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All reviews - Movies (26) - TV Shows (6) - Books (1) -

Okay tween flick

Posted : 2 weeks, 2 days ago on 1 May 2008 12:35 (A review of Ice Princess)

While preparing a special project for a scholarship to Harvard, a teenager discovers her passion for ice skating. Blah. Blah. Blah. This is a story that has been told time and time again - the usual if-you-persevere-you-can-achieve-your-dream.
The acting is decent and there are some good ice skating routines so it should be fun for its target audience.

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Adorable and fun

Posted : 2 weeks, 2 days ago on 1 May 2008 12:29 (A review of Pushing Daisies)

I've been hearing good things about this show but the concept put me off at first. But, I'm glad I gave it a chance because what ought to be a morbid, depressing topic is actually a cute, humorous take on life and love.

With its vibrant colors, voice-overs and interesting characters, Pushing Daisies is a modern fairytale brought to life. The show moves at a fast pace, introducing various facets of the characters' lives while handling the mystery case of the week. The dialogue is eminently quotable and you will be chuckling when you remember a particular line or event.

Pushing Daisies' charm lies in the absurdity of the situations, the overly sentimental(ness) of emotions and the idionsyncracies of the different characters. It will definitely bring a smile to your face.


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So much fun!

Posted : 2 weeks, 2 days ago on 1 May 2008 12:15 (A review of Iron Man)

Iron Man is an origins story of how Tony Stark, genius and weapons manufacturer goes from having a carefree life to becoming a superhero in an iron (okay, titanium) suit. The plot is basic superhero stuff but Jon Favreau tells it well, mixing in action and drama with a liberal sprinkling of humor.

I was unsure of how Robert Downey Jr would fare as Tony Stark/Ironman but he did a great job, highlighting both the arrogance and insecurity that is the character. The chemistry between him and Gywneth Paltrow who plays Pepper Potts is just right - their relationship is one of attraction but not veering into the romantic department. Kudos too, to Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges (who I didn't quite recognize at first).

The special effects were great. I loved the Ironman suit and the technology that was showcased...guh! I was drooling. Ironman makes for a fantastic night out and I would gladly watch it again. A fine start for the Summer Blockbuster Season.

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Brilliant and hopelessly underrated

Posted : 1 month ago on 16 April 2008 06:31 (A review of Firefly)

When Firefly came out I was put off at the thought of watching a space western. I guess a lot of people felt that way because the series only lasted half a season.

But after watching it on DVD, I was amazed by the great mix of humor, action, drama that Joss Whedon packed into these 13 or so episodes. It's not like anything you've ever seen on television and probably nothing you'll see in the forseeable future.

I dare you not to fall in love with each of the characters in Firefly. A fantastic show that should have been given a chance to bloom.

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Stay away. Stay far away.

Posted : 1 month ago on 16 April 2008 06:22 (A review of Predator 2)

This movie is such a farce. Unlike Predator which still holds up 20 years later, Predator 2 is soooo dated. It's cheesy, the acting is BAD while the dialogue and plot are both atrocious. Seriously, who came up with the idea of having voodoo gang members in a turf war in Los Angeles? Seriously?!!

The only thing going for this movie is Gary Busey's over the top performance as a government agent hunting the predator.



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Could have been better

Posted : 1 month ago on 14 April 2008 05:04 (A review of Vantage Point)

The trailers billed Vantage Point as a fast paced action/thriller but what you get is more of a slow burn as each viewpoint brings in additional pieces of the puzzle.

The first few re-tells get a bit repetitive but the once more information is given things start to pick up. Plus there are some great action sequences (the car chase with Dennis Quaid will get your adrenaline pumping).

However my main fault with the movie is the twist near the end. It totally spoils the film because it comes out of left field. There is no explanation or logical reasoning for why this particular character would do such a thing.

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Predictable but still fun

Posted : 2 months, 1 week ago on 4 March 2008 07:01 (A review of 27 Dresses)

Jane Nichols (Katherine Heigl) is the perennial bridesmaid until she's faced with having to plan her sister's wedding to the guy she's secretly in love with.

Yes, 27 Dresses is thoroughly predictable (name me a romantic comedy that isn't!) but it's still a fun, sweet movie. The chemistry between Heigl and James Marsden is spot on and there are some great one-liners that will have you cracking up with laughter.

What made the movie for me was James Marsden - so earnestly adorable even with his cynicism, I probably would have enjoyed the movie less if someone else played his character.


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A solid show

Posted : 2 months, 3 weeks ago on 24 February 2008 07:00 (A review of Saving Grace)

Grace Hanadarko (Holly Hunter) is a good cop but her personal life is in the toilet with too much drinking, fast driving and sleeping around. She's offered the chance to redeem her life by a angel. The show follows her journey to redemption with the ever present question of "Will she make it?"

Saving Grace is a top-notch show with real characters and real emotions. You'll find yourself going from humor to anger to resignation in a span of a few minutes.

Hunter's performance especially is fantastic. At times you want to wring Grace's neck for the decisions she makes but Hunter injects this vulnerability that you find yourself sympathizing with Grace.

Leon Rippy is hilarious as the tobacco-chewing angel who follows Grace around.

This isn't Touched by an Angel - though there are moments of compassion, there's always this doubt over whether Grace will achieve her redemption.

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Leave the romance out

Posted : 2 months, 3 weeks ago on 20 February 2008 06:29 (A review of Jumper)

David Rice (Hayden Christensen) discovers that he has the ability to teleport anywhere in the world but later finds out that he isn't alone and that there are a group of people who have sworn to kill him and all other "Jumpers".

The concept of Jumper is interesting - what would you do if you could be anywhere you wanted? And what are the consequences of your actions.

Unfortunately, the movie doesn't delve enough into why there are jumpers and why they're being sought after. It spends too much time on developing the romantic interest but Rachel Bilson is terrible and I found myself tuning out to this part of the movie.

Far more interesting are the interactions between Christensen and Jamie Bell - the action sequences involving the two are fantastic! As are the special effects of jumping.

I also liked the relationship between Christensen and Micheal Rooker who plays his father.

If Doug Liman had focused more on these two aspects than on the romance Jumper would have been much better movie.



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Pointless

Posted : 5 months ago on 14 December 2007 04:47 (A review of Resident Evil: Extinction)

The first Resident Evil was genuinely scary. The sequel was over the top but managed to give me a few scares. With that in mind, I was still excited to see Resident Evil: Extinction. However, I was majorly let down by this movie. Can someone tell me, what was the point?

Alice (Milla Jovovich) spends much of the movie living in a Mad Max-type world, on the run from the Umbrella corporation, away from her friends because "they have a habit of dying on me". Meanwhile, Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr) and LJ(Mike Epps) (two of the survivors from the second movie) have joined a convoy of humans trying to find a safe place from the undead. And of course, the nefarious Umbrella corporation is still trying to figure out a way to take control of the world using the zombies but since there's not much of a world left, why would they want to?

Character development is nil - so many new characters are introduced - but we don't learn anything about them that when they're inevitably killed, so what, who cares.

Resident Evil: Extinction isn't scary and it doesn't offer anything new, preferring instead to wander aimlessly through the desert and give us more fights with zombie dogs.

At the end, my only question, aside from why they made this movie, is how Alice's t-shirt manages to stay so clean in the harsh elements of the desert. A sorry state of affairs indeed. If it weren't for Oded Fehr this movie would only rate a 2 and that's for the visual effects and make-up.

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