Quick Reviews
Run Fat Boy Run(2007) 7/10
I’ll admit to a certain bias to Simon Pegg, whom i think is drop dead hilarious. Although the film follows a predictable template, Pegg’s earnest performance makes this an entertaining albeit lightweight comedy.
The Trials of Darryl Hunt(2007) 7/10
A powerful documentary about a man who was wrongly convicted and spent many years behind bars for a crime he did not commit. It is a tale about sheer police incompetence, about a justice system that has utterly failed and of one man’s determination to be exonerated. Justice has been a long time coming for Darryl Hunt whose true story will inspire anger and incredulity at the miscarriage of justice that has taken place.
Rambo (2008) 5/10
Unlike Rocky Balboa, Stallone should probably not have revisited the Rambo franchise. Stallone still looks incredibly fit and definitely looks like he could single-handedly take on a whole platoon himself. However, the largely dumb script, stock character and easily caricatured ‘villians’ makes this a tepid movie experience. Having said that, there is a certain ‘nostalgia’ factor that makes this film watchable for me.
Enchanted (2007) 6/10
I don’t get why this is so highly rated by so many critics. I do agree that it is a fairly enjoyable flick as far as Disney movies go, but hardly worthy of its universal acclaim. Overall, Enchanted was only above average, and i was rather annoyed by the musical sequences.
I’m Not There (2007) 6/10
A film about Bob Dylan. Dylan is portrayed by several actors, amongst them Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett and Richard Gere. This is obviously a gimmicky move and the film plays out like a schizophrenic biopic. At least it isn’t a conventional biopic like Walk the Line or Ray, because i’m totally over biopics after the deluge of biopics in recent years. Two performances stand out: Heath Ledger, in one of his last performances gives a great performance that becomes all the more poignant following his death. And yes, Cate Blanchett deserves a mention for her performance which has rightly garnered alot of critical acclaim. Having said that, the film as a whole did not work for me. I was bored for long stretches of the film and felt the entire Richard Gere sequence alienating.
The Mist (2007) 6/10
The story, by Stephen King is definitely better than the film adaptation. I was certainly disappointed because The Mist was one of my favorite Stephen King short stories. Still there are bright spark’s in Darabont’s adaptation of King’s tale, including how he plays up religious hysteria in the tale. However, the verve of King’s tale is not well translated to screen and the final product is a decent but underwhelming adaptation. Plus, i felt that they should have stuck with the original ending instead of using a different ending for the film version.
The Boondock Saints (1999) 4/10
Straight out bad. William Dafoe overacts embarrassingly and the entire plot is a joke.
CJ7 (2008) 7/10
Harmless, entertaining family flick. Stephen Chow stars and directs but he gets surprisingly little screen time. Instead it is the CGI animated pet and the young child star that steals the show. Despite being totally derivative and giving viewers deja vu about ET, CJ7 is a entertaining, watch-and-forget film for all ages.
