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Minggu, 29 Juni 2008

The Terminator (1984)

Film Reviews. Not only is it a landmark in the advancement of special effects, but it is also one of the most effective science fiction films of recent decades. One can add that "The Terminator" established James Cameron's name in Hollywood. (His previous film was "Piranha II: Flying Killers"; his next was "Aliens".)

Opening in a post-apocalypse wasted world where humans have become subordinate to machines, it works on the premise that a time-travelling cyborg sent back to present-day (1984) Los Angeles can, by assassinating the mother of an unborn enemy, reshape the future. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the cyborg and Linda Hamilton his innocent prey, located after he has combed the phone book and eliminated other unfortunate women who bear the same name.

At the same time as the cyborg's trip back in time, Michael Biehn, a human survivor of the nuclear holocaust, makes the same journey with the intention of terminating the terminator before it can do its worst. It becomes a battle against time itself.

Although the sequel has more spectacular computer-generated effects, produced on greatly enhanced budgets, this first film is better-paced and dramatically more satisfying. James Cameron laces the action with ironic jokes, but never lets up on hinting that the terror may strike at any moment. Schwarzengger's lines are few, but he can be heard to say once, and once only: "I'll be back!".

X-Men (2000)

Film Reviews. Fanboys the world over have been dreaming about it - the moment Wolverine grits his teeth and extends his adamantium claws. Many of you won't have the faintest idea what that means, but now's your chance. Because the X-Men are finally coming to the movies.

The film relies on one central conceit: that we live in a world where some people, called mutants, are born with genetic defects that give them superhuman powers. Unfortunately, with those powers comes loneliness, as mutants are shunned by society.

Director Singer ("The Usual Suspects") had a tough task picking from the massive pool of stories and characters that the comic provided. He has chosen to concentrate on two specific mutants - the fiery Wolverine (Jackman) and Rogue (Anna Paquin), a tragic teenager whose very touch can be fatal.

After a car accident they stumble upon Professor X's 'School For Mutants', a place where the benevolent Charles Xavier (Stewart) teaches mutants to help mankind. However, they face a difficult foe. Xavier's old friend Magneto (Ian McKellen) has lost confidence in normal humans and assembled a team of evil mutants to destroy them.

So Xavier enlists Wolverine and Rogue into his team of X-Men - which includes the telekinetic Jean Grey (Janssen), Cyclops and weather-harnessing Storm - to defeat Magneto and his henchmen.

If "X-Men" does have a fault, it's that too often it feels like a prelude to the inevitable franchise. But as a film in its own right, there is plenty to enjoy. It's snappy, snazzy, witty, non-exclusive and there are some great performances, with newcomer Jackman - an Aussie stage performer - the standout.

With "X-Men II" already in pre-production, this is the start of a beautiful friendship with the big screen.

Jumat, 27 Juni 2008

Men in Black (1997)

Film Reviews. Without a doubt "Men in Black" is the DVD release of the year. Continuing in the proud tradition of such amazing DVDs as "Ghostbusters", "The Matrix" and "The Mummy", here's a release that's even better. If you love the film you'll be staggered at how good it looks and sounds on this DVD supervised by director Barry Sonnenfeld. But this release is all about features here's a little taste of what to expect:

Character Animation
Here you can select one of three aliens and watch a scene through four layers that you work through using your angle button. As the short scene progresses you can build up from the preliminary background, then add the skin and texture, add lighting and then finish off with the final character composition.

Multi Angle Tunnel Scene
Dust off that little used multi-angle button of yours and let's go to town! With this feature you can watch the whole tunnel sequence in five separate layers. First you kick off with the storyboard which is weird to watch when you have the sound on. Then you revert to the actors and the blue screen, add in the blue screen composite effects, then lob in the animation and some lighting and then add that final veneer and hey presto you have the end result.

Conceptual Art and Storyboards
This is a huge section that can't be done justice here but highlights include a creature feature where you can select one of 5 aliens and then morph through the various layers of creation. Also included is a huge art gallery and storyboard comparisons for three key scenes.

There's More?
Yup, there's lots more but you'll have to unearth that yourself. But watch out for the teaser trailer for "Men in Black 2" buried in there. Overall though you can spend hours trawling through this all and it's surprisingly good fun, especially with the ultra cool animated menus. A full list of features is below and if that's not enough then check out the 2 disc "Limited Edition".

X-Men (2000)

Film Reviews. Fanboys the world over have been dreaming about it - the moment Wolverine grits his teeth and extends his adamantium claws. Many of you won't have the faintest idea what that means, but now's your chance. Because the X-Men are finally coming to the movies.

The film relies on one central conceit: that we live in a world where some people, called mutants, are born with genetic defects that give them superhuman powers. Unfortunately, with those powers comes loneliness, as mutants are shunned by society.

Director Singer ("The Usual Suspects") had a tough task picking from the massive pool of stories and characters that the comic provided. He has chosen to concentrate on two specific mutants - the fiery Wolverine (Jackman) and Rogue (Anna Paquin), a tragic teenager whose very touch can be fatal.

After a car accident they stumble upon Professor X's 'School For Mutants', a place where the benevolent Charles Xavier (Stewart) teaches mutants to help mankind. However, they face a difficult foe. Xavier's old friend Magneto (Ian McKellen) has lost confidence in normal humans and assembled a team of evil mutants to destroy them.

So Xavier enlists Wolverine and Rogue into his team of X-Men - which includes the telekinetic Jean Grey (Janssen), Cyclops and weather-harnessing Storm - to defeat Magneto and his henchmen.

If "X-Men" does have a fault, it's that too often it feels like a prelude to the inevitable franchise. But as a film in its own right, there is plenty to enjoy. It's snappy, snazzy, witty, non-exclusive and there are some great performances, with newcomer Jackman - an Aussie stage performer - the standout.

With "X-Men II" already in pre-production, this is the start of a beautiful friendship with the big screen.

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

Film Reviews. Whether letting Bruce Willis loose on terrorists who've hijacked an airport in "Die Hard 2", or capturing the antics of Sly dangling off huge mountains in "Cliffhanger", Renny Harlin has turned into the kind of all-action film director who has no trouble abandoning logic in favour of big thrills. He generally hopes that by leaping from tense scene to tense scene, no-one will notice the massive cracks in the script. And he's done it again.

In "Deep Blue Sea", medical scientists on a partially submerged facility far out to sea are using sharks as guinea pigs in a search for a cure to Alzheimer's disease. Their experiments have produced highly intelligent sharks, which are also very big. Keen to leave the confines of the facility, the sharks soon turn on the scientists, intiating chaos, destruction, and of course, feeding.

Thin characters spout idiotic lines, with only Samuel L Jackson having any real screen presence. LL Cool J gets what little witty dialogue there is and to his credit, makes the most of it. Harlin, taking his cue from all other action directors today, ensures that your skull shakes with noise as the research facility breaks apart and the sharks close in on the survivors.

And yet, despite scene after scene of mayhem, Harlin manages to create and and sustain extremely well-coiled tension. This is his real strength and he is consequently able to distract you from your first instinct, which is to laugh, and push you towards the edge of your seat. If he could only marry this strength with imaginative scripting and solid characterisation, not to mention the odd quiet moment, he would certainly move out of cartoon corner.

Planet of the Apes (1968)

Film Reviews. No matter how many times you've seen "Planet of the Apes" (1967) on TV, get ready to be thrilled like never before courtesy of a restored and remastered DVD release.

Aside from the slightly scratchy opening titles and the odd grainy cutaway shot, the picture quality is excellent. Bright vivid sunshine-baked visuals sear the tremendous scenery into the screen. Now presented in 2.35:1 ratio, you can also appreciate the dynamic camerawork, which was previously compromised by older pan and scan video releases.

The 5.1 sound mix is primarily devoted to splitting Jerry Goldsmith's eerie music score around the front speakers, to considerable effect. In addition there are some treats in store for your subwoofer, like the opening crash landing and some ominous thunder rumbles before the great hunt.

Extra features consist of a trailer gallery and a small behind-the-scenes photo gallery. If you're buying the box-set, there's a whole disc entitled "Behind the Planet of the Apes" that covers in great detail the making of the movie series.

While this DVD release showcases "Planet of the Apes" like never before, there is one complaint. There's a whole generation out there that has never seen this film, yet the shock ending is given away on both the front, back and inside of the cover! Now what's the point in that?

Region: 2 and 4
Chapters: 28
Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Extra Features: Scene selection, photo gallery, "Planet of the Apes" film series trailer gallery, animated menus, multiple language subtitles, and English for the hearing impaired.

The Fifth Element (1997)

Film Reviews. Alongside the elements of earth, wind, fire, and water - the one the pop group forgot - there is a fifth element, embodied within a young woman (Milla Jovovich). And it's a good thing too because it and she are the key to preventing the end of the universe.

So she's the fifth element, she's the sum total of our hope for survival, but she's way down the cast list and she can't get around town without Bruce Willis. It's no surprise that Luc Besson thought this story up when he was a teenager: it's core is the teen film cliché of a rough hero, which the teen wants to be, having unattainable women fall into his arms.

You have to fight to ignore this but fortunately there is much to distract you. The visuals are jaw-dropping, especially an unexpectedly gigantic spaceship hovering over a desert and some stunning sequences in a future New York.

It's also very funny in parts with Chris Tucker along for (perhaps a little too much) comic relief and paradise sequences that are camp and witty.

Bruce Willis is good in an average role, Milla Jovovich is acceptable in a terrible role, but as ever Gary Oldman is terrific in how he seems to find just the right note for the film and threatens to take it over.

Ultimately you'll delight in the ride, but you won't care too much about the outcome. If the end of the universe can be stopped by tough guy Bruce Willis, it just doesn't seem like much of a problem anymore.

Men in Black (1997)

Film Reviews. Film adaptations of comics and comedy sci-fi movies are notorious for their legion of examples of poor entertainment. Yet "Men in Black" straddles both thorny mantles and rides onto the screen, awash with special effects and gloriously enjoyable humour.

As with most blockbusters, this film is crafted upon a feature-reduced plot 'lite'. Will Smith plays a cop whose attempts to chase a seemingly superhuman criminal impresses Tommy Lee Jones who turns out to be the mysterious agent 'K'. He invites Smith to join his intergalactic customs and immigration service as agent 'J' and together they fight the alien scum of the universe.

But built upon this flimsy premise are a lot of refreshingly simple visual gags and the dream pairing of Smith and Jones, who look like they're having a lot of fun. That enjoyment is very infectious and the scenes where Smith is initially joining the service are hilarious. The key theme there, as throughout the film, is the unbelievable amount of craziness that surrounds our two heroes who remain deliriously dead pan throughout. The effect works very well and while the aliens are funny and the effects are clever, the reactions or often lack of them from 'K' and 'J' provide the most laughs.

That is not to say that the effects aren't impressive because they are. And while every big movie has its gasp-inducing moments, this film concentrates on inventive and quirky. But while everything comes together so well, Sonnenfeld is to be congratulated for the snappy 94 minute running time which is short in blockbuster terms and leaves you wanting more. Thank God the sequel is in production.

"Men in Black" is out on DVD in a "Collector's Edition" and a "Limited Edition".

Rabu, 25 Juni 2008

Beaufort (2008)

Beaufort, an ancient stone fortress atop a Lebanese mountain, is the setting for this muted war drama by director Joseph Cedar. He also wrote the script based on Ron Leshem's novel, recounting the last days of Israeli occupation in 2000. The end result is a meditative portrait of the soldiers' day-to-day battle, not just to stay alive, but to maintain a sense of purpose. There is sometimes a tendency to overplay the drama, but the talented cast is a grounding force.

Young officer Liraz (Oshri Cohen) commands a small band of soldiers posted at Beaufort, but finds it increasingly difficult to assert his authority when the Israeli government announces plans to withdraw from Southern Lebanon in a matter of weeks. Hezbollah responds with a salvo of missiles to claim a victory and amidst the chaos, Liraz makes a decision that has fatal consequences for one of his men. Unit medic Koris (Itay Tiran) pokes at the chink suddenly exposed in his armour, but Liraz's greatest struggle is always with his own conscience.

"AN IMPRESSIVE CAST OF YOUNG ACTORS"
Dialogue about the futility of war and scenes of gentle weeping mark the weak spots in a script littered with clichés. And although there is discussion between the soldiers about the whys and wherefores of the conflict, Cedar takes a myopic view. It's the idle banter and quieter moments that make a real impression. Grimy snapshots from the lookout post are contrasted with sweeping, sunny vistas from the mountain peak and more effectively convey the absurdity of the mission. Whether framed against this vast landscape or in the poky, subterranean living quarters, an impressive cast of young actors are able to express a growing sense of claustrophobia without words, and music rarely interrupts. Action scenes are few and fleeting; the tension is in the stillness and a worrying sense that the future is already set in stone.

Beaufort is out in the UK on 28th March 2008.

Stop-Loss (2008)


Film Reviews. Nine years on from her multi-award-winning debut Boys Don't Cry, Kimberly Pierce joins the ranks of US filmmakers writing America's war on terror large on the cinema screen whilst the real soldiers are still away fighting. With this intimate portrait of one war hero's unwelcome invitation straight back to the front, Pierce shows again her deep level of commitment to her subject, crafting an emotionally intense film which conveys the human toll of this war on terror.

Pierce sets up Sgt Brandon King (a standout Ryan Phillippe) and his squad as an affable, macho crew, before leading them down a nerve-shredding alley shoot-out in Tikrit, hooking us into their fates as they return home to Texas as heroes. The nightmares, violence and panic that accompanies returning home from war is familiar, but it's when King gets stop-lossed (denied the right to leave the army and sent straight back to the front) that Pierce uncovers the real nightmare facing thousands of American troops.

"GROUNDED IN GREAT PERFORMANCES"
The film's second half becomes something of a road movie as King goes AWOL, initially rebuffing his orders ("Fuck the President!") then trying to decide whether the revisiting the warzone is actually that bad, considering the hellish mental aftermath of having been there once. Pierce's story loses some of its energy here but, grounded in great performances from Phillippe and Gordon-Levitt in particular, none of its humanity. Stop Loss takes some time out from the argument over the validity of the war to ask a question closer to home - whether the emotional battlefield America subjects its young soldiers to is actually worth it.

Stop-Loss is out in the UK on 25th April 2008.

Senin, 23 Juni 2008

One Two Three (2008)


Film Reviews. In a country of over a billion people, it's possible to bump into someone with the same name. And it's precisely India's over population that writer/director Ashwani Dhir relies on to bring together Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty and Tusshar Kapoor in One Two Three. The comic cohorts play three guys called Laxminarayan, whose lives get mixed up when they all check into the same hotel on personal business. While their missions may be poles apart, their general incompetence leads to chaos. Count yourself lucky by missing this unoriginal Carry On-style farce.

Laxminarayan number one (Kapoor) is a young hit man on a mission to earn his credentials by killing a fellow gangster and recovering a stolen diamond. But his target get mixed up with a fashion designer who Laxminarayan number two (Rawal), an underwear salesman, is scheduled to meet at the same tourist resort. Laxminarayan number three (Shetty), on the other hand, is on his way to buy a car for his boss's wife, only to end up at the mafia's den. In true Bollywood style it takes three hours, several songs, countless double entendres to unravel the contrived confusion.

"CRUDE ENTERTAINMENT"
With a host of hopeless men running after tarty-looking bimbos while engaging in sexual innuendo-filled slapstick, One Two Three is reminiscent of a bad Benny Hill episode. Chuck in a fistful of Chubby Brown-style jokes and you've got an idea of the type of crude entertainment on offer here. While teen boys may like what they find, there's little for mature Bollywood fans. Riddled with surplus characters, Ashwani Dhir's screenplay lacks a decent plot and instead relies on the interaction between the lead trio to keep it afloat. Sadly, even seasoned comedians like Rawal can't save this stinker.

One Two Three (2008) is out in the UK on 28th March 2008.

U, Me Aur Hum (2008)


Film Reviews. Forgoing planes, trains and automobiles, actor Ajay Devgan scores a possible Bollywood first by setting his directorial debut, U, Me Aur Hum, on board a cruise ship. Pairing up with his wife and popular leading lady, Kajol, they play a young couple who fall in love on the high seas only to hit troubled waters once back on land. But what begins as a Titanic romance abruptly turns into an Away From Her-style drama when Alzheimer's wades into this split personality of a film.

It's anchors aweigh with an elderly Ajay (Devgan) narrating the story of how young psychiatrist Ajay (Devgan, again) met Piya (Kajol), a pretty waitress working on the Super Star Libra sea liner. Having rubbed her up the wrong way after one too many tequila shots, it's only a matter of time before Ajay charms his way into Piya's heart. By the time they have sailed into Mumbai port the two have predictably fallen in love and go on to marry. It's post-interval before the sinking feeling you've seen this all before gives way to interesting drama when Piya is struck with Alzheimer's disease.

"A WORTHY BUT MUSHY WATCH"
Devgan's ham-fisted direction results in U, Me Aur Hum being a film of two obvious halves. The opening rom-com frivolities bolted onto the emotional drama that suddenly kicks off in the second portion illustrates the A-listers' lack of experience behind the camera. Borrowing heavily from The Notebook starring James Garner, it also shows Devgan's paucity of originality in the screenplay department. However, what saves this from being a washout is the touching performance both he and Kajol deliver in the final moments of the movie. Exploring the slow mental corrosion linked with Alzheimer's (a medical condition that is poorly understood in India) makes this a worthy but mushy watch.

U, Me Aur Hum is out in the UK on 11th April 2008.

Krazzy 4 (2008)


Film Reviews. Jaideep Sen gets his break as director with this mish-mash starring some famous names who regrettably fail to elevate proceedings above the mundane. Krazzy 4 sees an innocent psychiatrist (Juhi Chawla) get embroiled in a political game when she finds herself kidnapped and stashed away for reasons unknown. The quest falls on her motley batch of patients to rescue her, reclaim their own sanity and deliver a somewhat contrived and confusing lesson about our misconceptions about crazy folk. Sound interesting? It so isn't...

Dr Sonali (Chawla) is a sugar-sweet psychiatrist working in Mumbai. Her patients - four in total (what a surprise!) - are headed by Raja (Arshad Warsi), a hot-tempered and haphazard individual who you just shouldn't cross. Dr Sonali's compassion toward her patients leads her to organise a trip to the city. But when she suddenly gets abducted by a couple of unconvincing thugs, her patients begin to wonder where she may have gone. Before they realise it, they have expertly solved her missing-persons case by tactfully kidnapping a big government official and even single-handedly outwitting a notorious criminal - something even the sane-minded would have difficulty achieving.

"HINGES ON A PARADOX THAT BORDERS ON LUNACY"
While the movie takes inspiration from One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, this one seems to fall out of the sky ahead of time. The ensemble cast is sincere enough, but a sluggishly drawn-out screenplay (which is as zany as the patients trying to keep it afloat), coupled with a wafer-thin plot and dreadful comedy, doesn't help sweeten the cake. The story hinges on a paradox that borders on lunacy itself, and even some A-list appearances aren't enough to electrocute this film into life.

Krazzy 4 is out in the UK on 11th April 2008.

Kamis, 19 Juni 2008

The Lost World DVD (1925)

Film Reviews. The background to "The Lost World" is as fascinating as the movie itself. It's taken eight different prints to put together the exciting new DVD release of this remarkable film. If you were thrilled by "King Kong", "Godzilla", or the "Jurassic Park" movies, this is a DVD that you must own. It's fascinating.

PICTURE

Picture quality is excellent. Of course, there are scratches galore, but as all prints were destroyed bar a few lucky exceptions, we're lucky to get to see it at all. The image has been tinted, as the original film would have been to represent night or day, and it works very well.

SOUND

You get two orchestral choices. Either you can have Robert Israel's slightly whimsical traditional score, or the horrible new synthesiser creation of the Alloy Orchestra. Both make good use of the speakers though, with surround sound throughout.

SPECIAL FEATURES

There's a commentary track by "The Lost World" expert, Roy Pilot. As his comments are few and far between, it's possible to have occasional interesting points in the background without it spoiling the film too much.

Other extra features include a stills gallery, an Arthur Conan Doyle biography and, best of all, 12 minutes of animation outtakes. In these excerpts you can actually see technical genius Willis O'Brien appear in some frames, as he adjusts the 50 model dinosaurs that populate the film.

The Fifth Element (1997)

Film Reviews. Alongside the elements of earth, wind, fire, and water - the one the pop group forgot - there is a fifth element, embodied within a young woman (Milla Jovovich). And it's a good thing too because it and she are the key to preventing the end of the universe.

So she's the fifth element, she's the sum total of our hope for survival, but she's way down the cast list and she can't get around town without Bruce Willis. It's no surprise that Luc Besson thought this story up when he was a teenager: it's core is the teen film cliché of a rough hero, which the teen wants to be, having unattainable women fall into his arms.

You have to fight to ignore this but fortunately there is much to distract you. The visuals are jaw-dropping, especially an unexpectedly gigantic spaceship hovering over a desert and some stunning sequences in a future New York.

It's also very funny in parts with Chris Tucker along for (perhaps a little too much) comic relief and paradise sequences that are camp and witty.

Bruce Willis is good in an average role, Milla Jovovich is acceptable in a terrible role, but as ever Gary Oldman is terrific in how he seems to find just the right note for the film and threatens to take it over.

Ultimately you'll delight in the ride, but you won't care too much about the outcome. If the end of the universe can be stopped by tough guy Bruce Willis, it just doesn't seem like much of a problem anymore.

The Mummy (1999)

Film Reviews. Universal set the standards back in 1932 with Karl Freund's "The Mummy", starring Boris Karloff. 67 years later and this all-new version blends old-fashioned scares with a hefty upgrade in the special effects department.

CGI technology is stretched to its limits in a veritable orgy of epic scenes. The problem is that director Stephen Sommers wants to create visions of grandeur that CGI cannot yet adequately realise. While some sequences like the sandstorm chasing the plane work well, others, like the opening pan over the city of Hamunaptra, are glaringly unconvincing.

It is a criticism that may seem a little unfair, but this over-reliance on such a relatively new innovation is only likely to date this movie in coming years. What redeems it now, and possibly for later, are the distinctly old-fashioned thrills of a film that's all about high adventure.

Brendan Fraser leads in an Indiana-Jones-styled role that teams him up with the bookish Rachel Weisz and her chancer of a brother, John Hannah. On the search for the tomb of the legendary Imhotep (Vosloo), they manage to disturb the now severely grumpy mummy from his 3000-year slumber. His revenge is to bring about Biblical plagues to the people of Egypt, while he attempts to revive his mummified bit of crumpet (or 3000-year-old girlfriend).

Realising that this crusty menace plans to wreathe the world in pestilence and icky boil-based diseases, our intrepid group set out to stop him. It's all done with plenty of action set-pieces, some decidedly creepy thrills, and a hearty slice of cheesy humour that often hits the mark, due to the energy and timing of the cast.

Read about and rate "The Mummy Returns"

The Mummy (1999)

Film Reviews. Universal set the standards back in 1932 with Karl Freund's "The Mummy", starring Boris Karloff. 67 years later and this all-new version blends old-fashioned scares with a hefty upgrade in the special effects department.

CGI technology is stretched to its limits in a veritable orgy of epic scenes. The problem is that director Stephen Sommers wants to create visions of grandeur that CGI cannot yet adequately realise. While some sequences like the sandstorm chasing the plane work well, others, like the opening pan over the city of Hamunaptra, are glaringly unconvincing.

It is a criticism that may seem a little unfair, but this over-reliance on such a relatively new innovation is only likely to date this movie in coming years. What redeems it now, and possibly for later, are the distinctly old-fashioned thrills of a film that's all about high adventure.

Brendan Fraser leads in an Indiana-Jones-styled role that teams him up with the bookish Rachel Weisz and her chancer of a brother, John Hannah. On the search for the tomb of the legendary Imhotep (Vosloo), they manage to disturb the now severely grumpy mummy from his 3000-year slumber. His revenge is to bring about Biblical plagues to the people of Egypt, while he attempts to revive his mummified bit of crumpet (or 3000-year-old girlfriend).

Realising that this crusty menace plans to wreathe the world in pestilence and icky boil-based diseases, our intrepid group set out to stop him. It's all done with plenty of action set-pieces, some decidedly creepy thrills, and a hearty slice of cheesy humour that often hits the mark, due to the energy and timing of the cast.

Read about and rate "The Mummy Returns"

Rabu, 18 Juni 2008

Three and Out (2008)


Tube driver Paul, having had two people fall under his train in a week, learns that a third will win him a handsome redundancy. Scouring the web and the streets for a suicidal volunteer, he peruades Tommy, an Irish down-and-out, to take the plunge, and the pair take off for one last weekend before seeing their deal through. Rare winning moments aside, Three and Out is unconvincing, uneven and unfunny: a severe points failure.

The film's bleak premise could have made for a decent black comedy but, the first few unsettling minutes apart, all that remains of note is a relieving patch of middle ground on the plod from witless comedy to please-let-it-end melodrama. There it finds some much needed warmth in note-perfect turns from Imelda Staunton and Annette Badland (the former as Tommy's estranged wife), while Bond-girl-in-waiting Gemma Arterton makes a decent fist of a thin role as Tommy's bitter daughter and Paul's improbable love-interest.

"STOPPED DEAD IN ITS TRACKS"

Mackenzie Crook - surely the only lead ever cast because he looks like a train driver - and Colm Meaney - suicidal tramp to cheery rogue in one fell shave - try hard to make unlikeable characters shine. Most of the gags, however, fall flat, while some dreary slapstick and the categorical refusal of either of them to think beyond the eye-stabbingly obvious means any momentum they generate is stopped dead in its tracks.

Three and Out is out in the UK on 25th April 2008.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)


Film Reviews. Members of the Knocked Up/Superbad crew reunite for another irreverent comedy in the comely shape of Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Jason Segel is likeable as leading man/loser Peter, who's dumped by his gorgeous girlfriend Ms Marshall (Kristen Bell) in the opening scene. An initially agonising holiday ensues - she's there with her new guy (Russell Brand) - but life gradually looks up in this amiable and witty laughfest that only suffers slightly for its rambling moments.

This succeeds in creating sympathy for its hero from the off. Peter is stark naked when his girlfriend finishes with him - and then he's the object of ridicule when she spots him while holidaying with her rock star boyfriend Aldous. Russell Brand is, for once, well cast in the role of vague, vain singer Aldous, who's also the object of obsession for a waiter and aspiring musician in the Hawaiian resort. That this waiter is played by Superbad chubster Jonah Hill only makes the whole thing funnier.

"HEAVY SOBBING FITS CAN'T FAIL TO ENTERTAIN"
There are downsides. Mila Kunis may be noticeably prettier than Meg, the character she voices on Family Guy, but she feels too much like a token love interest - how many model girlfriends can one loser score, after all? Still, if Peter's imperfections are exaggerated, it's to amusing effect: his frequent heavy sobbing fits can't fail to entertain. And that's one of the genius touches of this comedy. It's prepared to expose the vulnerabilities of its hero and humiliate him completely - to the point where you've just got to love him and laugh at him in equal measure.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is out in the UK on 25th April 2008.