Dumfries and Galloway - Film Review

Up Film Review

2009-11-06T11:23:32Z

Just when you thought the Disney Pixar shed would be running out of ideas for good films they go ahead and release this little gem.

A film not as hyped as some other previous titles, Up is nevertheless one of the better films to come out of the Pixar stable.

Seventy-eight-year-old Carl feels life has passed him by following the death of his wife. As a youngster he had always dreamed of travelling on an adventures but somehow never quite got round to it.

Following a row that gets out of hand with a construction site worker, it is decided Carl should be sent to a retirment home. However, the old zoo entertainer escapes by turning his home into a flying contraption with balloons.

It is then that he discovers Russell, a young scout he met a few days before clinging to his porch for dear life. Putting up with the ever inquisitive eight-year-old Carl continues his journey to the mystical Paradise Falls where he hopes to land his home and live out the rest of his days in peace.

But it is when they arrive and meet 'Kevin', a bizarre, blue coloured, over-sized ostrich-like bird that their adventure really takes off.

The CGI in Up is of noticable better quality than compared to some previous Pixar titles but without losing its cartoon magic. The tale is pacey with a slow introduction to the main characters and riddled with good one liners throughout (especially from the talking dogs).

Up is in cinemas now.

DVD Review: Outlander

2009-10-06T08:37:32Z

A healthy air of skepticism is always needed when you decide to watch a film that has been hyped by DVD sellers but never got a cinema release. The same was true when asked to review Outlander. But against the usual DVD over-hype, it turned out to be a nice little gem of a film.

Admittedly the plot sounds a little silly when you first read it off the back of the DVD case but it is something that the movie executes well.

Canin falls from the sky over ancient Norway after his spaceship has been attacked. The other crewmember dies from his injuries and the vessel sinks leaving Canin to fend for himself on an alien world.

It is not long before Canin runs into the locals and is subsequently blamed for the massacre of the people of a nearby fishing village. And despite his best attempts to convince the locals that it was not him but a creature that followed him to Earth after it attacked his ship no-one seems to believe him (I wonder why).

After several failed attempts to escape and more attacks on the ever-decreasing populace the Norwegians finally decide that they are willing to listen.

Outlander has a nice feel to it with some very good acting, especially from veteran actor John Hurt. There are a few other familiar actors including Sophia Myles.

But the movies strong storyline is at times let down by the actors accents. Canin early on gets taught Norweigan by a computer that prints the information into his brain and as you would expect, viewers subsequently hear what everyone's saying as a translation into English. But while that is understandable, the varying American, Scottish and English accents amongst the characters is a little odd (they are supposed to be Norweigan after all).

Outlander is overall a solid movie despite this though and something families will also enjoy despite a few dark, scary moments early on.

Out Now: Fame

2009-09-28T14:51:24Z

A remake of the hit 1980's TV show set in a performing arts school in New York City.

Respectively remade with a new cast and updated dances and music, this is a must-see for anyone who loves musicals and those who love a happy ending where all dreams come true.

Fame is in cinemas now.

Coming soon: Surrogates

2009-09-16T13:26:25Z

Bruce Willis teams up with Radha Mitchell to investigate two mysterious deaths in a futuristic world where the populace live their day-to-day lives through robotic versions of themselves that are controlled from the safety of the populations homes.

However, when two robots are destroyed and their human controllers subsequently killed in the comfort of their own homes Willis and Mitchell discover that living your life artifically could be as dangerous as living in the real world.

Out Now: District 9

2009-09-09T15:24:08Z

It's not often that a film made by South African filmmakers makes it into the global movie market. But District 9 appears to be an exception.

The movie tackles the idea of aliens "living among us" in a new light to other science fiction films that have gone before us. Forgiving the clique, there is a slightly more realistic element to it in terms of how the human race would deal with the arrival of aliens (contrary to the generic Holywood alien movies that lead us to believe that all extra-terrestrials are only here to kill us and destroy the planet for no adequetely explained point or advantage).

After an alien ship arrives above the city of Johannesburg the people of Earth fear a forthcoming invasion. However, after three months of hovering above the city and no hint of its purpose the vessel is boarded.

After discovering a group of aliens who appear to have survived some sort of plague onboard the ship the South African Government takes the step of rehoming the survivors in a refugee camp which later becomes known as District 9.

20 years later, tensions between the aliens and humans begin to reach boiling point. Things are made even worse when the government turns over control of the slum to a private company known as MNU.

The company appoints one of its officers, Wikus, to start relocating the aliens to a new refugee camp some miles away known as District 10. But during the inspection of an alien residence Wikus messes with a device which shoots black liquid into his face.

It is not long afterwards he is seeking their help after his arm begins to mutate and his own company come after him.

District 9 is shot in a documentary like style reminiscent of the Blair Witch Project. Although not really scary, the film does take on a paranoid atmosphere which leaves one questioning whether the aliens are merely harmless refugees or infact are a threat.

District 9 is in cinemas now.

Coming Soon: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

2009-08-18T13:08:37Z

The late Heath Ledger stars in his final film role as Dr Tony Parnassus. Due to the actor's untimely death, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law provide the additional footage for the movie that would not have been completed otherwise.

Based on a fantasy by Terry Gilliam, Tony Parnassus embarks on a daring, fantasy-filled adventure to save the daughter of a friend from the devil.

Coming Soon: Inglorious Basterds

2009-08-18T13:02:06Z

Already causing controversy before its release on Friday with Advertising Standards over its movie posters, the deliberately incorrectly spelled Inglorious Basterds is one of this year's hotly anticipated films.

Directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring Brad Pitt a group of soldiers venture into Germany to kill Hitler during the Second World War.

Out Now: G.I Joe: Rise of Cobra

2009-08-10T14:03:17Z

Paramount Pictures and Hasbro have again joined forces to bring another science-fiction epic. But rather than giant alien robots bouncing across the screen this time it is humans in robotic suits bouncing across the screen.

A team of elite soldiers known as G.I Joe take on evil arms dealer Destro and his shady Cobra organisation.

Directed by Stephen Sommers. G.I Joe: Rise of Cobra is in cinemas now.

Out Now: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

2009-07-23T13:58:22Z

Eight years and six movies later you would think the popularity of the Harry Potter locomotive would have begun to wane at least a couple of years back.

But unlike other popular franchises which keep churning out films until the point they're so bad that they never get a cinema release anymore, Harry Potter still knows how to draw a crowd despite many fans giving the latest edition very mixed reviews.

Many fans have dubbed the film 'Harry Potter and the teenage hormones' and you don't have to watch very long to figure out why.

The characters seem to spend more time trying to get-off with love interests who are attracted to others rather than them than actually trying to save the wizarding world and the human world from utter destruction. They also seem more content playing Quidditch than stopping the end of the world.

The story revolves around Harry Potter being left disillusioned since his visit to the Ministry of Magic in the previous film with the evil Voldemort and wanting to drop out of school. However, he is encouraged back by some of his peers.

All the while strange smoke creatures that bare a similar resemblance to the smoke monster on Lost attack London and kidnap a wand maker by the name of Mr. Ollivander.

Harry's rival Severus Snape becomes drawn into the dark arts and Harry and Dumbledore learn that Voldemort is someone one again at large...for the sixth time.

If you're not read any of the books this movie will likely leave you confused. Fans who follow Harry Potter religously will also be disappointed by this latest helping. But you can look on the bright side, one more film and this dead donkey will finally hit the floor.

Out Now: Ice Age 3

2009-07-08T14:55:16Z

With the kids on their summer holidays what better way to get them out of the house and into the cinema than the latest chapter in the Ice Age story.

Sid the sloth steals three dinosaur eggs longing for a family of his own. But as soon as he thinks he has got off without any consequences the mother turns up. Sid find himself taken captive and whisked off to an underground world where the dinosaurs still live.

Friends Manny, Ellie and Diego go in search of him in a world where they are the first choice on everyone's menu. And Scrat the squirrel is still on the hunt for that ever elusive nut.

The animation has improved very little compared tot he revious two movies which is a little disappointing considering the original came out seven years ago now. The third film also appears to have lost some of the lustre of its predecessors with tiresome jokes.

Scrat spending the entire first movie trying to nab an elusive acorn was hilarious in the second film it was still funny if not entirely original but now it is just reprtitive and dull.

That said if your kids are under the age of 10 or not seen any of the others in a while they will still really enjoy Ice Age 3.

Sunshine Cleaning Trailer

2009-06-25T12:59:45Z

Cleaner Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) convinces her sister Norah (Emily Blunt) to join her in a crime scene clean-up business to make some fast money.

This light-hearted movie with a slightly dark humoured edge is in cinemas from Friday the 26th of June.

Blood: The Last Vampire Trailer

2009-06-25T12:59:45Z

Because having 'the last' in any title makes it instantly sound cool and have teenagers wanting to flock and watch it.

Despite the somewhat over used latter-end of the film title, first impressions from the trailer are quite positive.

The film follows a half-human, half-vampire schoolgirl named Saya who works for the Japanese government hunting down and slaying vampires. Set just after WWII, Saya is send undercover to a military school to find a student who is a vampire in disguise.

Blood: The Last Vampire is in cimemas now.

Out Now: Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-06-22T14:19:01Z

If you did not grow up in the eighties or have a family of young children at that time then you will likely feel as alien to this movie as the characters are themselves compared to the original TV cartoon series.

For those unfamiliar with these old toons and the modern movies, Transformers focuses around a group of giant alien robots who can change shape into vehicles. As silly as the concept sounds the formula has spawned a multi-million dollar franchise for over two decades.

In the first Transformers (2007) a good group of robots known as the Autobots arrive on Earth to locate a mysterious life-giving cube known as the All Spark. Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf) and his girlfriend Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) become the unwitting owners of one of the autobots (Bumblebee) when he is disguised as a car. But to find the All Spark they end up fighting a group of evil robots known as the Decepticons.

The second installment catches up with Sam two years later as he is about to embark on his move to college. But on arriving he discovers an odd piece of rock in his belongings.
Looking into the piece, Sam effectively downloads ancient knowledge of the Transformers.

Not long afterwards the Decepticons return to Earth with reinforcements, hell bent on revenge over the destruction of the All Spark in the previous movie.

The CGI in the film is stunning, especially when you consider the amount of detail on each character. If you have kids they will love the effects as much as the fight scenes (which five-year-old doesn't want to see giant alien robots beating chunks out of one another?). And there's enough of a human element as well as jokes to keep the adults happy throughout.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Trailer

2009-06-08T13:06:54Z

The sixth movie adaptation of JK Rowlings popular children's series, Harry Potter arrives on the big screen this July. You can see a trailer for the new movie below.

Public Enemies Trailer

2009-06-08T13:06:54Z

Johnny Depp stars as John Dillinger, one of America's most notorious bank robbers. Based loosely on a true story, this 1930's romp with fast cars, guns and bank raids is out in cinemas from the 3rd of July.