Reviews by PvtCaboose91

Raising Arizona is now considered a classic gem from currently-renowned filmmaking duo Joel and Ethan Coen. Now that the pair have achieved such success with their crowning jewels such as No Country for Old Men, Fargo and O Brother, Where Art Thou? to name a few, it's an interesting experience to revisit some of the earlier films created by the Coen Brothers. Taking all their succeeding films into account, Raising Arizona is a top-notch production and is unmistakably the effort of Joel and Ethan Coen. It is simply their type of movie: wildly offbeat, surreal, atmospheric and unique. However their style of humour will certainly not be appreciated by all tastes.

In this bright and moderately unconventional slapstick comedy, we are initially introduced to criminal H.I. McDunnough (Cage). H.I. (known as "Hi" among friends) is a repeat offender who is continually arrested for armed robbery. Every time Hi is arrested he meets Ed (Hunter), a police photographer. With each new arrest, the two continue developing a relationship. Hi vows to give up his life of crime when he mounts a successful marriage proposal to Ed. All is wedded bliss until it is discovered that Ed is unable to fall pregnant, and due to Hi's former persistent dedication to crime they are subsequently rejected by every adoption agency in town. Things become desperate when the inability to have children places a strain on the marriage and the relationship between Hi and Ed. They soon learn that well-known furniture tycoon Nathan Arizona (Wilson) has recently welcomed quintuplets that he feels is too much to handle. In an attempt to finally gain a baby, Ed and Hi plan to kidnap one of the babies from Nathan Arizona and pass it off as their own. When things look shaky, the happily wedded couple grab the baby and hit the road. In typical Coen Brothers style, pure mayhem and chaos ensues.

Raising Arizona is an interesting twist on your usual comedy, in fact it's one of the most inventive, original and off-the-wall comedies I've seen for years. Interestingly enough, the only wacky comedies that can compare to this film are none other than the other works of the Coen Brothers. This film is wicked fun from the get-go. It's incredibly fast-paced and well made; featuring top-notch performances, effective direction, inventive cinematography and solid directing. For a film made in the late 80s it still looks pretty damn good in terms of production values and the extremely innovative utilisation of the camera. On top of this the film is skilfully edited and contains some music that effectively sets the tone and atmosphere. The chase sequence is a particular stand-out in this film. For something this wacky, you can only find two possible people at the helm (yes, Joel or Ethan Coen...or both).

Nicholas Cage convincingly pulls off the title role. His accent always sounds genuine and he never strikes a false note. Heck, even his facial expressions towards the film's conclusion are enough to make you laugh! Holly Hunter is also quite excellent. The chemistry between Cage and Hunter is outstanding. These two are supported by an excellent bunch of actors including John Goodman, Trey Wilson, William Forsythe and Frances McDormand among others.

Overall, Raising Arizona is a very funny movie and still one of the best creations of the Coen Brothers. From a simple storyline the duo were able to create a mesmerising landscape, deft one-liners and some very off-the-wall characters. Although the script is a little clichéd and the ending is fairly standard, the whole movie is very satisfying; featuring fight scenes and chases that are skilfully choreographed and filmed, as well as being exciting and entertaining. In a nutshell: this film is great enjoyment and is destined to keep you extremely entertained.

7.9/10

Ever seen a film entitled The Bourne Identity? If you have, then you'd be futilely massacring your precious time with Code Name: The Cleaner as it is essentially the same movie. If you haven't seen The Bourne Identity, watch it immediately so you won't ever feel the need to expose yourself to this rubbish!

2007 has been forced to bear a number of dreadful film releases with an inadequate number of masterpieces thus far. Code Name: The Cleaner is yet another unspeakably appalling comedy released at some stage during 2007. The film is primarily The Bourne Identity with a different cast. The plot is horrible, characters are all weak not to mention stereotypical, and performances are simply abysmal. Sure, casting Cedric the Entertainer as the lead in a movie may appear like a good idea...but they missed the mark unreservedly. In my opinion Cedric is no longer an entertainer, as I was not in the slightest bit entertained while watching this conventional baloney.

A guy named Jake (Cedric the Entertainer) wakes up in a hotel room next to a corpse with no clue about his identity. As flashbacks of his past come flooding back, he has a memory of being a special ops secret agent. But his allies around him claim he is merely a janitor. The convoluted, non-existent plot then turns into some story about a microchip and the FBI who are trying to track down Jake. Inadvertently, Jake is then entangled in some government conspiracy.

As I previously stated, Code Name: The Cleaner appears to be a pointless rehash of The Bourne Identity with the standard sexual gags and an attempt to include witty dialogue. These films are released far too frequently in this contemporary age of cinema. The filmmakers aim to gain a PG-13 rating from the MPAA to soak up every last dollar they can upon release. They realise it won't win any Oscars so their objective is to supply a bit of fun. This film is not fun at all! It's devoid of any laughs as there is nothing clever or remotely funny included in the film! The only parts I laughed at were merely out of pity because of how dreadful all the gags are. It's obvious there was room for Cedric to do some improvisation while on set, but he adds absolutely nothing to the film. Perhaps it's not my type of humour, or perhaps it was just woefully screen-written. Judging by the other reviews I've seen, I'm guessing it's the latter.

There are a few big names thrown into the cast...unfortunately none of the actors could redeem the embarrassing screenplay! Cedric the Entertainer is an African-American in PG-13 humour territory. The filmmakers seem to be under the impression that people find it funny when someone like Cedric makes cracks about sex or the attractiveness of a woman. This may be a controversial statement, but the only time I've seen this done right is in the Rush Hour movies. Cedric walks through the movie looking lost and confused. Lucy Liu does not even slightly possess any talent or acting skills evident here. Her aim is to utilise agility and acrobatic skills in an attempt to look impressive on screen. Every line she delivered that was meant to be funny...backfires completely. However I can't imagine any actor - no matter how talented - could have possibly redeemed the script. Not even the best screenwriter in the world could have redeemed the awful concept. What does that tell us? The film was doomed from the moment it was conceived and every second of this movie proves it.

The only reason I decided to watch this movie was because one of the featured actors shares the same first name as me (Callum), but watching this brings shame to my name and others who share the same title. To put it bluntly and simply; Code Name: The Cleaner is flat and witless, and among the worst films to transpire during 2007. It's tragic that comedies have sunk this low. Every predictable cliché in the book is shamelessly trotted out.

2.2/10

The Science of Sleep is a wildly inventive and imaginative film from the same writer/director who also brought us Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Like most of Michael Gondry's movies it's an acquired taste. While the film was not warmly received by critics who called it pretentious, incomplete and confusing, I found the film to be a wonderful and unique experience. In a nutshell: The Science of Sleep is a surrealistic concoction of the weird and wonderful, the magical and inspirational, and the infantile and mischievous.

This is Michael Gondry's bizarre imagination at its very finest: awe-inspiring visuals, great concepts and enchanting characters. As Gondry is addressing a scientific mystery of the chemical imaginings of the brain (that is, dreaming) you can definitely expect something vastly distinctive and different.

This deep, provocative film presents the story of a young man who thrives in the dream world, but appears awkwardly dysfunctional in reality. Since childhood, Stéphane Miroux (Bernal) has often been withdrawn from reality both psychically and emotionally. Stéphane has been living in Mexico for years, but is drawn back to his childhood home in France following the death of his father. His mother Christine (Miou-Miou) promises her son a creative job; however Stéphane soon realises that this "creative job" is a mundane career at a calendar-printing company. Stéphane is charmed when he inadvertently meets Stéphanie (Gainsbourg): a girl who has recently moved into his building. Although Stéphanie is initially charmed by the enigmatic Stéphane, she becomes increasingly confused by his childish nature and an unstable connection with reality. As Stéphane is unable to find tranquillity in his newfound love for Stéphanie, he searches for the answer in his dream world.

There's also a fascinating sub-plot concerning the happenings inside Stéphane's head: there's a charismatic host of "Stéphane TV" expounding on "The Science of Sleep" before an assortment of cardboard cameras.

For viewers with an actual imagination, you will find the blurred line between dreaming and reality both fascinating and mesmerising. Director Gondry creatively utilises cinematic techniques to help the audience distinguish reality from the dream sequences. Subsequently, it's an easy task to comprehend the world from Stéphane's complicated, surrealistic point of view. Gondry even uses a smattering of admirable low-tech animation techniques that are a prominent of the dream scenes. I must also mention the creative contraptions featured in the film: from the one-second time machine to the 3D glass, and even cardboard objects that principally feature whenever the surrealistic side of Stéphane has taken control.

This is a beautifully conceived film that uses brutality in its honest portrayal of relationships and friendships. The Science of Sleep can accurately be described as an eloquent dream - each scene is not constructed in a clear linear narrative order: instead the film is structured as a series of moments which are stimulated by the protagonist's perplexed emotions as well as his need to love and be loved.

Gael García Bernal delivers an appealing, lively portrayal of the confused central character. I couldn't fault his performance at any point throughout the movie. He is the one who carried all the dream sequences, and was supported by minor characters. Charlotte Gainsbourg is one of the key characters who rarely appears, surprisingly. But she is a pivotal cog in the machine and is memorable when given screen-time.

The Science of Sleep is highly entertaining viewing. This is a small-time gem directed to perfection by Michael Gondry. The visuals deserve recognition and are essentially faultless. The only marginal flaws lie in the script. It meanders frequently and plods despite some talented filmmaking. However this is insignificant and slightly detracts from the overall film value. Aside from that the film is a beautiful creation imbued with marvellously strange characters and an obvious vivid imagination.

8.25/10

Harold and Maude is an outstanding black comedy that reminds audiences the reason why films exist. In short, films exist to tell a story: a potent tale of characters who encounter a series of events that unfold during the film's running time. More importantly, films are worthwhile when they actually have a valuable message.

Harold and Maude has a meaningful message about taking advantage of life while you are still on this Earth. It also delivers the poignant message that age is no issue when it comes to relationships. These messages are rife and abundant in the form of this short, cult classic black comedy that is still regarded as one of the best films of all time.

20-year-old Harold Chasen (Cort) is a morbid young man with an affluent background who is obsessed with death - specifically suicide. Ever since Harold was reportedly killed in a chemistry lab accident at school and after subsequently witnessing his mother's priceless reaction, he concluded that it's more interesting to be dead than alive. When Harold is not staging elaborate phony suicide attempts he frequently attends the funerals of people he never knew. His mother (Pickles) attempts to break Harold of this unnatural obsession by sending him to a psychiatrist and hooking him up with young ladies. However this just encourages him to stage more phony suicides. Things look pretty hopeless for Harold...

Enter Maude (Gordon): an elderly 79-year-old woman who is soon going on 80. Maude tries to get Harold out of his shell and persuades him to enjoy life. To do this, Maude includes Harold in her never-ending string of lunatic adventures. Harold and Maude strike up an unusual friendship and as time passes by the fixation that Harold has with death gradually initiates a change into a thirst for life.

It has been several decades since Harold and Maude was initially released. Time has been very kind to this film; instead of its appeal disappearing it actually heightens with each year and each new screening. The film is indescribably charming and appealing. This black comedy will always remain basically unmatched. Interestingly, now that I've seen the film I envy those that have not seen it. I would do anything to travel back in time and watch it for the first time once again. What does this indicate? Quite simply: films containing this appeal and ingenuity are few and far between in this day and age. With Hollywood continuously forgetting the meaning of filmmaking and instead releasing a countless number of movies for money, it's relieving to revisit classics like this from the golden age of Hollywood. Harold and Maude holds up despite its age. In a sense it has a wonderful period flavour: featuring clothes and traditions of the time. Because of all these facts, the film is simply timeless.

Upon first release, critics did not like the performance from Bud Cort. They described him as simply flat. However it seems they have missed the whole point of the character: Harold is morbid, flat and dreary. His macabre nature is captured wonderfully by Cort. Ruth Gordon is best remembered for her Oscar-winning performance in Roman Polanski's 1968 film Rosemary's Baby. In this black comedy, Ruth is absolutely fabulous. She seems warm and friendly. Scenes featuring Bud and Ruth are sizzling. The chemistry between them in particular is insurmountable. Whenever the two actors are exchanging lines there's a gold-mine of witty dialogue brought to life with wonderful performances.

Overall, Harold and Maude is one of history's finest black comedies. Many filmmakers have tried, but the brilliance and originality of this magnificent cult classic remains fundamentally unmatched. The film is brilliant because it's atmospheric, grim and entertaining. Its appeal cannot be accurately described in words. The film is fun and frequently hilarious. Harold's phony suicide attempts are particularly hilarious! I heartily and emphatically recommend this movie!

9.2/10

What is there to expect from an aging Harrison Ford featuring in a buddy cop action/comedy film? Following the surge of bad reviews Hollywood Homicide was shamefully forced to bear, I certainly didn't expect much even considering talent involved. The trailer did look extremely funny; however the aforementioned negative reviews resulted in my decision to skip the theatrical run and perhaps eventually hire it when it is cheap to do so. It really pains me to say this, but the film is a lot more fun than some critics gave it credit to be. Hollywood Homicide is far from being even considered a great movie, maybe not even a good movie. Be that as it may, there is no denying that the film at least stocks a good supply of laughs and some of the action is lively and energetic.

Hollywood Homicide is equipped with an appallingly stereotypical plotline that we have literally seen hundreds of times before. Its structure and series of events in particular is clichéd beyond all comprehension. It pretty much goes without saying that the plot is the film's biggest downfall.

The incredibly convoluted story concerns a murder investigation. Said investigation is instigated following the murder of an up-and-coming rap group who were performing in a nightclub when violently blasted by masked gunmen. Assigned to take the case is aging LAPD detective Joe Gavilan (Ford) with his young rookie partner K.C. Calden (Hartnett). The two detectives moonlight dual careers: Joe is also a real estate broker who struggles to sell houses when not scrutinising a murder (currently attempting to sell an expensive heavy elephant), while K.C. has tremendous aspirations as an actor (currently working on staging a performance of A Streetcar Named Desire) as well as a yoga teacher to a bevy of young women who are searching for their inner spiritual being. The two cops then delve into the recording industry, thus beginning a tale of modern LA detectives on the Hollywood beat; attempting to juggle two careers that spontaneously take precedence.

So what else happens in amidst this convoluted plot I hear you think? Joe is desperately trying to sort out another real estate deal, K.C. is a busy stud, Joe is under investigation by Internal Affairs and Joe begins dating a radio psychic named Ruby (Olin).

Like I previously stated, the central plot of Hollywood Homicide is barely present. It seems all the sub-plots that endlessly emerge are dreadfully clichéd and only included to stretch out the film's lengthy running time. The pacing is an issue because the film plods - by the one hour mark nothing has really happened that advances the story at all. It takes a while for some of the action to kick in. Thankfully, the two chases present in the film are some of the genre's finest and funniest. I'm happy to report that some of this action does represent a redeeming feature.

Harrison Ford doesn't look very enthusiastic to be present in the cast. Occasionally he does do some embarrassing things that are worth a giggle or two, and some of his lines are very funny; however he does the same role over and over again. Josh Hartnett doesn't get beyond two-dimensional as the rookie detective-come-actor-come-yoga-teacher. Once again there are a few clever lines but nothing else to find here. It's a regrettable fact that most of the funny dialogue moments are spoiled in the trailer. It certainly does have its fair share of laughs. It's just unfortunate that these laughs are few and far between.

Hollywood Homicide is forgettable, and confusingly stuck between comedy, action and crime. The clash of the genres doesn't produce excellent results by any stretch of the imagination. On occasion the film is incredibly silly and stupid while also being funny and entertaining. Writer and director Shelton should have focused on the one genre, and should have made the film taut. Aside from its flaws it's an occasionally entertaining film that I would watch again. Look out for cameos by Eric Idle, Lou Diamond Phillips and many others.

6.0/10

It has been many years since Cameron Crowe accomplished consecutive mind-blowing success when he wrote and directed 1996's Jerry Maguire and 2000's Almost Famous. However, even with such triumph underneath his belt, his next film Vanilla Sky was met with severe panning from critics and audiences alike. After watching Vanilla Sky I ascertained that Crowe's career was gradually heading downhill and after that film I lost all faith in the man. Needless to say, without any qualms I gave Elizabethtown the dismissive cold shoulder upon theatrical release. Now that I've finally seen the film I can confirm that it is about as bad as I had anticipated, and Crowe's career has undoubtedly sunk to an all-time low.

Successful shoe designer Drew Baylor (Bloom) causes a loss of one billion dollars in his company, and is fired for his mistake as well as being dumped by girlfriend Ellen (Biel). In severe depression and on the verge of suicide, Drew then learns about the sudden death of his father Mitchell who was still residing in Elizabethtown, Kentucky when he suffered a fatal heart attack. Drew is given a whole new perspective on life upon arrival in Elizabethtown with the intention of attending his father's memorial. During his flight to Kentucky he meets quick-witted flight attendant Claire Colburn (Dunst) with whom he gradually falls in love. As his father's dying wishes and funeral plans (including a debate between cremation and burial) are sorted out, Drew's romance with Claire possesses the potentiality to get his life back on track.

Elizabethtown has many strengths; including a myriad of extremely cute moments and some bright humour. Crowe has even filled the movie with worthwhile messages about life. Unfortunately these messages about life are ripe and abundant in many other movies...including films that he has done in the past. The humour is unfortunately buried and exceedingly hard to unearth. Why? Rather simply because the film is boring beyond all comprehension! After the first hour I started losing interest. There is no substance past the first hour. If there is any comedy after this point in the film I didn't spot it. At the end of the day it also seemingly goes on forever!

But I digress to another extensive list of negatives that shamefully detract from the film's overall value. At every point in the film, director Crowe keeps making the film increasingly pretentious and unrealistic. The whole thing is clichéd from the opening few scenes. Even every character is stereotyped. The locals of Kentucky are shown as one-dimensional hicks with absolutely no depth. Then there are the gaping plot holes and anomalies. I mean a billion dollars to launch a new shoe? A widow learning tap-dancing, stand-up comedy, organic cooking and DIY repair in a few weeks? I could go on forever.

At least the cast were a marginal redemption of the otherwise bleak movie. I have never been a fan of Orlando Bloom, nor will I ever become one. It seems he has a knack for starring in cheesy romance flicks ever since his initial success in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Now he's just doing sappy stuff like Troy, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc. Bloom is at his usual standard here. In this film it sometimes looks like he's acting...now that took a few minutes to sink in. I couldn't believe my eyes!! Dunst is the usual conventional love interest. Her performance is fair. I thought Susan Sarandon was mediocre at best, but her stand-up comedy routine was almost painful.

Overall, Elizabethtown is another weak film from director Cameron Crowe. At the time that this review is being written, Crowe hasn't tackled another project since and he has no plans to. If I ever produced a film like Vanilla Sky, then followed it with this film I would have happily left the film industry.

4.8/10

Are you sick and tired of strictly by-the-numbers, saccharine-coated Christmas movies and the dozens of trite annual Hallmark holiday offerings? If so, then praise the skies for director Terry Zwigoff's Bad Santa, a no-holds-barred misanthropic black comedy that casually tears apart every cherished Christmas movie cliché and takes a steaming piss on the remains. Crude, vulgar, crass, and side-splittingly hilarious, 2003's Bad Santa is a gleeful kick in the teeth to all warm, wholesome exhibitions of seasonal greetings. Virtually all well-known Christmas films include a character learning an important lesson, but in Bad Santa, the story involves a boy learning to kick bullies in the balls when they pick on him. How's that for Christmas spirit? To an extent, this is a one-joke film, but it's a rip-cracking one with heart and big belly laughs.

A professional thief, Willie Soke (Billy Bob Thornton) is a hard-drinking, heavy-smoking, no-hoper sexaholic with a cynical, careless attitude towards life. Every year, Willie and his partner, an African American dwarf named Marcus (Tony Cox), pull off the perfect scam. Every year, Willie gets a job as a department store Santa Claus, and once the mall closes on Christmas Eve, they disable the alarms and rob the place, cleaning out the safe of all cash therein. They use the loot to live comfortably throughout the following year before returning to pull off another heist at a different mall in another part of the country. But Willie's excessive drinking problem and uncontrollable impulses threaten to ruin the scam with each passing year, especially when his behaviour gravely offends prudish mall manager Bob Chipeska (John Ritter) after they arrive in Phoenix, Arizona. Unsure that Willie should continue to play Santa, Bob brings the pair to the attention of his security chief, Gin (Bernie Mac). Trouble also ensues when circumstances force Willie to move in with Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly), a dimwitted young boy who has no friends, lives with his senile grandmother (Cloris Leachman ), and believes that the frequently intoxicated Willie is the real Santa. Willie also catches the attention of a bartender named Sue (Lauren Graham), who has a Santa fetish.

Bad Santa did not receive its R rating from the MPAA due to three or four uses of the f-word... The whole movie is crude, foul-mouthed, dirty, disturbing and perverted, containing about 150 uses of "fuck" and its variations, as well as several other profanities, sex scenes and explicit sexual dialogue. These characters make Ebenezer Scrooge look like a pleasant, mild-mannered elderly eccentric. Miramax was the only studio bold enough to green-light the film after Universal Studios outright rejected the script, branding it as "the foulest, disgusting, misogynistic, anti-Christmas, anti-children thing we could imagine." Those in the mood for Christmas cheer should rewatch It's a Wonderful Life because Bad Santa is for the crowd fed up with Christmas carols and artificial goodwill. It may be true that Bad Santa manages a happy ending of sorts, but the film has its tongue firmly in cheek for the final scene of faux optimism. Is the film at all realistic? Fuck, no! It is unbelievable that girls (especially teenagers) find a man as seedy as Willie so sexually attractive, and it takes a healthy suspension of disbelief to accept that no mall managers successfully fire Willie since he continually swears in front of the children. But since when have Christmas movies been realistic?

Some will perceive Bad Santa as mean-spirited and offensive, which is more than justified. But that is a point of praise since Zwigoff and screenwriters Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (their second screenplay after 2001's Cats & Dogs) designed the film to shock. The film shows Willie urinating in his suit in the first five minutes, and the contempt he harbours for the world and everybody around him is almost unsettling. The character is almost beyond redemption: he is foul, misanthropic and downright pathetic, a prick who shows no restraint as he fires off venomous language to child after child without even flinching. But he also hates himself, which is why he lashes out so viciously when pushed. In an absolute desecration of Christmas film convention, the character never undergoes a forced, Scrooge-esque third-act epiphany before becoming kind and wholesome. Similarly, Thurman goes against every "cute movie kid" cliché imaginable: instead of chubby-cute, he is disconcertingly obese and impossibly blank. For most of the movie, the kid relentlessly questions Willie about the North Pole and Mrs. Claus but only receives verbal abuse in response. However, it never appears to register or hurt the child, as his immediate instinct is to offer Willie some sandwiches.

Willie's alcohol-fuelled descent into personal self-destruction is at times hysterical but at other times sad, and it is a testament to Zwigoff's nuanced direction and Thornton's spot-on performance that the character never feels overplayed or contrived. Thornton was born for this role, memorably playing the last guy you would like to see donning Santa's big red suit and sitting in a department store talking to children. According to Thornton, the actor was genuinely inebriated at various points throughout filming, further amplifying his performance and representing a hilarious piece of film trivia. Alongside Thornton, Tony Cox is pitch-perfect as the frequently furious and exasperated Marcus, spouting the vulgar dialogue with utmost power and venom. Meanwhile, young Brett Kelly clearly understands what it takes to portray a dork, and his performance is surprisingly naturalistic. Bernie Mac (R.I.P.) is his usual larger-than-life self as the security chief whose dialogue with the late John Ritter constitutes some of the film's funniest moments. Ritter died shortly after filming, and the movie is dedicated to his memory.

With studios releasing as many extended cuts as possible in the early 2000s for home video exhibition, an unrated edition of Bad Santa emerged on DVD and Blu-ray with an additional seven minutes of footage. However, the studio did not consult Zwigoff while assembling this version, and the filmmaker later oversaw a Director's Cut that actually removes footage and is shorter than the theatrical edition. The unrated edition is the most widely available version of the film, and it is this reviewer's preferred cut, as the added material (most notably a scene in a boxing ring) is hilarious and indispensable.

The biggest success of Bad Santa is the way it delivers line upon line of boundlessly witty, endlessly quotable and hysterically funny dialogue. The movie is a riot from beginning to end, and the replay value is through the roof. Upon viewing the film for the 50th time, it will still cause you to contort in fits of laughter. In fact, you may continue to embrace the movie more and more with each new viewing. Furthermore, Zwigoff infuses Bad Santa with a quality Hollywood continually neglects while producing conventional Christmas romps: heart. Willie does not necessarily become a better person by the end of the story, but his friendship with Thurman is genuinely touching. A perennial Christmas Eve tradition for this reviewer, Bad Santa is the best Christmas film since Christmas Vacation and Die Hard, both of which also provide an alternative to more traditional, upbeat festive viewing.

8.6/10

To the inexpert eye, one might see Rogue as your customary crocodile horror flick in the same league as Lake Placid or Primeval. Hollywood distributors have no shame in releasing a countless amount of monster movies that resulted in being pure rubbish.

Greg McLean stunned audiences in 2005 with the release of his low-budget horror movie Wolf Creek. As I wasn't a fan of McLean's Wolf Creek my expectations had not been raised overwhelmingly high for this film. Rogue sounds like your standard concept of a large man-eating crocodile chowing down on a few people who wander into its lair. But the results are quite the opposite...in fact this is the only decent crocodile horror movie that has ever been released.

Set in the Northern Territory, a cynical American travel writer named Pete McKell (Vartan) is sent on assignment to the Australia outback. Pete joins a bunch of tourists on a river cruise heading out to witness some crocodiles. Pete initially clashes with tour captain Kate Ryan (Mitchell): a spirited woman who simply figures him for a depressing American in search of a cheap thrill. After an uneventful day in the murky river, one of the tourists spots what appears to be a distress flair. Bound by her obligations, Kate is forced to enter unfamiliar waters to investigate. The group are blissfully unaware that they have stumbled into a region occupied by a terrestrial giant man-eating crocodile. With the group stranded on a secluded island with no radio or communication, a fight for survival emerges as enormous crocodile circles below...

The distributors for this movie delayed its release on several occasions. Why? Because 2007 also had FOUR other killer crocodile movies set for release (another being a low-budget Aussie production). By all accounts, McLean's Rogue emerged as the superior film. Although having an extraordinarily low budget for a monster blockbuster, McLean doesn't let a cent of that money go to waste. Unlike most Hollywood croc films, McLean's team actually conducted thorough research into the movements and habits of the saltwater crocodile. The filmmakers utilised an actual rubber crocodile (gorgeously detailed) with some CGI that looks stunning. This may be a low-budget Australian movie, but the special effects are truly astonishing.

The script does contain some predictable scares and clichéd characters; however it's the best screenplay written thus far for a crocodile movie. Firstly, the dialogue is realistic. Secondly, the characters are realistic. Thirdly, about 80% of the genre's clichés have been removed. McLean delicately allows the audience to familiarise themselves with each character as some head towards their imminent doom. The character development is strong and fascinating: there's clever dialogue and interesting personalities. The only flaw is that the characters sometimes suffer from the typical clichés of the genre. We usually know which characters are going to get killed first.

The film's two central characters are played to perfection by Radha Mitchell and Michael Vartan. A special mention must be made about Stephen Curry. Essentially, he's the film's comic relief: your mainstream beer-drinking Aussie who makes funny remarks.

Young director Greg McLean has crafted this movie almost faultlessly. He effectively makes use of everything at his disposal: there are sweeping shots of the gorgeous locations and some intense horror scenes that are skilfully filmed. The score is also a particular stand-out. Whenever a piece of marvellous cinematography is showcased the score suits the atmosphere.

Rogue may be a low-budget Australian movie but it's the definitive croc experience. It's by no means perfect due to a few problems in the screenwriting department, but this is superior to any and all crocodile movies preceding its release. It's suspenseful, chilling and atmospheric. Highly recommended!

7.9/10