Starring: Adrian Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller IMDb: Predators 2010 Released: July 8, 2010 (New Zealand)

SPOILER ALERT – There are spoilers herein, consider yourself warned!

The one thing you need to know before seeing this movie is that it’s not a sequel to any other movie associated with Predator. So essentially it’s a new storyline with new characters and vision from Nimrod Antal and the script writers.

In the previous Predator movie, commando and all-round tough guy ‘Dutch’ (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) adventured (and was eventually hunted) in the swaggering Amazonian heat with his tough-as-nails compadre’s. This time around it’s a group of complete strangers who seem to have one thing in common – they’re all predatory in their own right – all except one. Now, I dunno about you but if I was stuck in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of killers and only my gun to keep me company, I wouldn’t be too trusting of anyone or anything. As it turns out, being marooned and left for dead in an unfamiliar environment is less appealing to our band of killers than working together as a group. They venture forth into the unknown, temporarily putting their trust issues (and kill-or-be-killed instincts) on hold.

So the premise is a bunch of criminals, ex-military types and a doctor are all stuck on a mysterious planet without any idea why. Adrian Brody makes his move early on as the ‘Alpha’ male and while he does an adequate job, he’s really nothing like the character Arnie represented in Predator. It’s difficult not to make comparisons afterall, Predator had to be one of my favourite action movies of the 80s.

Probably the weirdest casting call in this is Laurence Fishburne’s character who seems something of an erratic and misplaced individual. While the interlude provided by his appearance half-way through the movie is somewhat unexpected and entertaining to a point, again, it just didn’t seem to sit right with me and almost interferred entirely with the flow of the film. Almost.

Topher Grace’s character as the elusive and all-knowing ‘Doctor’ is an enigma and probably the one character that should have been fleshed out alot more than he was. Topher carried his character off very well and it’s a pity he didn’t get really interesting until the very end.

The Predators however were seriously just as awesome as I remember from the original if not even more menacing. I have to credit Nimrod Antal and the special effects/creative team here because there are some very well directed action sequences that keep the movie moving at a frantically delicious pace. The ‘Dog’ scene is a particularly exquisite action sequence which had me all tensed up in my seat!

Antal did a pretty good job of creating something literally out of nothing, blending some of the old with alot of the new and creating something fresh for us to fear all over again. It isn’t easy to do considering the history and cult following the Predator franchise has had over the years. I think Antal did the best anyone could without using someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger to carry the project forward.

Image via dietrichthrall

PCR’s rating:

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner. Genre: Action/Romance/Drama IMDb: Twilight: Eclipse Released: July 1st, 2010 (New Zealand)

If you’ve read the books then you won’t need any introduction to the three main roles in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series so we’ll cut to the chase. The third movie was really a bit of a snore-fest (and that’s coming from a fan!) because I’m pretty much over the whole shirtless Jacob and sparkly-skinned Edward thing (actually, I was never really a fan of either of those aspects of the movies). In fact, the storyline seemed something of a paper-thin, watered-down version of the book so in other words – lacklustre and pretty awful.

The only redeeming feature that Eclipse held for me was the great special effects work and the action sequences which were exceptionally well-done. And what really ruined it for me was the fact that I really enjoyed reading Eclipse and actually think it’s one of the best books in the series. The movie however, does nothing for it.

So if you’re a fan, you’re likely to be a little disappointed (unless you’re one of the devout fanatics who drool at the very sound of RPatz’s voice), and if you’ve never read the books then you’re going to miss out on alot. I know that books really can’t be entirely adapted for film but honestly, there’s alot that the movie didn’t capture – and things that I thought were over-accentuated and just plain cheesy.

Yes – people WILL get sick of seeing Jacob running around without a shirt on (as cut and healthy-looking as he is) and yes, people will get sick of the drooly, love-scenes between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart that lack any sort of REAL chemistry. I’m pretty sure that if any genuine feelings between the two actors existed, their on-screen love connections would be just a little more impassioned. Actually, just thinking about that, their on-screen chemistry was off the chart in the first movie. Maybe that’s because back then, there was something real, however minute it may have been. But whatever it was, it’s not there any more. Now they really are just actors pretending to be in love for a pay cheque and doing a very poor job of it.

I’ll finish what I started and see the other two movies only because I like to finish things. But I’m hoping that the script writer will actually do a better job for the last two movies because Eclipse was definitely eclipsed alright – eclipsed by the dollar signs floating around in the Hollywood air… oh yeah, and one last thing – the wigs the cast wore – they were terrible!

PCR Rating:

Starring: Rain, Naomie Harris. Genre: Action/Martial Arts/Drama IMDb: Ninja Assassin Released: June, 2010 (New Zealand)

When the main actor in a movie’s first name is ‘Rain’, you might be forgiven for being just a tad dubious about the movie’s content. And honestly, when I first saw Ninja Assassin on the shelves at my local DVD store, I wasn’t jumping at the chance to watch it, which is kinda odd for me considering I love martial arts movies. The fact that Rain is actually a rock star in Korea and not really a serious actor didn’t help much either.

And my hunch was almost just about right. Rain’s acting ability is clearly something you really, really have to look for (with a microscope). Acting alongside Naomie Harris probably didn’t make things any easier for him considering Naomie is a seasoned actress and also one of my favourite Brit actresses (she was fantastic in 28 Days Later). But where Rain may have failed in the delivering of his lines department, he surely made up for it in spades in the action scenes and came across as something of quite a natural.

The Wachowski brothers along with Joel Silver were on production for Ninja Assassin and being the huge Matrix fan that I am, I try to look out for projects these chaps are associated to. I wouldn’t go so far as to say Ninja Assassin will make it into their top five movie projects but the martial arts sequences were actually pretty kick-ass. The only thing I couldn’t quite get a handle on was all the blood – I mean so much blood that any value the martial arts scenes may have had were unceremoniously buried under a sea of slurpy, messy, red stuff. Kinda fail.

However, all was redeemed when legendary Sho Kosugi took his place in front of the camera. I’m sorry but Sho F**CKIN Kosugi!!!!! This guy was a legend back in the day and ANY movie about ninja isn’t a movie without him in it. Yes, as you can guess, I’m a huge fan of Sho’s. I’ve seen all his movies and think he’s brilliant, even at the ripe old age of 62. His onstage presence is just so kick-ass and if you don’t believe me, try watching some of his earlier ninja movies – I recommend Enter the Ninja or Revenge of the Ninja.

So overall – Rain needs more acting lessons but kicks ass just fine and the director needs to understand that spraying everyone in the immediate area with fake blood until they’re drenched will over-shadow anything good a movie has to offer. Well almost anything – Sho Kosugi gives this movie serious brownie point cred.

PCR Rating:

Starring: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz. Genre: Comedy/Action IMDb: Knight and Day (2010) NZ Release Date: July 15th, 2010

I wouldn’t exactly call myself a Tom Cruise fan but there’s no denying the guy can act. I’ve enjoyed quite a few of his movies but was never really a fan of his Mission Impossible days. That said, Knight and Day is Cruise doing what he does best – looking cool, calm and collect and in pretty good nick for a guy getting on in years. It’s amazing what good living (and scientology) can do for you.

I am however,  a huge fan of Len Grossman, Cruise’s alter-ego who is over-the-top funny and in-your-face. My type of character. If only Cruise would do more of this type of thing – he’s definitely got a funny bone hidden somewhere deep down – perfect for his latest blockbuster, Knight and Day.

Cruise and Diaz are both great in this movie which delivers a some-what humorous look at the ‘spy-gone-rogue’ type of scenario with Diaz finding her character passing out at the most inappropriate moments. Their on-screen chemistry is cheeky, playful and almost sincere and Diaz’s ‘girl-next-door’ sense of humour doesn’t go astray and in fact, shows off all of her comedic strengths as an actress.

It’s a very different type of movie to what you’d be expecting if you were thinking more Mission Impossible but it does have its over-the-top action moments, just to keep those thrill-seekers amongst the crowd happy (the motorbike chase is particularly cool).

Knight and Day is distributed by Fox in New Zealand and will be in theatres on July, 15th.

PCR Rating:

It’s a crying shame when you find gems like ‘The Poker House’ hidden away in the new release section down the back of your local video store. A shame because little indy projects like this one should get a whole lot more exposure and publicity than they do, especially when they’re directed by a reasonably well-known Hollywood actress.

Lori Petty’s (Tankgirl, Point Break) directorial debut is a ‘based on a true-story’ kinda deal about a 14-year old girl named ‘Agnes’ (played by Jennifer Lawrence) who lives a life pretty akin to something out of a freakshow. Her mother is a drug addicted prostitute (played fantastically by Selma Blair) bound to a pimp who runs their household like the local five and dime (except his wares are women). Surrounded by a maelstrom of disconnected humanity, Agnes is forced to be the mother figure for her two younger sisters, Bee and Chloe. So much living to do for such a young soul full of promise, intensity and life. You can’t help but feel for Agnes as she fumbles through school with straight A’s, holds down two jobs, one of which sees her writing poetry for the local rag and juggles her responsibilities as a star Basketball player on her high school team.

As each new day of her life unfolds like pages in one of her text books, we come to understand that Agnes knows what the future holds and isn’t afraid to grab hold of it, even at the risk of losing everything. One particularly tragic event forces mother and daughter to make painful choices and we finally see Agnes leave The Poker House with her two sisters in-tow.

If you’re not one for reading the synopsis’ on DVD covers, ‘The Poker House’ is based on Lori Petty’s life as she grew up in a small town in Iowa. It’s powerful and sobering and will make you sit up and take notice. Jennifer Lawrence won the award for ‘Outstanding Performance’ at the Los Angeles Film Festival for her portrayal of the young Lori Petty.

If you thought ‘Precious’ was good, you’ll absolutely love ‘The Poker House’ and in my opinion, this movie is far superior.

PCR’s Rating: At the very least you should rent this title.

This month has been a great month for good comedy flicks. And when I say ‘good’ I mean movies that feature a really talented cast, a hip and funny storyline and fantastic dialogue. The worst type of comedy is one that doesn’t deliver the funny’s when you expect (afterall, a comedy is supposed to make you laugh, right?) and drags on without anything interesting happening. Hot Tub Time Machine gets big ticks in almost every area.

My only reservation about HTTM resides with the script – it’s a very out there concept so you’ve really got to be onboard with the idea of a hot tub that has the power to transport its occupants to another time dimension but hey, Dr Who does it in a telephone box so…

The casting however is awesome with John Cusack (who seems to be making a huge come-back lately after disaster flick 2012 and now this) nailing it in every way in his role as Adam, the unlikely ‘leader’ of a group of friends that have grown apart. I thoroughly enjoyed the upbeat flow of the movie. John Cusack’s uncanny ability to mix comedy with an edge of seriousness was one of the reasons why I enjoyed this movie so much.

If you’re thinking of taking kids be aware that Hot Tub Time Machine deals with adult issues of drug taking, alcohol consumption, sex and also contains excessive amounts of swearing (which really added to the atmosphere of the movie). So it’s not really a family flick unless of course, you’re OK with your youngsters being exposed to this sort of thing. However, if you meet the age restriction (which is R16 in New Zealand) then you’re good to go!

Hot Tub Time Machine releases in New Zealand on April 22nd, 2010.

PCR Rating - 3.5/5

I’m not a true comedy fan but ‘Date Night’ has to be one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long while. And this is exactly why I love going to the movies – you never know whether you’ll be surprised, excited, or even entertained. Date Night however, has no such problems and will take you on an exciting, entertaining and ridiculously funny journey thanks to the creative talent of Steve Carell and Tina Fey.

It’s during the funniest scenes in the movie that you can’t help but wonder if the genius of Steve Carell is really all created on the spot and unscripted. He’s a naturally funny person with an exceptionally funny face that just oozes humour. As for his co-star Tina Fey, who is equally talented – the two are the perfect match for Date Night. Serious points to the casting director on this awesome pairing.

The cast is literally a ‘who’s who’ of some of hollywood’s most talented actors including Mark Wahlberg, Mark Ruffalo, James Franco and Mila Kunis. William Fichtner from Prison Break fame is also worth a mention in his role as District Attorney Crenshaw because the scene in the nudy bar is so hilarious, it should come with a warning! Nice to see Taraji P. Henson getting out from under the TV camera again after doing a long stint in both Boston Legal and The Division.

Date Night is flawless comedy and fantastically scripted. Don’t be fooled by the silly face of Steve Carell on this one – even if you’re not into your comedy’s, you’re bound to find this movie is a bundle of laughs.

Oh and if you stay for credits at the end, you’ll see exactly why Date Night was so funny to make – even the outtakes are hilarious.

PCR Rating – 4/5

[Image via Imp Awards]

Crazy Heart heralds the return of Jeff Bridges. Not that he hasn’t already produced fine work prior to this (his creepy and way too convincing psycho-killer Barney in ‘The Vanishing’ springs to mind). In Crazy Heart however, Jeff Bridges takes control of the role with the ease of a seasoned pro and nails it 110 percent.

And don’t be put off by the fact that Crazy Heart is a movie about a country/western singer. Although Crazy Heart is about music (you can’t really have the man without the music since Jeff Bridges protrays a musician afterall), it’s also the story of a man with nothing left to live for, down and out and looking at life through a whisky bottle. All is not lost however, when his character Bad Blake meets the younger and charming local reporter Jean (portrayed wonderfully by Maggie Gyllenhaal) in Sante Fe while on the road. Bad Blake and Jean begin a relationship and it seems things might be finally looking up for the aging musician. But life has other plans for Bad and throws him a bit of a curve ball that lands pretty much right in his face.

You don’t have to be a fan of country/western music to appreciate the struggle of a man who has nothing left to live for but eventually finds himself renewed through the love of a good woman and the revival of his musical talent. Jeff Bridges is Bad Blake and represents the life and soul of so many musicians who find that life has somehow passed them by. And when all the glamour and fame finally wears off and the well of creativity runs dry, what do you live for? This is the story of Crazy Heart. I highly recommend this to fans of Jeff Bridges and to anyone who enjoys a well dramatised and well scripted movie about life, love and music.

Distributor: Icon Film Distribution Released: 2009 Genre: Thriller/Horror Credits: Director: Oren Peli Written by: Oren Peli Starring: Katie Featherston (Katie), Micah Sloat (Micah) Rating: M

Considering the budget for this movie (only $15,000 USD) and the millions it made at the box office opening weekend (9.1 million USD according to IMDB), Paranormal Activity is by all accounts, a blockbuster. Don’t be fooled by the minimal marketing strategy for this (nor the opening credits which look extremely b-grade) – if you’re any kind of horror fan, you’d be stupid to miss it.

The good…

The atmosphere. It will literally scare the crap outta you without even trying. But try not to see this with anyone who doesn’t get into their horror movies – you’ll regret it if someone starts calling out ‘show us your boobies’ during one of the scariest scenes in the movie (and if you’re reading this assuming you can even read, you should die in a fire, dude, seriously…)

The bad…

In all honesty, aside from a few of the acting quirks on behalf of Micah Sloat (maybe it’s just me but when you’re being terrified for nights on end, do you always have to ask ‘what the fuck is that?’ everytime something unexplainable occurs), Paranormal Activity has very few faults for a movie made in 10 days. And bear this in mind when you go to see it – you won’t be seeing Avatar or the Exorcist (which cost millions to make). Nope, this is true-blue homegrown run around with a camera type stuff. And it’s fantastic.

Look out for… (SPOILER)

The dragging from the bed scene – omfg… scary as hell!

A few tips for ya…

To prepare yourself, check out Blair Witch Project. Both of these movies share a whole lot more than just genre. The creepiness that drips from practically every scene will have you well prepared for what’s to come in Paranormal Activity.

Distributor: Rialto Distribution Released: 2009 Genre: Drama/Comedy Credits: Director: Niels Arden Oplev Written by: Nikolaj Arcel (screenplay) Rasmus Heisterberg (screenplay) Starring: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Ewa Fröling Rating: TBC

Thanks to Rialto Distribution for holding the media screening.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is based on a best-selling novel by Swedish author Stieg Larsson and is quite possibly one of the best indy movies released this year. Its powerful, moving and riveting story is captivating right until the very end. But it’s the acting talent coupled with the strength of fantastic character creation that brings the story of Lisbeth and Mikael to life.

The movie begins with a controversial magazine journalist Mikael Nyqvist who finds himself being accused of libel for bringing dirty dealings of a wealthy business magnate to light. As it turns out, Mikael was set up and sentenced to six months imprisonment as a result. In the meantime, he is being researched and investigated by another party interested in his endeavours who hire elite hacker Lisbeth Salander to dig up everything on him including any proof that he was guilty of the charges. Lisbeth’s investigation comes up clean and she confirms to her client that she thinks he was framed.

The remainder of the story revolves around Lisbeth and Mikael’s relationship after Mikael is approached by the head of the wealthy Vanger family, Henrik Vanger. Henrik Vanger wants to hire Mikael to investigate the disappearance and alleged murder of his grand-daughter, Harriet 40 years earlier. Lisbeth hacks into Mikael’s computer and deciphers an important clue that sets them both on a path that unravels the mystery and horrors hidden behind Harriet’s disappearance.

The movie is non-stop suspense and action, with some graphically violent scenes thrown in for good measure, but entirely necessary. As we see the characters of both Mikael and Lisbeth emerge through their experiences, it becomes very easy to love this movie for its realism and depth.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo just can’t be faulted. The movie’s consistent pace and wonderfully depicted characters are refreshing and entertaining . If you haven’t had the chance to see a good suspense/thriller this year, I highly recommend you look this up.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo releases in New Zealand on the 26th of December.

Check out the trailer: