The longest yard featuring adam sandler is an entertaining story line following the life of football legend paul crew (adam sandler)when a messy incident happens while he is drunk when he insults the local PD and crashes his girlfriends car into a collison with several police cars. He is sentenced to prison were he is pressured to pull together a football team of inmates to play against the guards. the team of villans work hard to beat the hated guards including the most aggresive inmates and r&b star Nelly. hillarious comedy, will paul crew be able to defeat the guards.
by james lewis
age: 13
Serenity is everything you could ask for from a Sci-fi film...or a thriller...or an action movie...blast, I'd even go as far as to say a Rom-Com! A sheer pleasure from one frame to the next.
Underrated, under-marketed, under-sold, this low budget surprise ($40 million's LOW in the Hollywood movie world) won over the critics but couldn't attract the cinema-going audience it merited. It's imminent release on DVD however should redress this illogical wrong and introduce and entirely new viewing population to the magic that is the cast and crew of the Firefly class space barge 'Serenity'.
Centred around the mysterious past of the beautiful and uber-violent fugitive River, Serenity the movie has a dual aim: to exist as a stand alone adventure for new-comers, and to round off some of the core story lines initiated in the fan-favourite TV series, 'FIREFLY' (see my review of the FIREFLY box set here - http://www.find-dvd.co.uk/25498DVD.htm).
It succeeds admirably on both counts.
For those familiar with the characters, this closing tale of River's path to discovery feels like a welcome final chapter. The bigger story though is perfectly paced to introduce new comers to Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his motley band of space-faring bounty hunters with big hearts and bigger guns. The action, comedy and drama of this excellent little movie are enough to win over any doubters as Joss "Buffy/Angel" Whedon delivers a masterclass in character driven entertainment. Yes, the key scenes are stunning (witness the Reaver/Alliance space battle, or the River bar brawl) but it's the loveable nature of a cast completely at home in their characters that leave you loving this overlooked gem.
There's something for everyone here, and if the crew banter and edgy western/space opera feel leave you hankering for more...just buy the TV series...you'll thank me...
In a word: magical.
"Michael Bay"s been-there-seen-that sci-fi hasn"t got any new ideas to speak of, but I"d rather see an old idea done well, then a new one done badly. "The Island" is your typical Bruckheimer / Bay production: good looking stars, engaging storyline and some cool action sequences, not nearly as bad as you"ve been led to believe, but hardly a classic either.
Lincoln Six-Echo (McGregor) and Jordan Two-Delta (Johansson) are clones harvested for use in case their owners ever need a new part, needless to say, they don"t know this. And have been duped by corporate villain Sean Bean (whose on autopilot again) into believing they"re in a safe haven waiting to win a place on the island (some utopian paradise they"ve been told is the last unpolluted outpost on Earth). Lincoln and Jordan become suspicious and make a break for it with the ruthless corporation in hot pursuit: Scarlet Johansson gets to run around in a white spandex catsuit for the lads whilst McGregor looks genuinely bemused, and occasionally, one gets the impression that he really doesn"t want to be in this movie at all.
"The Island"s" flabby middle section makes way for a hilarious cameo from Bruckheimer regular Steve Buscemi, and welcome appearances by jolly giant Michael Clarke Duncan, Shawnee Smith from the movie "Saw" and "Amistad" actor Djimon Hounsou (who really ought to be getting better roles by now).
As Lincoln and Jordan come face to face with the awful truth, towards the final act of (literal) self-discovery, Bay gleefully recycles his flying cars set piece from "Bad Boys II", only this time its weights that come hurtling towards our heroes as they race to freedom in a genuinely tense, and well-executed stunt. "The Island" is basically "THX 1138" meets "Logan"s Run" meets "Blade Runner" from the man who bought you "Armageddon" and "The Rock': Great fun while it lasts, but little more than a distant memory by the time the credits roll.
Pure entertainment; kudos to Joss Whedon for having the courage of his convictions to stand by his vision against all odds, when hapless studio hacks fiddled with his sci-fi series "Firefly" (showing it in the wrong order and changing the time slots) Whedon rallied his hard done by cast, re-wrote, re-titled and re-released this "Star Wars"-esque sci-fi adventure (or space opera to use a Lucas term, much to the delight of moviegoers worldwide.
"Serenity" didn"t exactly set the box office alight, but it made more than enough (in praise as well as pounds) to warrant an inevitable sequel. Watching this reminded me of the first time I saw "Pitch Black" not knowing quite what to expect, and loving every second of what I saw. "Buffy" was over-hyped, never got a chance to see "Firefly" but I always liked "Alien: Resurrection" (penned by Joss) and can"t wait to see more of River Tam, Captain Reynolds and the rest of these wonderful, engaging characters, lets hope the sequels no "Matrix Reloaded".
Stunning adaptation of the equally excellent novel by John le Carré, which sees British diplomat in Kenya, Ralph Fiennes, investigate the murder of his activist wife (Rachel Weisz giving a strong, Golden Globe winning performance) only to uncover a deep-rooted, Malthusian conspiracy by the global elite using the "Big Pharm" to illegally test medicines on Africa"s poor. Told in dual narrative, with flashback love story as the basis for Fiennes transition from apathetic slave, to daring revolutionary, "City Of God" director Fernando Meirelles, really captures the essence of le Carré"s thought provoking political thriller.
I"ve been a Ralph Fiennes supporter ever since "Onegin" and the year he went against type in "Red Dragon". "The Constant Gardner" is by far his best film to date, a powerful, timely reminder of the insidious, amoral conspiracies at work in the world today, and the courageous few who stand against them (the screenplay even manages to work in an Iraq war reference that le Carré liked, where Rachel calls it "Vietnam, the sequel"). A must see.
Bad guys, good guys, shootings and jokes what more could you ask for! will smith and martin lawrence form the best partenership in this film with their wacky and twisted friendship! Amazing a must see for all!
Girl with a Pearl Earring tells the story behind the painting of the Girl with a Pearl Earring. Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation) plays the girl, Griet, who arrives as an innocent maid in the household of Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). Vermeer takes a shine to the young girl, much to the annoyance of his wife, mother-in-law and one of his numerous children, all of whom live in the same house, which is also Vermeer's studio.
The pace is slow. The colours and mode of the film reflect the painting and at the end of the film it felt rather like I'd lived in one of his paintings for a couple of hours. It conveys some of what must go into a masterpieces, a piece of the master. Tom Wilkinson shines as Vermeer's wealthy patron who wants to own Griet himself and so commission's the painting.
It will appeal most to those who hang around art gallery's, but even for those of us less cultured, it held my interest for a couple of hours and is certainly worth a watch.
Best not to have a full meal before you see this - bring your own sofa as you are gonna need to hide behind it in places!!
I expected a lot from this film after the mild disappointment of Saw 2, I needed something to mash my senses up properly and this did the trick.
Our 3 travelling companions are all likeable enough and the film sensibly takes it time letting us get to know them. This is a double edged sword though coz you just know what's gonna hapen, just not how yet...
Jarratt's Mick Taylor is wonderfully convincing as the monster of the piece. Very rarely straying into pantomime territory, Jarratt plays it frighteningly straight as the Aussie outback guy who plays by his own rules.
The funny moments (cue Crocodile Dundee parody) are just as scary and unsettling as everything else!!!
Buy it, packed with extras also, just cancel any plans you had to visit any of Australia's more remote parts....
This film is the definition of guilty enjoyment. Hollywood produces these teen rom-coms as inexorably as Pinewood turned out Carry On films. The similarity is in more than just volume, as both styles have had mass appeal. Evil Woman is probably no exception, although obviously formulaic. Biggs, Black, and Zane play their stock-in-trade characters, but oddly it's the usually more sedate Zane who starts as as narrator and seems to be belligerently on screen in most scenes. That is no bad thing, and with the latter playing stupefied low-brow to Black's borderline closet case, they steal the comedy from under band camp loser Biggs, who is mercifully low key in this offering. His character is long-time friend to the other two until he lucks out with alluring career girl Amanda Peet. As he begins to fall under her spell and drift away from his erstwhile buddies, it is incumbent on them to rescue him, "with hilarious results". Having said that the film really does have its moments of laugh-out-loud humour, and is entertaining even on a second viewing (given a hiatus of at least 18 months). For an uncomplicated plot, and pranks with stuffed animals, retarded football mascots, former cheerleader nuns, circus freaks, and latent grid-iron coaches, this movie is unsurpassed!!
It"s hard to remake a classic, harder still to be as good as what many consider a definitive adaptation, and almost impossible to do it twice, but where others have failed; Keira Knightley succeeds. Not only did she make the role of Lara Antipova her own in "Dr Zhivago" (2003), but now takes on Elizabeth Bennet in Joe Wright"s enjoyable adaptation of Jane Austin"s literary masterpiece.
For over a decade now, "Pride & Prejudice" has been the unofficial preserve of ladies; proudly lauded as the ultimate chick flick (even though the BBC miniseries ran over six weeks) with Colin Firth"s Mr Darcy praised as a man amongst men. Darcy"s soaked-to-the-breeches lake scene, became somewhat of a cultural phenomenon before being immortalised in "Bridget Jones"s Diary", the first book to put into words, what girls had been going on about since 1995.
But does all this mean its lost on men? Not at all, for "Pride & Prejudice" is for everyone: the series was excellent and this slightly rushed, but nonetheless accomplished, film will appeal to anyone who appreciates a good story, strong characters and witty dialogue.
Keira was excellent (as was Jennifer Ehle in the series) she nails Lizzie"s character down to a tee: sober, but far from humourless, reserved but friendly. Matthew Macfadyen"s Darcy on the other hand, isn"t quite as good as Colin Firth"s portrayal of Austin"s coolly aloof anti-hero. There are some good extras on the DVD, the best of which is a laughable, alternative ending that was used for the U.S. theatrical release.
"Pride & Prejudice" will sit quite comfortably in my collection, sandwiched in between "Platoon" and "Pulp Fiction". Though not nearly as good as the book, and a few shades shy of the miniseries, this movie is still a worthy effort in itself, and a good way to introduce audiences to the wonderful world of Jane Austin: Not just for girls.
And about time too!! Sick of the taste of vanilla with the previous Batman releases? Well now the film gets the 2 disc coverage it richly deserves.
A great way to introduce Batman to a new generation (as Batman Begins is doing now), there isnt a 'thwakk' or 'pow' to be seen as 60's high camp is thrown aside.
Resembling the comic strips in tone but still with tongue in cheek moments, the special edition version is the one to go for - at last providing us with the extra info we crave from a dvd and perhaps most importantly, a great commentary from director Burton.
Keaton is great as Batman and all praise to Burton for choosing him. Not immediately obvious as the choice of (anti)hero, Keaton brings depth, humour and character to the role of Bruce Wayne.
Obviously Nicholson gets all the plaudits for chewing up the scenery which is a shame because it's Keaton's film. Fingers crossed the new Joker in the next Batman film will be more fleshed out.
Anyway, do it - buy this version. Flog your old vanilla version for 10p as a frisbee to some kid and invest in this instead - you will not be disappointed....
Bad news guys, it's not as good as you remember. Although if you've caught any of the re-runs of the TV series on Bravo lately, then you'll know the memory can play cruel tricks on you.
Remember when Bo & Luke seemed like the coolest dudes around? Remember when Daisy was the hottest girl? Remember when the General Lee was the best car imaginable? Remember the Boss Hog/Sheriff Coltrane banter was just the funniest thing?
Well time to wise up - odds are you were 10 at the time and you've moved on a bit since, unlike the film.
Everything is still there that you remember but now with a little polish on it. This film however just disappoints - maybe if you are 10 then yeah, it's a great film, but then why is so much of the humour pitched at an adult audience?
It's a bad mix alround. Add the cringeworthy acting of Jessica Simpson (she sure is purdy though), the faltering buddy relationship between Knoxville & SWS (I like them both, but it doesnt work here) and the hideous miscasting of Reynolds and you've got a big turkey on your hands..
Buy at your peril - the outtakes during the credits being the best thing..
This one is a bit of a clunker (technical term..) to say the least, but it has it's good points (ahem!).
Coming across like the b*stard child of 2001's HAL & Metal Mickey (no thunderbusters here though), EDI (Extreme Deep Invader - add your own joke here) is the new uber weapon in America'S war against well the world really (eventually anyway).
EDI is so intelligent that obviously it goes wrong (warning to the boffins - stop making clever machines, it always goes wrong!!) - and in a big way.
This is a wham bam thank y'mam kinda film that falls flat all over the place as big explosions & CGI alone do not a good film make.
The one saving grace is the gratuitous Jessica Biel bikini shot, hell, that's what the movie was sold on if we are honest - and it doesnt disappoint. Always gorgeous, always watchable, but then I'm biased...
Rent it maybe, not worth your hard-earned to buy it though....and your pause button will wear out quickly too...
I have to say this is the best film I have ever watched. It's imagery is very powerful, and I defy anyone not to cry at the end. It carries a very strong message, but you do not realise this until a while after it has finished. I am almost afraid to watch it again in case it spoils it!
Beautifully shot in black and white, with haunting music by Beethovan and excellent acting by Billy Bob Thornton and others- this is a treat to behold. The Coen brothers as usual pull off the various tricks they use in their movies- the spinning wheels and the black humour of things going horribly wrong starting with a simple mistake- a barber becomes embroiled in a whole chain of events. A must for any middle aged man or woman to see and learn about the law of cause and effect !
Little Great Britain...oh, I mean... Great Little Britain. One of the funniest shows of this decade, starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Who has seen this show full of funny, intelligent and original sketches can't forget about those ordinary people of Britain. Let's meet them!!! "The only gay in the village" Daffyd and his obsession with latex uniforms, life in repression and Bacardi and Coke; a rubbish transvestite Emily Howard and her ladies' dresses and ladies' tickets and ladies' everything; a FatFighter Marjorie Dawes with her fatties and their dust diet; Ms.Bubbles performing a hippo-striptease; a fake wheelchair-bound Andy and his retarded friend Lou struggling with their relationship; the Prime Minister and his aide, who has "a bit" of crush on him; Vicky Pollard, who swaps her baby for a Westlife CD and so much more to be looking at. But it"s not only fun. Tom Baker"s commentary brings some really interesting facts about Britain you may have not known:-) Good pie!!!
Pet Shop Boys - Pop Art (DVD)
Although originally released back in November 2003 this collection of timeless videos continues to be compulsive viewing. All the pop promos are here in their entirety. Almost two decades of pure pop, surely the most comprehensive best-of available, 42 tracks in total and a must for any PSB fan, try beating that on a hits collection DVD! Everyone has their favourites, my stand-out tracks are So Hard (7" and 12" versions), Where the Streets...., Single-Bilingual and Go West.
Pity that their last two singles didn't appear on this collection but, with the enormity of tracks who can grumble. You even choose to have an audio commentary superimposed on each track with Neil and Chris, a random order function, 3 extended versions, and track selection. Go get a copy, prices are extremely low at present if you look around. This is one collection you will never tire of.
Perhaps the best plaudit for this film is meritorious, as this is ultimately a film about struggling to prove individual worth in the face of adversity and repression. There is nothing novel in that theme, but stylish execution makes it particularly resonant. The film interrogates the concept of arbitrary social divisions with poise and exemplary candour. The simple premise is that a member of a social class excluded from a career as an astronaut sets about showing how disability can be overcome. He must do this against extraordinary opposition, so his own identified flaws do not threaten to be the critical problem. This is about having the opportunity to try to succeed, and so is a patent critique of all attempts at engineered outcomes based on ascription. The characterisation is engaging and strong performances give the film depth. Thurman is enigmatic and a study in self-control. Law makes his character's bitterness tangible. Alan Arkin deploys his gift to shine in the part of the ordinary man. Each main character has his or her own value, and chance to demonstrate a sense of idealism. It is Xander Berkeley in a minor role who steals the film in that respect, casually revealing tacit complicity in the protagonist's infiltration at a critical juncture. The film has a heavy atmosphere of brushed aluminium. In terms of its futuristic pretensions it must be for modern audiences the equivalent of Fritz Lang's Metropolis. It is almost equally monochromatic but punctuated with colour for apposite visual effect. So why only three out of four? To create an example of how redundant it is not to award what is duly deserved on the basis of talent and ability.
From what I remember from the premiere on BBC1 in 1988 this has a special place deep in my heart as a magical and awe inspiring story of friendship and adversity in the face of danger, with at its time brilliant special effects especially with the lion Aslan and I would urge anyone to buy this either for the kids or most likely the adults too.
Firstly it is VITAL that I state for the record that Firefly is not really a sci-fi show. Put all thoughts of Star Trek firmly from your mind for this is a Space Opera of the finest order.
Part frontier drama, part adventure, part comedy, part drama, Firefly is a unique and utterly enjoyable endulgance of a TV series. The Brainchild of Joss "Buffy" Whedon, Firefly was Unjustly cancelled after only 14 episodes. Thanks to the perserverance of it's creator the show was resurrected in the form of the movie 'Serenity' which is where I first encountered this enigmatic crew of bounty hunters and misfits.
The strength of the film, and subsequently the original TV series, is the casting of the nine central crew members who live aboard the Firefly class ship, cruising through space beneath the radar of the Alliance, the controlling power in the cosmos. Their time is spent equally in looking for oddjobs to survive on and struggling with the pressures of all manner of human suffering. It's these innate human dilemmas that plague each character that drive the interest in the series and make for a constantly compelling watch. From the stubborn rugged captain Malcolm Reynolds to the ever-upbeat pilot Wash to the mysterious fugitive River, the cast shimmer with intrigue. Their interactions are at once funny, touching and most importantly, believable. You feel for the crews hapless situation as they are besieged on all sides by trouble. Each episode is a self contained adventure and yet the ongoing plight of each and every characters various back story leads to a lovely continuity that helps the show grow from strength to strength.
The special effects are perfect, adding to this very human tale, without ever dominating. There's a lovely handheld camera feel to the shaky black smoke billowing shuttle chases, and the Western-styled drybrush setting of most planets adds to the edginess of the visuals.
In short the show is fun. From beginning to end. It will make you smile, it will make you cry and it will make you cheer. Ulimately it's end comes too soon, but who knows, with the success of Serenity on DVD the show may live again in another form.
I, for one, am keeping my fingers crossed.
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