Reviews by PvtCaboose91

An outlandish, uncategorisable blend of John Ford (and, by extension, John Wayne) and cornball Chinese mysticism, John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China is a hokey martial arts adventure flick with limitless appeal. The characters are both endearing and witty, with the actors hamming it up to extremes. Meanwhile Carpenter provides directorial genius, suspenseful set-ups, edge-of-your-seat action and a signature musical score. Big Trouble in Little China is simply a delightfully absurd action movie that never takes itself too seriously, although it isn't for all tastes.

In his fourth collaboration with director Carpenter (after Elvis, Escape From New York and The Thing), Kurt Russell plays an imitable, good-natured truck driver named Jack Burton. During one of his trips to San Francisco, Jack's truck is hijacked and he's unwittingly swept up in a universe-bounding plot to kidnap the fiancée of his friend Wang (Dun). The whole situation concerns warring gangs that dwell in the Chinatown underground, and an ancient supernatural spirit named Lo Pan (Hong). But Jack couldn't care less about any of this...he just wants his truck back.

This is not your ordinary kung fu flick, to say the least. The slender plot is virtually indecipherable; merely providing a reason to showcase lots of things happening in colorful settings for no reason other than to have lots of things happening in colorful settings.

Alas, character development is slim and an audience isn't given much of a chance to become acquainted with the characters before they're sent into action. However the dialogue never fails to sparkle and the endearing characters will win you over anyway. Big Trouble in Little China mainly works so well due to Carpenter's stylised direction and the breathless pacing. We're taken from one chase to another; Carpenter continually removing his characters from the frying pan and throwing them into the fire. This ever-escalating chain of events always keeps things moving forward, and never allows the movie to bog down (even the few expository scenes necessary to fully outline Lo Pan's dastardly scheme are brilliantly terse). Carpenter's willingness to let ridiculous, unexplained things fly in out of left field is another masterstroke. The character of Margo (Burton) at one stage likens this peculiar adventure to Alice in Wonderland.

The subterranean lairs which accommodate most of the action are great - hokey enough to emphasise the film's camp appeal, but not so hokey that they look like sets. Big Trouble in Little China features plenty of special effects too - and the somewhat dated effects add to the enchanting flavour. Carpenter always respects his influences. He maintains the B-Grade spirit of Hong Kong cinema while also fusing it with his own style and satirising it with a unique campness. From the score's synthesis of Eastern music and Carpenter's trademark synth to the arcade-style battle between two characters and the villain being defeated with a simple bowie knife to the head instead of a grand duel, Carpenter nails the tongue-in-cheek kung fu comedy genre. One definitely needs to be in the right mindset for this movie.

Kurt Russell as Jack Burton is priceless - he's a witty, tough-talking everyman hero in the mould of John Wayne. Unlike John Wayne, however, Jack is not immune from screwing up. Jack has a knack for getting into extreme situations, he believes he has everything figured out, he constantly messes up, and he makes a lot of grand pronouncements and wisecracks (he even talks about himself in the third person a lot). Russell's Jack Burton will definitely win you over with his cheesy bravado. Interestingly, he ain't the real driver of the plot - he's Wan's sidekick and he's just there to find his truck. Jack is, however, the true star of the show

Just like John Carpenter's The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China performed poorly at the box office upon its initial release but has grown vindicated in the years to follow; earning a legion of fans who understand what Carpenter was trying to do. Ancient Chinese mysticism and kung fu is expertly blended with good old-fashioned American gunplay to produce this high-energy mélange of action sequences. You know what ol' Jack Burton would say at a time like this? Jack Burton would say "see this movie!"

7.6/10

Public Enemies is an excellent slice of mature entertainment, and a welcome alternative to the silly, overblown blockbusters of the dire 2009 summer season. This predominantly factual retelling of the descent of John Dillinger is a synthesis of an irresistible triad of elements: a stylish director (Michael Mann), an incredible actor (Johnny Depp), and a great American myth (Dillinger and the golden age of bank robbers). Public Enemies has inevitably been tagged as Michael Mann's Heat in a Depression-era setting, and the similarities are numerous; from the languid cityscapes to an extended street shootout, and even the basic premise. In a modern cinematic marketplace dominated by brainless, action-saturated blockbusters, Public Enemies is brilliantly unique. It's a grand, challenging crime epic that demands multiple viewings in order to fully absorb everything it has to offer. It's also a summer movie for which you don't need to switch off your brain...and you don't want to!

The opening title card reveals that it's 1933, it's the fourth year of the Great Depression, and it's the golden age of the bank robbery. Out of the bank robbers of this period, none were as notorious as the charismatic John Dillinger (Depp), whose gang plied its trade with cunning efficiency. His lightning raids made him not only an admired folk hero to the downtrodden public, but also a target for the Bureau of Investigation. Top G-Man Melvin Purvis (Bale) is assigned to head a special unit in Chicago with the primary directive of tracking down Dillinger. It was during this period that Dillinger also became involved with a coat-check girl named Billie Frechette (Cotillard).

Once the central characters and their respective missions are established, Public Enemies becomes a string of explosive confrontations between government agents and Dillinger's gang, with the two sides engaging in a variety of shootouts. At times the narrative feels genuinely unfocused, and some aspects of the story feel either a tad abridged or foolishly excluded. But with so much packed into one movie, it's forgivable that a few story threads feel underdeveloped.

Mann is wise enough not to overglamorise the bank robbing lifestyle, though he distinctly depicts the difference between how Dillinger is perceived by law enforcement officials (as a criminal who needs to be stopped) and how he's viewed by the public (as a Robin Hood-like figure). Mann even finds time to insert a sly nod to America's fascination with the lurid - a massive crowd congregates once Dillinger is shot dead.

At the centre of the picture lies a question Mann and Depp are trying to solve - what motivated Dillinger? Public Enemies is a motion picture probing the icon of Dillinger and how we all respond to that icon, and the film therefore never get inside the rogue's head. A typical origins story is merely brushed over, with Dillinger already a fully-formed criminal at the beginning of the movie. Armchair psychology is happily eschewed as well, forgoing flashbacks in order to tightly focus on exploring a distinct period in Dillinger's life. What truly made the man tick remains the film's biggest mystery, but no-one really knew in real-life either. Public Enemies never pretends to know the truth.

Bryan Burrough (author of the non-fiction novel Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34 which inspired the movie) has stated that, although it takes a certain amount of artistic license with history, Public Enemies is to date the most factual retelling of Dillinger's story to appear on screen. The screenplay (penned by Ronan Bennett, Michael Mann, and Ann Biderman) uses Burrough's novel as its backbone, although the writers occasionally manipulate the facts to better suit the film dramatically. (For example, while the gaolbreak at the beginning in fact took place, Dillinger was locked up at the time and was not involved in it. Also, Pretty Boy Floyd was killed three months after John Dillinger but is shown being gunned down by Purvis early into the picture.) Public Enemies will receive criticisms for its inaccuracies, but this is too nitpicky - after all, Bonnie and Clyde is hailed as a masterpiece when it's a very inaccurate retelling of its story. Besides, most of Dillinger's story is unknowable (particularly the details of his death - to this day, some still assert that it wasn't Dillinger but a lookalike who was killed that night in Chicago, and there are conflicting stories as to if Dillinger actually pulled a gun before he was gunned down).

Several of the film's major set-pieces were shot in the actual locations where the same events took place some seventy-five years prior - Depp breaks out of Dillinger's actual gaol cell, fires through the same windows and runs through the same forest at Little Bohemia, and lies on the same segment of pavement in front of the Biograph Theatre. It's excellent!

Evoking his experience as an action director, Mann crafts a number of thrilling action sequences. The bank robberies are gripping and taut, while the prison break sequences are equally exciting. Most impressive, however, is the riveting Little Bohemia Lodge shootout. The killing of Dillinger (while a foregone conclusion) is also a suspenseful and moving sequence. Nitpickers complain about the high-definition digital photography, but this (along with the exquisitely-detailed sets and the effective shooting style) adds a sense of immediacy to the movie, with naturalistic lighting and colours. The soundtrack, too, is masterful - natural rather than exaggerated, with the gunshots very loud and the voices quite subdued. Elliot Goldenthal's score is evocative and touching, while the use of '30s-style music heightens the film's authenticity. Never before has a period piece been created with this level of immersion.

John Dillinger was killed after watching a screening of Manhattan Melodrama, and the definitive masterstroke of Public Enemies is milking this for its movie-ness (if you will) - parallels are drawn between the movie and Dillinger's life brilliantly.

Johnny Depp avoids theatricality in his portrayal of John Dillinger, and nails everything from the accent to the mannerisms. He's simply the best actor to play Dillinger to date. The spotlight is often stolen by Marion Cotillard whose portrayal of Billie Frechette is so beguiling that it's easy to understand why a hard-bitten man like Dillinger would be attracted to her. The scenes between the two, especially the early ones in which Dillinger is attempting to woo Frechette, are given the crackling snap of the movies of that era with sharp, fast dialogue.

Christian Bale submits a top-notch performance as lawman Melvin Purvis, the film's primary antagonist, though he ultimately isn't allowed enough screen-time to fully develop his character. Billy Crudup's supporting performance as J. Edgar Hoover is brilliant - he masters the accent. The rest of the actors mainly appear in glorified cameos, ranging from David Wenham as Dillinger's mentor to Channing Tatum in a blink-and-you'll-miss-him turn as Pretty Boy Floyd. Giovanni Ribisi fares better as robber Alvin Karpis, while Stephen Graham is an absolute scene-stealer as Baby Face Nelson.

Public Enemies is a powerful, amazing, mesmerising depiction of the final months of one of the most infamous criminals in American history. Although viewers will be left wanting to know more about the iconic bank robber, Public Enemies is clearly intended to just be a slice of the gangster's life. In the film Dillinger is depicted as a man who lives for the moment; unwilling or unable to consider the future, and with little use for the past. This is Mann's credo as well - he places us in the moment just as Dillinger chose to live his final year. Mann's latest masterwork won't work for everyone, but it remains a visually enthralling crime-thriller.

8.9/10

1974's Death Wish (which initially went by the apt working title of The Sidewalk Vigilante) was released at the pinnacle of Hollywood's obsession with anti-hero movies. This screen adaptation of Brian Garfield's 1972 novel is functionally simplistic, lowering itself to the cerebral level required for straight-up exploitation (though it contains a slight trace of a social commentary). The formerly timely message of this gritty actioner, along with the solid production values and Herbie Hancock's remarkable score, render it able to hold up rather confidently all these decades later. Upon release in 1974 the film was a commercial hit - it earned about $22 million at the box office (from a mere $3 million budget).

Set in New York City, Death Wish introduces Charles Bronson's signature character: a respected architect named Paul Kersey. One afternoon Paul's idyllic life is shattered when a group of street thugs (among which is a young Jeff Goldblum, in his film debut) break into his apartment, leaving his wife dead and his daughter in a catatonic state. The family is shaken to its very core after this attack. Once Paul steps onto a shooting range during a business trip intended to keep his mind off things, his vengeful instincts are awoken. The police are unable to find the hooligans that attacked his family, so Paul takes to vigilantism. He begins prowling the mean streets of New York City at night, killing all the street criminals he encounters.

Charles Bronson certainly isn't noted for his acting skills (or lack thereof), and Death Wish has no real emotional punch as a result. While the man is fairly watchable, he's so emotionless and stale, and eventually we're left wondering what really makes Paul tick. Also, the attack on Paul's wife and daughter would've been more effective if a viewer had been given the chance to know them intimately as characters. Alas, they're merely thinly-sketched narrative tools used to send Paul into vigilante mode. Other parts of the movie, however, are thoroughly effective. Director Winner stages each of Paul's confrontations like a showdown between jaded civility and total depravity. The final half of the flick mostly consists of Paul shooting criminals, but each confrontation is staged with visceral effectiveness that'll get your blood pumping (even if the silliness of the whole affair is sometimes hard to overlook).

In adapting Garfield's novel for the screen, screenwriter Wendell Mayes (who also scripted The Poseidon Adventure) altered the narrative's ultimate trajectory. Moreover, vigilantism is seen in a negative light in the Death Wish novel whereas the film unmistakably romanticises Paul's choice to take the law into his own hands. The fact that those Paul kills are portrayed as soulless criminals only adds to the attractiveness of his vendetta. This allure is further compounded by the fact that the police develop a hesitative admiration for the media-dubbed "Vigilante", and the mayor notices that Paul's activities cause the mugging rate to decrease by about 50%.

At its most basic level, Death Wish is a simple-minded vigilante fantasy and no room is left for any intellectual defence of its ideological standpoint. However the film's stance is more or less identical to that which is taken by most Westerns. Charles Bronson dispensing justice on the streets of New York is hardly unlike John Wayne or Clint Eastwood carrying out the same task in frontier outposts of the Old West. Most Western heroes are sheriffs, but they rarely operate totally within the realm of proscribed law. One could contend that times have changed, but this doesn't deflate the mythological undercurrents of "righteous justice" that transcend the slow bureaucratic processes and give both Westerns and vigilante movies their undeniable kick. The central message of all these narratives is that desperate times call for desperate measures, and sometimes a lone outsider is the only one who can get the job done. The Western likeness of Death Wish is further reinforced when Paul at one stage witnesses a mock gunfight at a reconstructed Western frontier town that's often used as a movie set (in Tucson, Arizona).

Ideology aside, Death Wish is nothing but a specific product of its time. The late '60s was a period in which street crime reached near epidemic proportions, and Hollywood retorted with reactionary films like Death Wish, Dirty Harry, and The French Connection. Characters such as Paul Kersey fill an entrenched fantasy that most people are wise enough not to try to fulfil themselves. Paul and similar characters are the epitome of cathartic excess in cinema; a means by which viewers could fleetingly revel in the delight of seeing a badass punish the wicked with righteous intensity. Director Michael Winner's tale of an epic skewing of the moral compass laid the groundwork for the dozens of films following it that had revenge as a crucial plot point. Death Wish is an excellent capsule of 1970s filmmaking - it's thrilling and thought-provoking, and it sends us off with a wink at the end.

Followed by four sequels, beginning with Death Wish II in 1982.

7.2/10

It seems the older Clint Eastwood becomes, the more mileage he can extract from his age and the more his aging persona appears to fit him. Embodying everything one could love about the movies, Clint is an everyman, an action hero, a tough-talker, a girl magnet and a keen-eyed detective all rolled into one. On top of this, he's also a masterful filmmaker. And for a man in his 70s, that's a tough act to beat. It's disappointing to report, then, that 2002's Blood Work (while well-crafted by director Eastwood) is such a routine, predictable and sometimes perilously naff thriller. In a sense, this movie is a bit like eating a meal you've already devoured hundreds of times before - familiar, fairly uneventful and boasting no real surprises, but tasty and inviting nonetheless.

In Blood Work, Eastwood continues his exploration of the aging action hero and takes it to the very brink of logical conclusion. Here the actor plays a retired FBI profiler named Terry McCaleb. Two year prior, he was working on a case concerning a serial killer renowned for leaving codes at every murder site. Flash forward to the present, and McCaleb is recovering after a heart transplant. A woman named Graciella Rivers (De Jesus) soon contacts McCaleb, asking him to investigate the death of her sister who was shot dead during a convenience store robbery. McCaleb reluctantly agrees to the assignment when he finds out that he received the heart of Graciella's sister.

Blood Work commences with a jazzy score that plays during the opening credits - an old-fashioned piece of music which establishes the picture as a throwback to an earlier era of more laid-back mystery thrillers. It's therefore a shame that Eastwood fails to capitalise on the film's potential. The script (penned by Brian Helgeland, who adapted Michael Connelly's novel of the same name) is pedestrian, while the plot is pure mechanics, with the wheels grinding at a pace so leisurely that it isn't difficult to predict the twists. The clues McCaleb unearths are so obvious that any half-thinking viewer will have solved the "whodunnit" of the film early into the proceedings. Once one determines the identity of the killer, the "why" of his actions isn't hard to deduce, and thus the majority of the movie is reduced to pointless running around. It's a bad sign if an audience can figure everything out before the characters, which makes them seem frustratingly slow and daft.

For the first hour of its runtime, Blood Work is a compelling thriller despite a painfully obvious plot trajectory and a few silly moments (an early foot-chase feels awkwardly tagged on and is quite laughable). Beyond the first hour, the film quickly falls apart. The proceedings become either clichéd or cringe-worthy (the relationship between McCaleb and Graciella reaching the bedroom, for instance). Blood Work is also quite lazy and poorly constructed, with the camera inexplicably lingering on things that will obviously have relevance later on and characters not mentioning small details which would clearly help solve the case. Aside from the clumsy screenplay, there are other annoyances associated with the flick. Characters possess a tendency to utter irritating and inappropriate wisecracks, for example, and the climax is far too Hollywood.

At least Eastwood's direction is top-notch (even if he falters when it comes to hiding future plot twists). Without ever feeling the need to indulge in the flashy editing techniques or the gimmicky camera work that disguises a lack of imagination in younger directors (such as Michael Bay), Eastwood handles Blood Work with smooth and precise skill. He's simply the best old-fashioned director of the 21st Century. And in front of the camera, the actor still emanates a gripping screen presence. Eastwood evokes his Dirty Harry image here; giving us an aging, flawed version of his most celebrated role. However the character of McCaleb is in some aspects unlike the heroes Eastwood has played in the past - he's not too physical, but more of a thinker. It's a pity the material fails to serve Eastwood's perfectly nuanced performance.

Blood Work is one of Eastwood's weakest efforts to date; suffering from exaggerated action, plenty of clichés and too many preposterous moments. But with the behind-the-scenes expertise of a director who cares about the art of filmmaking, this thriller is easily far more entertaining than it should have been. There's something about the flavour of Eastwood's work that allows a viewer to overlook the flaws and tiresome material...at least for a little while.

6.1/10

Easily the purest Sam Raimi movie since Evil Dead II, Drag Me to Hell is a triumph - one of the best movies of 2009. This horror tour de force is precisely the movie needed to revitalise the genre after a string of superfluous remakes (The Grudge, One Missed Call) and torture porn features (Saw, Hostel). Best of all, Drag Me to Hell allows Raimi the opportunity to reawaken his visceral horror instincts that were mummified by the big-league, big-budget Spider-Man trilogy. Even with the teen-friendly PG-13 rating in place, this is classic Raimi. So why is this PG-13 horror romp a rousing success while other modern horrors fall flat? Two factors stand out - Raimi's respect for his audience, and his desire to make horror fun again. In trademark Raimi style, Drag Me to Hell lurches from wild laughs to beautifully choreographed scares with a steady sleight of hand. The story is basic, the gimmicks are familiar and the mythology is laughable, but Raimi is highly confident with what he's presenting. This is a movie which demands to be seen with a large audience, milking every gasp and laugh for the best experience.

Drag Me to Hell begins with the decades-old Universal Studios logo, establishing a sense of nostalgia to get the audience in the mood for what follows. This old-fashioned exercise in terror transports an audience back to an era when horror was all about providing a fun, suspenseful carnival ride of fright flick...before torture porn tendencies clogged up vital artistic arteries.

Following an insanely atmospheric pre-title sequence, we're thrust right into the primary story. Christine Brown (Lohman) is a bank loan officer vying for a promotion against a brown-nosing colleague (Lee). In order to receive this promotion, she's told she has to be able to make the "tough decisions". Thus, when the normally soft-centred Christine is approached by aging gypsy Mrs. Ganush (Raver) who asks for a third extension on her mortgage payment, she denies the request. And for this, there is literally hell to pay. Things slowly go downhill for Christine from there as she finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse placed on her by Mrs. Ganush. The shadowy demon haunting Christine begins toying mercilessly with her, and after three days she'll be dragged down to Satan's dominion.

Drag Me to Hell provides a thin membrane of a plot, quickly setting up Christine's workplace ambition and demonic dilemma which leaves plenty of time for Raimi to torment his heroine in creative ways. Naturally the film is more about the tour de force terror sequences, of which there are plenty. The film's biggest blessing is its humour, which ranges from one-liners to a hilariously awkward dinner scene during which Christine meets her boyfriend's parents. But the best moments occur when the horror elements combine with this humour, and you begin laughing in a combination of terror and delight. If you're not laughing with every scream, you're only getting half the experience. Raimi has an uncanny knowledge of what his audience really wants, ratcheting up the tension when necessary and keeping things moving at a perfectly brisk pace. He even has the good grace to add an extra scare when the pace slows down. In the tight 95-minute running time, not a moment feels wasted.

Raimi isn't too interested in extravagant bloodshed as he frequently uses booming sound effects to generate a mood of inexorable unease instead. This isn't a lazy director hitting the cheap scare button...this is Sam Raimi, and he's a horror maestro. Anyone concerned that Raimi didn't go all the way with this one due to the big studio backing - and worse, the dreaded PG-13 rating - can easily put their fears to rest. There's less blood, but there are some gruesome moments and the bodily fluids flow freely, not to mention the scares are continually thrown at you. Drag Me to Hell is one of the loudest movies of recent memory. Raimi wants the viewer to experience Christine's physical torment through the raucous soundtrack, giving the director a chance to spotlight his Evil Dead roots. The grandiose score courtesy of Christopher Young is the cherry on top.

Most welcome is Raimi's refusal to turn Drag Me to Hell into a CGI-fest of a horror film, instead relying on more traditional effects. It's amazing how much mileage Raimi is able to get out of an acrobatic camera, canted angles, old-fashioned make-up effects and a couple of shrieking possessed people suspended on wires. It's exciting to behold a film released in 2009 that benefits from the vitality of practical effects along with the judicious use of digital effects when appropriate. The CGI is admittedly a tad cheesy, but intentionally so - it adds to the camp appeal.

Although this isn't a message film, Drag Me to Hell can be perceived as a cautionary tale about the perils of greed (rather similar to Raimi's own A Simple Plan). Christine's one concession to ambition is enough to damn her to a horrific ordeal. The film's release is rather timely - with the world in an economic crisis, audiences can be expected to enjoy watching a banker suffer.

Alison Lohman stepped into the shoes of Christine Brown when Ellen Page dropped out during pre-production due to scheduling difficulties. Lohman is no Bruce Campbell, but she nimbly succumbs to a Raimi horror beatdown (being tossed around like a projectile ragdoll time and time again) while retaining much of her natural charisma. She does an amazing job with what is usually a thankless horror victim role, managing to be both in on the joke and sincere without tipping her hand either way. As the vengeful gypsy women, Lorna Raver is disgusting and formidably menacing. Justin Long is also good as her comic relief boyfriend, while new faces like Dileep Rao leave a big impression. Character development is a huge positive factor here - all key characters are fleshed out and developed wonderfully, which is amazing for a horror film. Granted, the acting is somewhat hammy and the dialogue can be tin-eared, but this suits the film's style.

Some simply won't get what Sam Raimi was trying to do with Drag Me to Hell. For everyone else, this is an absolute blast. You'd have to be crazy to pass up the opportunity to see this nuanced symphony of the macabre. The trailer was correct about one thing: this is a return of true horror. It's also the return of true Raimi, and it's great to have him back.

9.1/10

For fervent action buffs, Joshua Tree (also known as Army of One) is a definite must-see - it stars action icon Dolph Lundgren, and it's directed by legendary stunt coordinator Vic Armstrong. It's a breathless exercise in hardcore action violence, and it moves at such an exhilarating pace that its stupidity and conventionality can be easily overlooked for the sake of entertainment.

In Joshua Tree, the Dolphster plays former race car driver Wellman Santee. With his racing days long behind him, Santee's livelihood is now transporting exotic stolen cars. During a run-in with the police, however, his partner (Foree) is killed along with a highway police officer in a shootout, and Santee is framed for the policeman's murder. But while being transferred to prison, Santee escapes. He abducts a young woman named Rita (Alfonso), unaware that his hostage is actually a deputy sheriff. What ensues is a variety of action sequences as Santee struggles to clear his name.

Logic is disposed of fairly quickly into this feature (as is any sense of originality). For instance Rita looks surprisingly calm considering she has been kidnapped. She's also given endless opportunities to escape or turn the tables on her abductor, but she rarely capitalises on these opportunities. There's also the fact that police officers are unable to shoot properly (despite, you know, being trained to use firearms). During an encounter with Chinese gangsters at one stage in the film, cliché after cliché is doled out - the gangsters are incompetent shooters while Santee is a perfect marksman, and guns even run out of bullets at the most convenient of times. Stupidity really kicks in when the climax comes around. Said climax features a series of brutal hand-to-hand combat battles, but the combatants never succumb to any serious harm despite being pounded with fists and inanimate objects continuously. Some of the protagonists are shot too, but bullets don't seem to faze them. However, as these things are virtually unwritten requirements for action films of the '80s and '90s, they're somewhat forgivable.

Joshua Tree was written by Steve Pressfield, who had previously penned the Steven Seagal vehicle Above the Law. Pressfield takes a formulaic tale of dirty cops and a man out for revenge, and constructs a fairly involving narrative. The trajectory of the plotline is the very definition of predictability, but it's the action and the decent dialogue that hold our interest. Plus, we've come here to see the Dolphster kicking some butt...and in this respect, it delivers in spades! Another unwritten law for action films is one-liners - since a lot of actioners are hilariously ridiculous and tongue-in-cheek, humour is often employed to match the tone. Screenwriter Pressfield delivers in this aspect too.

With renowned stuntman and action director Vic Armstrong at the helm (a man who handled the stunts for the Indiana Jones films, a lot of the James Bond films, Starship Troopers, Patriot Games and Universal Soldier, just to name a few), one can expect Joshua Tree to deliver oodles of satisfying action, which it does! Armstrong delivers breathtaking, over-the-top action set-pieces, ranging from a John Woo-esque shootout in a warehouse to a high-octane car chase featuring a Ferrari and a Lamborghini. Blood squibs explode left, right and centre...this is an unapologetic R-rated action film. To top everything off, Joel Goldsmith has provided a terrific score - it features atmospheric background music for the quiet sections, and chest-thumping music for the action. But the editing is occasionally very choppy, and there are a number of technical faults in general.

Due to the excessive violence of Armstrong's directorial debut, the censors went bonkers and the film was edited down for a number of countries (like Britain, where it still received an '18' rating even after the graphic violence was toned down). Bizarrely, three different endings exist for this flick. Unfortunately (as of 2009), the version of the film containing the best ending (which wraps up everything) is yet to be released on any format (be it DVD or Blu-ray).

Dolph Lundgren earned his chops as an action star after his appearance in Rocky IV opposite Sylvester Stallone. Although Lundgren never truly acts much during the film (he merely says lines instead of meaning them), he's perfect for the role of Santee - he has the physique of an action hero, and he knows his way around an action sequence. Best of all, he's competent enough to hold our interest. Alongside the Dolphster is the duo of George Segal and Beau Starr as the main villains of the picture. It's easy to hate these guys, which makes Santee's plight easier to sympathise with. And as the trademark woman of the picture with the perfect body, there's Kristian Alfonso. Naturally, her character gets naked at one point (laughably gratuitous) and she ends up becoming the Dolphster's love interest.

At the end of the day, Joshua Tree is just a disposable '90s actioner that remains essential viewing for genre aficionados. This ain't anything groundbreaking, but it's definitely an entertaining distraction best enjoyed when the thinking side of your brain craves a rest.

5.7/10

District B13 is unadulterated action porn. It's a series of kinetic action sequences tied together by an incidental plot and a forgettable script. Directed by Pierre Morel and produced by French super-producer Luc Besson, this is an adrenaline-pumping blast from start to finish that's loaded with style, wit and jaw-dropping acts of physical prowess - and although it's light on plot, it never slows down to let viewers notice. For those unaware, Luc Besson has produced an array of satisfying action films, ranging from the Transporter series to Jet Li vehicles (Kiss of the Dragon and Unleashed, for instance). If you're familiar with the aforementioned movies, you should know precisely what to expect from District B13 (originally titled Banlieue 13). For genre fans seeking solid entertainment, Besson has served up another spry, sleek winner.

The future of Paris envisioned in District B13 sees the worst districts surrounded by isolation walls, effectively cutting off all inhabitants of these areas from the rest of society and keeping the crime rates under control. The denizens of these slums are forced to live without education, proper utilities and police protection. The main story takes place in the 13th district during 2010, and a stolen neutron bomb is in the possession of the district's most powerful drug lord: Taha (Naceri). An undercover police officer named Damien (Raffaelli) is tasked with the assignment of finding the stolen nuclear weapon which will detonate in 24 hours. To be his guide inside the most volatile section of Paris, Damien recruits a man named Leito (Belle) who has his own score to settle with Taha.

District B13 is merely a torrent of action sequences tightly packed into an 85-minute runtime. It doesn't take long for the film to kick into high gear, and once the action begins it only occasionally lets up for brief scenes of exposition. There's not a boring moment at any point during the film as it throttles forward at breakneck pace from one high-flying action scene to the next. Better yet, the death-defying stunts were done primarily without the aid of wires or CGI. And unlike their Hollywood counterparts, French filmmakers know how to shoot and edit these sequences. They don't rely on close-ups or shaky cam, nor are these scenes over-edited to the point of indecipherability.

For the film's opening sequence, David Belle employs his own philosophy of Parkour - i.e. the art of navigating urban spaces quickly and gracefully by overcoming physical obstacles in the quickest and most direct manner possible. The man races across rooftops, slides down railings and crashes through a miniscule window above a door - just to name a few of the eye-popping stunts - as he evades a group of gun-wielding enemies (and it was mainly done for real). But his co-star Cyril Raffaelli is not to be outdone - the former circus acrobat and martial arts champion has plenty of his own moments to shine. Raffaelli's stunts are all about the fighting as he punches and kicks; disarming enemies in the most efficient way possible. Belle and Raffaelli (both of whom had a hand in creating the stunts and action scenes) make an excellent duo. It's during the film's second half that these two stars team up to crack some skulls, and that's when District B13 truly kicks into overdrive.

But the slender screenplay (written by Besson with colleague Bibi Naceri, who also plays Taha) is plagued with contrivances barely acceptable for an action film like this (the reception for Damien's mobile phone when he needs to diffuse the bomb, for instance). The characters are pretty one-dimensional as well.

For those concerned with having to constantly read subtitles (the film is in French), have no fear - District B13 is far from dialogue-driven, and it's simple to follow. Do yourself a favour and check out this incredibly visceral action film in which the on-screen action is dripping with the blood and sweat of real stunt work. The plot can be forgiven as the action is energetic, the athleticism is astonishing and the soundtrack is pulsating. A terrific way to spend 85 minutes!

7.8/10

A screen adaptation of the 2002 novella of the same name by Neil Gaiman, Coraline signals Henry Selick's long-overdue return to the realm of stop-motion animation (after The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach). In an era dominated by computer-animated movies (courtesy of Pixar, Dreamworks, etc), stop-motion puppeteers are few and far between, which makes Coraline an enchanting breath of fresh air. Better yet, the film doesn't rely on toilet humour, blatant morals or hackneyed plotting. Just like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Selick's latest effort can be absorbed by both kids and adults - kids can admire the luxurious visuals, while adults can absorb the themes and enjoy the scares. Coraline is a gorgeous motion picture, but it lacks substance, and the visuals often overwhelm basic storytelling requirements.

Fundamentally Alice in Wonderland reconfigured for David Lynch fans, this eerie-yet-elegant tale sets its sights on an adventurous young girl named Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning). Having moved with her family to a remote apartment building in Oregon (far away from her friends), Coraline is bored with her new home and annoyed by the inattentiveness of her workaholic parents. One day Coraline discovers a hidden door that turns out to be a portal which transports her to a bizarre alternative dimension that contains an idealised version of her home. But the time-honoured cliché applies: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is...

As the animation realm gradually becomes dominated by computers, Henry Selick seems wholly content operating in the world of stop-motion. It's impossible to deny the visual mastery of Coraline when it's a proud member of the stop-motion club; relinquishing routine CG sheen for breathtaking textures and luscious artistry that can be delivered only through this painstaking process. Selick's amazing visual style is almost smooth enough to be mistaken for CGI, but there's a distinctive appearance to this approach that reveals itself as something more laborious. Selick additionally explores Gaiman themes of heroism and magic while furthering his own interest in spooky creatures and surreal Burton-esque production design. Coraline has been tagged with a well-earned PG rating as it definitely falls on the dark side of the fairytale spectrum. It isn't an excessively violent movie, but there are a few intense, frightening scenes.

The plot, while admittedly rather slim, is involving from start to finish, and the narrative trajectory is rather unpredictable in spite of the incorporation of familiar elements. The key problem with Coraline is one of pacing - the story progresses at one pace throughout, and never heats up. Meanwhile (and there's no other way to put it), the film is gorgeously off-putting - a considerable achievement of visual dread. In the end it's pretty blah, yet (even without a story worth telling) the visual panache is compelling.

In a post-WALL-E animation market, a movie must come armed with insight into the world at large. In this respect, Coraline contains solid ruminations on parenting, individuality, and (most brazenly) the bond between mother and daughter. The voice acting is solid as well. Dakota Fanning is unrecognisable yet instantly likeable and boundlessly appealing as the feature's titular character. The rest of the vocal performers are equally unrecognisable. Teri Hatcher has no difficulty with her role as Coraline's two mothers, seemingly channelling the Wicked Witch of the West for her verbal performance as the Other Mother. Ian McShane does solid work as the Russian who runs a mouse circus upstairs, while Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French voice Coraline's strange downstairs neighbours. There's also Keith David as a prophetic black cat who plays a vital role in the story.

Though a few of the more perverse concepts from Neil Gaiman's Coraline novella have been excluded, the author's talent for dark and lively imagery has been translated with gravitas by Henry Selick. Despite a well-worn message (the grass is always greener/be careful what you wish for) and the fact that this enchantment runs out of steam before it ends, Selick's latest project remains a laudable accomplishment in animation and imagination - lean, funny, and entertaining. You don't have to be a child to be enchanted by it.

7.6/10

A full frontal (excuse the pun) cinematic assault on homophobia and celebrity culture, Brüno gives Sacha Baron Cohen the opportunity to bring another of his misfit characters to the big screen in this follow-up to the hugely successful Borat. After achieving worldwide notoriety with Borat, it'd seem impossible for Cohen to anonymously deceive people with his provocative candid-camera antics once again. But lo and behold - the devilish actor has pulled it off thanks to a fresh new guise, and has found a new group of unsuspecting people to exploit for laughs. Cohen, who seems to have a pathological hate for America, has again proved that the US is indeed home to the dumbest, most screwed-up people on the planet. Brüno is a worthy successor to Borat - it employs a similar tactic of exploiting the idiocy, ignorance, and prejudice present in American society as a form of satire and social commentary while offering scripted comedy and mockumentary-style gags. But that's its only real weaknesses - Borat was so fresh and bizarrely unprecedented, while Brüno feels like more of the same.

As expected, plot is at a minimum as this is just a loosely connected chain of skits that allow the filmmakers to pierce something with their satirical knife (and turn the blade in the wound). The title character, Brüno (Cohen), is a homosexual Austrian fashion reporter whose television show (Funkyzeit) has established him as an icon in fashion circles. But a catastrophic incident at a fashion show leads to Brüno becoming fired, which ruins his reputation. Accompanied only by devoted assistant Lutz (Hammaresten), Brüno travels to America with plans to become "the biggest Austrian superstar since Hitler." The exiled fashionista apes the headline-grabbing antics of stars such as Angelina Jolie and Madonna in his single-minded pursuit for fame.

Brüno doesn't contain a rigid structure - it merely establishes a sense of purpose for our Austrian hero to go fourth and spread his unique brand of cheer. Using the central character's homosexuality as the bayonet on the film's rifle of satire, Brüno is more concerned with provoking violent responses through offensive material than trying to stitch together a coherent feature film. The film eventually sheds all dramatic pretences in order to run free in the fields of Cohen's disconcerting imagination, placing the character in interesting situations of conflict to capture the priceless reactions of unwitting victims. Brüno doesn't just cross the line...it crosses the line, laughs at the line, makes a new line, crosses that line, and then rapes the new line. If the nude wrestling sequence in Borat was too much for you...well, you ain't seen nothing yet.

While the laughs aren't as constant as one would anticipate, Brüno does deliver comedy in spades (as long as you're not easily offended). The feature fails to break new ground for Cohen and his comic impulses, but it certainly gives him welcome room to play. Borat was hardly restrained or in good taste when it came to sexual gags, but the seriously questionable taste of Brüno makes its predecessor seem like a morality play in comparison. Brüno was initially slapped with an NC-17 rating by the MPAA before Cohen removed several minutes in order to acquire an R rating for its theatrical release. But what remains is still incredibly hardcore and disgustingly explicit. Its rating is deserved!

When it comes to the unscripted skits, Sacha Baron Cohen has two primary targets - homophobia and celebrity culture - and he ain't shy about attacking either of them. The film is ripe with excessive homosexual stereotypes, with much of the humour derived from the clueless bystanders' reactions to the flamboyant Brüno.

The novelty factor of Brüno is lessened because the style is no longer fresh. It doesn't help that the film rehashes the basic plot of Borat: a foreign TV personality and his loyal sidekick depart from their homeland and embark upon a quest, along the way exposing the prejudices of the unsuspecting people they encounter. Unfortunately, too, Brüno feels far more manufactured. While the roughness around the edges of the video and audio make everything seem real, it's difficult to subdue the suspicion that some of the victims were primed to perform. In the end, Brüno isn't funny enough either; the juicy belly laughs are few and far between. Cohen usually forces gags instead of allowing the humour to emerge organically.

Sacha Baron Cohen's performance as the homosexual Austrian is expectedly terrific. Like Borat, the man hides behind an unrecognisable screen persona and immerses himself into the role 100%. Cohen is clearly prepared to do an array of preposterous things for the sake of amusing footage. The entire film is just a game of chicken that's played to see how far Sacha Baron Cohen will go to annoy people and get laughs. If the man has limits, none are in evidence. Cohen may have many things - a wife, money, fame and success - but shame is a virtue he doesn't possess.

Look out for cameos from countless celebrities as well, including Harrison Ford (the funniest ten seconds of the movie), Paula Abdul and Ron Paul. During the closing credits, Brüno also records a charity song with such celebrities as Bono, Elton John, Snoop Dog and Sting.

In the long run, Brüno achieves its goal - it provides a social commentary using guerrilla tactics, and it's quite funny. It's narratively structured exactly like its predecessor and it treads similar satirical ground, but it's still enjoyable. Sacha Baron Cohen may be a one trick pony, but he knows how to give an audience (*ahem*) a good ride. Just like Borat, some will praise this film a masterpiece of its genre while others will demonise it as unfunny, offensive pornographic excess. If you're part of the latter camp, I suggest you lighten up.

6.9/10

More than anything else, 2008's Yes Man represents a chance for Jim Carrey to reclaim his bygone slapstick glory days following a fleeting, unsuccessful venture into drama (The Number 23) and a restrained period in animation (Horton Hears a Who!). Carrey harkens back to his usual tricks here, aiming to make us laugh the old-fashioned way in this screen adaptation of the novel by satirical British writer Danny Wallace. Admittedly, Yes Man's narrative conceit - a man deciding to change his life by saying "yes" to every opportunity - ostensibly resembles Carrey's 1997 comedy vehicle Liar Liar. Unfortunately, too, every plot-related aspect of Yes Man - the construction of the story, the set-up, the conflict and the resolution - is the definition of predictability. However, Carrey's sincere performance coupled with the laughs, the breezy pacing and the honest-to-goodness chemistry between the two leads successfully invigorates the material. It is utterly enjoyable from start to finish.

Carrey's character here is a lonely, miserable corporate drone named Carl Allen. Due to his depression following a brutal divorce, Carl has given up on life, routinely ignoring his friends Pete (Bradley Cooper) and Rooney (Danny Masterson) as he spends his time watching DVDs alone in his apartment. However, when an old acquaintance (John Michael Higgins) urges Carl to attend a motivational seminar, he ends up enrolling in a personal development program based on a simple principle: say "yes" to every opportunity, invitation or request that presents itself. Carl finds his existence transformed, leading to some startling changes. He develops a relationship with musician/photographer/aerobics instructor Allison (Zooey Deschanel), is unexpectedly promoted at work, builds a stronger bond with his friends, meets several new people, and successfully battles his depression.

Once Carl renounces his pessimism, Yes Man shifts into slapstick overdrive, observing Carl as he gets entangled in amusing situations as a "yes man." He faces challenges ranging from the hilarious (a Harry Potter party) to the downright icky (accepting a sexual favour from an elderly neighbour). The second act is agreeably light-hearted as a result, building a buoyant romance between Carl and Allison, and delivering a healthy dosage of laughs as it moves along at a brisk pace. Eventually the fun is compromised, though, when the movie culminates with a clichéd final act, becoming mired in a mundane break-up-to-make-up scenario. Yes Man remains eminently watchable even at its weakest, but it is slightly disappointing that the movie elects this route. In addition, there is a bit of wasted potential here. With the central premise in play, Carl could have gotten himself into any number of additional situations, especially since the novel actually contained more material. However, there is only so much a single film can contain, and director Peyton Reed keeps the picture on a tight leash throughout its 100-minute runtime.

Amid the silliness, the screenplay - credited to Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Jared Paul, and Andrew Mogel - has a couple of worthwhile messages to impart: get the most out of life, and be nice to your peers. In fact, while not exactly a profound film, it may leave you pondering all of your recent no's. And who knows, maybe you will choose to become a yes man yourself by the film's end (like this reviewer). Another huge benefit is the songs, some of which were provided by the alternative rock group Eels, while other tracks were performed by Deschanel and her band in the film, Munchausen by Proxy (the coolest band name in history). The songs are catchy, making the flick all the more fun and oddball. Yes Man's eye-watering $70 million budget was put to smart use, as the technical presentation is slick and colourful.

For his performance, Carrey is more restrained than usual, and his character comes across as genuinely likable once he becomes a yes man. His rubber face and manic energy are welcome here, and his enthusiasm helps to sell the jokes. Meanwhile, the impossibly gorgeous and lovely Deschanel (The Happening) represents the film's secret weapon. The actress shrewdly avoids overacting - she's low-key, letting her expressive eyes convey her character's emotions. Furthermore, her singing voice is utterly angelic. The success of any romantic comedy depends on the two leads, and fortunately, even despite an eighteen-year age gap, Deschanel and Carrey share the chemistry necessary for the romance to gain traction. By the end, you'll be rooting for them to get together, which speaks volumes about the effectiveness of the central coupling. Meanwhile, the supporting cast is equally amenable. Cooper (who went on to star in 2009's monster hit The Hangover) and Masterson are likeable as Carl's all-too-tolerant friends, while Terrence Stamp is terrific in his smaller role as the inspiration guru behind the yes man phenomenon. However, New Zealand comedian Rhys Darby arguably makes the most positive impression. In his big-screen debut, Darby emanates charisma and comic energy, playing well alongside Carrey and stealing every scene that he's in.

At the end of the day, Yes Man is an amiable and entertaining feel-good romantic comedy which is never tedious, and is not coated in too much saccharine. The characters are endearing, the premise is intriguing, the gags are amusing, and it encourages its audience to get the most out of life. It's admittedly fluffy, but it's enjoyable fluff, and it's a great deal of fun. And considering the usual standard for contemporary comedies and rom-coms, this is high praise. Say "yes" to Yes Man.

7.2/10