many people's favourites list, it does provide a few laughs and its your typical chick flick, so it is enjoyable. It may be predictable so much so that the audience could write it but the bickering tense relationship between the two leads is enough to see this film.

Movie #108- Inglorious Basterds

The film tells the fictional alternate history story of two plots to assassinate Nazi Germany's political leadership, one planned by a French Jewish cinema proprietor (Mélanie Laurent), and the other by a team of Jewish-American soldiers led by First Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt). Also featuring Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl and Til Schweiger. So usually I really don't like when films change details when they're based on books and I especially hate it when they change things when its being based on a historical period/time/event-whatever! However because it's Tarantino he can get away with it because calling this "alternate history" is putting it lightly, I won't say how the film ends but I will say that it is not based on fact. I loved the story in this and like many of Tarantino's films it doesn't just focus on one character,it follows many but the one I loved the most was Laurent's character Shosanna/Emmanuelle, her tale of revenge and retribution is truly magnificent and justified and one that you will be cheering on for her success throughout. Waltz's portrayal of Colonel Hans Landa was perfection, how he can be smiling and admiring a woman's beauty one moment and then strangling her to death the next, he was exceptionaly horrific. Because it's a Tarantino a film, there is plenty of blood, almost too much but it amplifies the believability of this time period and situation. I didn't however, like Brad Pitt's character Aldo Raine and he's one of the good guys! He was too arrogant and lacked empathy which I think was needed at times. Overall a thrill ride that's bloody and engaging.

Movie #107- War of the Worlds

An ordinary man has to protect his children against alien invaders in this science fiction thriller, adapted from the classic story by H.G. Wells. Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is a divorced father living in New Jersey, and is estranged from his two children Rachel and Robbie (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin), of whom he has custody on weekends. On one such visitation, looking after the kids becomes a little more difficult when, after a series of strange lighting storms hit his neighborhood, Ray discovers that a fleet of death-ray robotic spaceships have emerged nearby, part of the first wave of an all-out alien invasion of the Earth. Transporting his children from New York to Boston in an attempt to find safety at his ex-wife's parents house, Ray must learn to become the protector and provider he never was in marriage. Steven Spielberg directs. I'm a big fan of H.G Wells and was excited to see The War of the Worlds, however this film is a "loose adaption" to which my thoughts were "Why? why? why?". Despite having a mini hissy fit, as a film I thought it was pretty damn good but if you look at it as a film based on a book, you'll be dissapointed because "loose" is an understatement. Steven Spielberg is possibly my favourite person in the world and if I met him I would die, so I'm a bit biased to be writing this review so i'll try and find some faults! First fault, having Tom Cruise in front of the camera, his 5ft 7 self needs to find another job and that may sound harsh and I'm not usually mean but I just don't like the guy! So that's all I got as far as faults go, this film is well written and you follow the family the entire way rooting them on and praying they survive, even though its pretty predictable that they will, Dakota Fanning was perfect as the daughter, you couldn't find a better actress to play her. You feel the fear and panic of the characters throughout and it keeps you intrigued the entire time.

Movie #106- The Mist

Although this is a monster/alien movie, the main focus is exploring what ordinary people will be driven to do under extraordinary circumstances. The plot revolves around members of the small town of Bridgton, Maine who, after a severe thunderstorm causes the power to go out the night before, meet in a supermarket to pick up supplies. While they struggle to survive an unnatural mist which envelops the town and conceals vicious, otherworldly monsters, extreme tensions rise among the survivors that end up dividing them. This is one of those films that is so juicy in its storyline and characters, that it checks all the boxes of how to make a worthwhile film. The collection of people that are trapped in the supermarket are all so diverse that when the time comes to make important decisions, you see the true horror of the film, because the monsters in this movie aren't the villains in my opinion, the real villains are some of the townspeople. You know that idea that when put in a high pressure situation, you show who you truly are based on how you act? This film embodies that concept perfectly, it is truly horrific and astonishing what people will believe and how they behave in The Mist. There is a character in this film, Mrs. Carmody who is the main culprit in convincing people that she knows whats best. She's a fanatically religious woman who uses God a lot as an excuse for what she does. Now, the monsters in this film really are terrifying and disgusting and just overall, a nightmare. Thomas Jane plays a father in this and he does it perfectly with how he acts with his son and how far he'll go to protect him while maintaining his morality. It's slightly heartbreaking and it can only come from the master of terror himself, Stephen King, it's one of my favourite adaptions due to the human qualities it presents amidst the supernatural setting.

Movie #105- I, Robot

It's the year 2035, and the community now has the help of robots. These robots have three laws integrated into their system. 1.) A robot must never harm a human being or, through inaction, allow any harm to come to a human. 2.) A robot must obey the orders given to them by human beings, except where such orders violate the First Law. 3.) A robot must protect its own existence unless this violates the First or Second Laws. One day, the writer of the three laws, Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell), apparently jumps out of the tenth-floor window of U.S. Robotics. The majority of the Chicago Police Department believe that he committed suicide, but Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith), who hates robots, thinks he was murdered, and the number one suspect is a robot who calls himself Sonny. However, if it was Sonny, then that means he would've had to have broken the three laws. With the help of Dr. Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan), Spooner must now discover the truth before it's too late. A film where robots go crazy and try to enslave humanity is a film that's worth owning on DVD! While the plot is thick with clichés and there is nothing really substantial about it, I, Robot is a movie that seems to cover everything - sci-fi, romance, comedy and action. It's a murder mystery covered in high gloss and metal sheen, it's a bit like an Agatha Christie novel set in 2035 with robots and high tech gadgets, while Christie's Poirot is cool with his Belgian accent and perfectly sculpted moustache, Will Smith's Spooner would crush Poirot, Smith seems to fit into the world of explosives and getting chased with ease, his character Spooner is racked with guilt over surviving an accident that took the life of a 12 year old girl and Smith's believabilty of this incident is commendable. I love the fact that half the film is a murder mystery while the other half unravels a conspiracy and the plot twist at the end was actually a surprise, making I, Robot a better film. When the robots in a film have more humanity than the humans do, you have no problem believing that, because some of the characters created are corrupt and greedy, traits that are seen in every day life. Overall, I highly enjoyed the world that I, Robot brought to the screens.

Movie #104- Sucker Punch

The storyline follows the fantasies of a young woman nicknamed Babydoll (Emily Browning) who is committed to a mental institution, as she makes a plan to escape the hospital before suffering a lobotomy. The worlds created by Babydoll include infiltrating a bunker protected by steampunk-inspired World War I German soldiers to gain a map (mirrored by Sweet Pea copying a map of the brothel/institution from Blue's office); storming an Orc-infested castle to retrieve two fire-producing crystals from inside a baby dragon (mirrored by Amber stealing a lighter from the mayor's pocket); and boarding a train and combating robotic guards to disarm a bomb (mirrored by Rocket stealing a kitchen knife from the Cook's belt) I have a love-hate relationship with this film, sometimes I'll watch it and think its visually inventive and cool and edgy, then other times I'll think "that made no sense, what a waste of time", so I think it depends on the mood. Overall, I find Sucker Punch enjoyable even if the acting - mainly from Vanessa Hudgens- is inconsistent and awkward and the script lacks any kind of emotional core. The main reason to see this film is the stylish and captivating sets/worlds - they truly are magnificent. Emily Browning doesn't give her best performance but she still manages the quiet beautiful mess that is her character rather well.

Movie #103- Avatar

Paraplegic Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) decides to take his dead brother's place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge's (Giovanni Ribisi) intentions of driving off the native humanoid "Na'vi" in order to mine for the precious material scattered throughout their rich woodland. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers intel for the military unit spearheaded by Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang), while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na'vi people with the use of an "avatar" identity. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), the restless Colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand - and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora. When Avatar first came out in cinemas I thought it was so overexposed that I had no inclination to see it. It wasn't until it was out on DVD/Blu-ray that I saw it at my brothers house, when he asked me what I thought of it I had no words, I was actually speechless - which doesn't happen a lot when it comes to discussing films - It took me a minute to form the right words to describe how amazing I thought Avatar was and all I could say was "wow". To which he responded "I know". That was all it needed. I thought it was original and breathtakingly stunning, the world that Cameron has created is one that before could only be found in the imagination and I found myself fully immersed in Pandora for the entire 160 mins. After 15 years and $400 million, Avatar was worth the time and money, it's magical to watch and if you have the player I recommend you pick up the Blu-ray!

Movie #102- The Back-Up Plan

Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) conceives twins through artificial insemination on the same day she meets Stan (Alex O'Loughlin) her dream guy who sticks by her in her pregnancy. Now although I hate J-Lo's music, she's a surprisingly good actress who always seems to bring genuinity to her roles. I thought the pairing between her and O'Loughlin was actually a perfect comedic match and although this plot line is completely predictable, the script is so well written and funny and charming that you can forgive the fact that there are no surprises. The leads really are a great duo as Zoe and Stan but I think its the supporting cast that make the movie truly funny, actors like Melissa McCarthy, Michaela Watkins, Eric Christian Olsen and Anthony Anderson. Even though The Back-up Plan is a waddling pregnant cliche that lacks originality and believability I couldn't stop laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.

Movie #101- Letters to Juliet

Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) travels to Verona, Italy with her fiance as a pre-wedding, pre-honeymoon getaway, while there she becomes one of the "secretaries of Juliet" - a group of woman who respond to letters left at the Verona courtyard helping with problems of the heart- and responds to a letter that was written in 1957, within a week she gets a response from the writer, Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) who is now an elderly woman who wants to take Sophie's advice and find her Romeo. Accompanied by Sophie and her grandson Charlie (Chris Egan), Claire travels all over Italy looking for the man she loved 50 years ago, along the way Sophie starts to suspect that Charlie may be "the one", however she doubts her feelings due to her cold feet of getting married. So the idea of Letters to Juliet is a romantic, happily ever after one but the idea and reality are two separate notions. I mean sure, the characters have their fairytale endings but what about me, where's mine? My happily ever after would be seeing a film that delivers a funny, quirky romantic script that is worth the extremely talented Seyfried's time and breath, while this only provides me with the chance to see the beautiful Italian scenery without paying the overly priced airline ticket. I had seen Chris Egan in Resident Evil: Extinction where he was a beautiful Australian boy being eaten by zombies, his character in this is a pompous Englishmen obviously written to try and contrast Sophie but the end result is an unlikable leading man with a poor English accent. With all its faults, Amanda Seyfried and Vanessa Redgrave light up the screen, especially when in a scene together and I will admit that I did cry at the extremely predictable ending, but I cry at everything so don't take that as a sign that Letters to Juliet will bring on the water works for you. Overall, the film is pretty crap however Seyfried has so much charm that she can carry her leading guy all the way up to that ivory tower of acting and still look stunning.

Movie #100- The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Rocky Horror follows the story of Brad and Janet, a newly engaged couple who's car breaks down and who seek refuge at a nearby castle owned by the transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter. While there madness ensues when Frank-N-Furter brings to life his creation, Rocky. A whole lot of crazy dance numbers and bizzare characters and you have the rest of the film. This is one of my favourite musicals and can only be beaten by Phantom of the opera, its totally "out there" and doesn't hold back when it comes to touchy topics and for a 70's musical I'm impressed! Tim Curry as Frank-N-Furter was perfect, he's sleek and sexy with real charm and pulled off a transvestite rather well. The songs are cheesy and catchy, a perfect combination for this film that is a humorous tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Time warp is by far my favourite song mainly due to the easy to learn dance steps and the two servants Riff Raff and Magenta who's voices complement each other wonderfully in a macabre, rock and roll way.

Movie's #97-99- Transformers trilogy

Transformers sees Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), a teenager involved in a war between the Autobots and the evil Decepticons, two groups of alien robots who can disguise themselves by transforming into everyday machinery. The Decepticons desire control of the AllSpark, the object that created their robotic race, with the intention of using it to build an army by giving life to the machines of Earth. Also starring Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and Jon Voight. My favourite of the trilogy, Transformers was like seeing that elusive needle in a haystack, in a year that was overcome with comedy and romance, a film about robots that can turn into cars and chases and fights was a nice change of pace. The idea was original in film and scripted in a style that combined the action with humour, a really great movie that saw LaBeouf in a role that was perfect for him, one that allowed him to be a mini superhero, a geek that ends up saving the world because of his bravery and ability to hope when all hope seems to be lost. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is set two years after the first and Sam is off to college but while there he hallucinates of Cybertronian symbols and starts being hunted by the Decepticons under the orders of their long-trapped leader, The Fallen, who seeks to get revenge on Earth by finding and activating a machine that would provide the Decepticons with an energon source, destroying the Sun and all life on Earth in the process. Although this film wasn't well received by critics, it's quite enjoyable despite it being the worst in the trilogy, it keeps the humour that makes these films great and is packed with action and explosions. If it wasn't so long and silly it might be as captivating as the first one was despite this, Revenge of the Fallen was meant to be a crowd pleaser and an all round good time.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is set three years after the events of the second film, with the Autobots discovering a hidden alien technology in possession of humans, which had been found by Apollo 11 on the Moon 42 years prior. However, the Decepticons unveil a plan to use the technology to enslave humanity in order to bring back Cybertron, the home planet of the Transformers. Although this film is better than the second, the addition of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wasn't what I wanted to see, her acting is forced and awkward, it's good for a first timer - which she is - but for a Transformers film, I think director Michael Bay should have gone with talent over model looks, his desperate attempt to fill Megan Fox's shoes was based off of trying to find a hotter girl instead of a better actress. Plot wise it was a good way to end Sam's story but the departure of Shia LaBeouf from future films is a worrying thought and I don't know if the series will survive the critics' evil words. Overall a great franchise that everyone should see.

Movie #96- The Blair witch project

It tells the story of three student filmmakers (Heather, Joshua and Michael) who disappeared while hiking in the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland in 1994 to film a documentary about a local legend known as the Blair Witch. The viewers are told the three were never seen or heard from again, their video with most of the footage they shot was discovered a year later. The Blair Witch project popularised the found footage genre creating a new brand of horror for the rest of the film making industry to jump on the shaky hand held wagon, franchises like the never ending Paranormal Activity and the Rec films are perfect examples, because of its fresh and ingenious style it has been declared a milestone in film history. This is one of those few little horror gems that didn't need a multi-million dollar budget or a scary monster to deliver the chills, filming only lasted 8 days and most of the dialogue was improvised. The Blair Witch project went onto gross $248 million worldwide making it one of the most successful independent movies of all time. The film never shows a witch or even a dark figure, the use of sound in a pitch black forest was enough to scare the world into silence and turn their dreams into nightmares. A ground breaking masterpiece that not only changed the rules of how to scare but created terrifying new ones.

Movie #95- Rose red

From Stephen King, Rose Red is about a group of psychics who are asked to come to the ever expanding mansion Rose Red by parapsychologist Dr. Joyce Reardon to see if they can "awaken" the house. Stephen King is one of my favourite authors and I am hardly ever disappointed with his books, the same can not be said for the tv adaptions. When the film makers actually spend money and get decent actors and locations, his words shine through, eg The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption and The Shining, the only adaption that captures the book perfectly is Dreamcatcher and unfortunately Rose Red, as usual, falls way below the money, time and effort line. The psychics die one by one, and to be honest, by the end of the film you are a bit disappointed that they weren't all wiped out! If you have nothing to do on a rainy sunday afternoon you could give Rose Red a go but you may spend the entire 4 hours thinking of other things you could be doing because this mini series never really grabs your attention, however the idea of Rose Red is such a fascinating one, such a good one, that some of you may ignore the mediocre acting and get past the length of it to actually enjoy this adaption, it's like Marmite - you'll either love it or you'll hate it!

Movie #94- Friends with benefits

The film is about Jamie (Mila Kunis) and Dylan (Justin Timberlake) who meet in New York after Jamie offers Dylan a job at GQ magazine. Their friendship soon develops into one with benefits, as time goes on their feelings for one another start to grow but neither can admit it. Kunis and Timberlake have some of the best on-screen chemistry I've seen in a while, they complement each other perfectly. Its smartly written and perfectly cast, director Will Gluck previously did the sarcastic and hilarious Easy A, although Friends with benefits doesn't have the comedic edge, the relationship between Jamie and Dylan is enough to see this film. Woody Harrelson also stars as Dylan's gay co-worker, who doesn't stop to take a breath when it comes to comedy. I'm not that big a fan of Justin Timberlake as an actor, from what I've seen of him in interviews he's very funny and easy going, but his acting has only recently seen the light of A-list worthiness. He's quick with a joke and dopey like the dwarf, bringing genuine breeze to the role that seems to be made for him.

Movie's #92 + 93- The Chronicles of Riddick

In Pitch Black Vin Diesel plays Riddick, a criminal being transported to prison on a spaceship but when they're hit by comet debris they crash on a desert planet where he escapes. However, when predatory alien creatures begin attacking the survivors, Riddick joins forces with the crew to develop a plan to escape the planet. A sci-fi film that has the gritty futuristic DNA of 'Alien' and the ingenuity of 'The day after tomorrow'. Director David Twohy takes the old style monster movies and slings them into the 21st century with a sleek, visually inventive style of filmmaking. The Chronicles of Riddick is set five years after the events of Pitch Black as Riddick attempts to avoid capture. As a sequel this film is dissapointing but that doesn't make it bad, it has the comic book energy and the eye-popping set designs that make it a movie with a cult following. These two films have proved to be a hit over the years because of it's stylish world and explosive action.

Movie #91- Legion

Legion sees a group of strangers at a diner in the desert when the Archangel Michael arrives and explains that God has lost faith in mankind and has sent His angels to destroy the human race. He also reveals that the waitress Charlie's baby is destined to be the savior of mankind, and that it must stay alive if humanity is to have any hope of surviving. Hundreds of cars approach, filled with people possessed by angels who begin to attack the diner to try and get to Charlie. The remainder of the film is the pursuit to stay alive and keep your humanity. While this film doesn't reach the fantastical edge its trying to, the idea is a great one it's just a shame that the script doesn't provide the necessary point of getting from one sequence to another with ease. Paul Bettany however is a badass who knows how to fight a guy twice his size and make it look as easy as washing the dishes. It's stunning visually and I actually like the fact that the film ends with quote it began with. Also starring Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, Lucas Black and Adrianne Palicki.

Movie #90- Constantine

John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is a man who lacks faith despite the fact that he knows God exists due to his ability to see half breeds (Demons and Angels) in their true form. When he was younger, he tried to kill himself which damned him to Hell, so now John spends his life exorcising Demons trying to earn his way back into "his" good graces because of his health waning due to cancer. He helps Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) learn the truth about her sister's suicide while discovering a much darker and bigger plot involving Lucifer. Now I'll admit that this could have been better, the script lacked the intelligence of the comic book however made up for it in it's sinful, gothic style of filming that produced a hybrid of sorts, combining fantasy with horror to create an enjoyable mix of a scattered and broken world in Constantine, I do wish - like every other girl who saw this - that John and Angela had ended up together. The underworld created in this is pretty impressive and when I say "underworld" I don't mean greek style Hades - ruled underworld, I mean the world of mythical creatures hidden within our own. This may be a one-time watch but one you'll watch one time and say "It was actually pretty good"

Movie #89- Knocked up

From the ridiculously funny mind of Judd Apatow, is Knocked up, a rom-com about Ben (Seth Rogen) and Alison (Katherine Heigl) who meet at a club, have a good time together which then leads to a one night stand. The following morning Alison just wants to forget it ever happened and they part ways. 2 months later she realises she could be pregnant and contacts Ben who says he'll support her, the two then try to make a relationship work. During the pregnancy Ben is constantly behaving like a child and Alison starts to doubt if he's right for her. With a great supporting cast of Leslie Mann, Paul Rudd, Jason Segal and Jonah Hill. This is my favourite Appatow movie because the script is great but it's the story that sells me, I mean an unexpected pregnancy is nothing new but the heart of the film can be seen throughout, which causes you to have fun while watching, its endlessly funny which was expected but Rogen's portrayal of Ben is wonderful, he brings his boyish humour and lovable presence and grows up in the film - only slightly but still, what did you expect?

Movie #88- Gangs of New York

Set during the Civil War, Gangs of New York tells the story of Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his journey to avenge the death of his father - the leader of the Irish gang, the Dead Rabbits - "Priest" Vallon (Liam Neeson) by going after his killer, Bill "The Butcher" Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis) leader of the gang, the Natives. The film sees many historical events like Irish immigration, New York Draft Riots and the abolishment of slavery. I watched this film again last night and running at 2 hours 40 minutes I probably shouldn't have put it on at midnight. However despite it not finishing until close to three in the morning I wasn't tired for a second, the film is that good and captivating that afterwards I'm reminded of the talent posessed by Martin Scorsese. The performance given by Daniel Day-Lewis is one of his best, he brings humanity but also a true darkness to the character of Bill. You understand why this film was nominated for what seems like every award there is, after seeing it. The gritty and bloody world of Gangs of New York can only grow in importance and will stay with you as a true epic. The last scene is one of my favourite endings in film, its a heartbreaking sight that sums up the movie perfectly.

The Impossible

I don't exactly know how to begin this review, because I'm getting tears on my keyboard as I write it after seeing this brilliant triumph of humanity in the form of a film. It tells the true story of a family who are separated in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and their hopeful pursuit to find one another. While the story is based on a Spanish family's struggles, the family in the film is English, I don't know why they made this decision but with superb acting from Naomi Watts, Ewan Mcgregor and newcomer Tom Holland, you can't fault it. It makes me EXTREMELY angry when the very small percent of critics say things like "The movie is about how one of the worst disasters to ever visit Thailand was really tough on the English." I don't know if it's because I'm British or because I'm sane but this review by a man that will remain nameless makes me want to punch him in his ridiculous, blind face! The important thing is that the story is told and becomes part of our film history. The movie honours everyone lost in this catastrophe and the focus in this film is one family's survival who in real life ARE Spanish but in The Impossible they're depicted as English, so if they got a bunch of Spanish actors to play the family would the comment be the same - if so its still ridiculous because this is ONE story however if the review is different it would only prove he's got something against the English. The story here is the miracle and Director Juan Antonio Bayona recognises this. In the film you see people of every nationality suffering and the stunning cinematography shows the horror of this disaster as close to the truth as it can get without being overwhelmingly frightful. This life-affirming movie of love, courage and hope in the face of devastating loss is truly a masterpiece and I hope that people all around the world see it and realise just how bad the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was, because we were given facts and shown images but The Impossible gives us insight that everyone should have but no one should feel okay about. A spectacular piece of film making that is truly treasured and admired. 5 out of 5.

Movie #87- Prometheus

Into the world of Ridley Scott and the same universe as Alien lies Prometheus which sees a team of scientists - led by archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) - as they follow a star map discovered among the artifacts of several ancient Earth cultures. Seeking the origins of humanity, the crew arrive on a distant world and discover a threat that could cause the extinction of the human race. I thought this movie was fantastic, the fault in Alien for me is the extremely slow build up, while this one doesn't exactly dive into the action straight away, its interesting as soon as the film begins, Prometheus explores its own mythology and ideas, making it separate to the Alien films and slightly better. With Rapace leading the cast, you can't go wrong especially with such a remarkable character like Elizabeth Shaw. Very few films can create a genuine sense of wonder and discovery, and Prometheus manages it for the entire 2 hours.