Review: Star Trek

This parallel universe prequel moves Star Trek into the mainstream, but features enough attention to detail that will keep the hardcore happy. Simon Pegg stands out for a couple of reasons, firstly looking a hell of lot older than the rest of the cast on the Enterprise who are barely put of their teens - and secondly offering up a rubbish Scottish accent that might've ruined the film if he had been in there much longer.

WWE Bragging Rights 2009

The idea to finally get behind and promote the Smackdown vs Raw series of video games by the WWE is to be applauded, as in this time of diminishing pay-per-view returns, the video game tie in remains lucrative - a point demonstrated by even Sabu managing to get a check for $125,000 for his involvement in one of the series. So with in mind we had the PPV debut of Bragging Rights, a battle for brand superiority between Raw and Smackdown

With JR unavailable we had King, Cole and The Grish on commentary (but sadly no Striker) who revealed that the winning brand would receive the Bragging Rights Cup for winning the best out of 3 tournament, a prize that will no doubt sit alongside Davey Boy Smith's Royal success in the Royal Samavagh trophy at the Battle Royal at the Albert Hall in the annuls of crappy WWE trophies.

The opening match saw the battle between the former tag team champions of The Miz and John Morrison. As it was the first time these two had met in the ring since their split in the draft and on the back of an entertaining build featuring some excellent verbal jousting and an appearance from Marty Jannetty, this match actually had quite the big match feel to it - but whilst the in ring action was good for a pay-per-view opener, it feel slightly like a bit of an anti-climax after all the great work put in before it, lacking the memorable moment to take it to the next level. The Miz picked up the win pushing Morrison off the ropes and blocking the Starship Pain and should ensure plenty of material for his ace gloating promos over the next couple of weeks.

Next up was Divas action with Melina, Gail Kim and Kelly Kelly from Raw taking on Smackdown’s team of Beth Phoenix, Natalya and Michelle McCool, who now has hooded entrance gear that suggests The Undertaker has some weird AJ Styles fetish going on. With Raw going 1-0 up in the opener the result was a foregone conclusion but surprisingly it Melina who took the fall for the Raw team and not Kelly Kelly. Beth Phoenix got the pin which makes sense in building her up a strong challenger for McCool's title back on Smackdown. The match itself was good with some nice bits between Gail and Beth which echoed the similar chemistry between Gail and Awesome Kong in TNA and further highlighted the missed opportunities since Kim returned to the WWE.

The fatal four way for the WWE title was next as The Undertaker defended against former champions CM Punk, Rey Mysterio and Batista. The match set off at a fast past and kept it up for the entire match, with near falls all over the place. The finish came when Batista seemingly had the match won till Rey broke up the pin, Batista then proceeded to clean house but turned into a Tombstone piledriver from Undertaker who got the pin.

After the match Josh Matthews was in the ring with Big Dave, Little Rey for the not at all obvious heel turn as Batista proceeded to beat the hell out of Mysterio for costing him the title and touching all those small children on the way to the ring. I may have made the last bit up though.

Unsurprisingly the tournament came down to the 7 on 7 tag match to decide who would take home the prestigious Bragging Rights Trophy. All the wrestlers were wearing their respective colours aside from those rebels who won't wear their school uniform DX - sadly we didn't get a vignette of them smoking behind the bike sheds, but there's always next year!

The match maintained the high standards of what had come before, with plenty of action giving all the competitors a chance to shine, hopefully the Harts don't have to wait too long to get another chance on PPV as Tyson Kidd is probably my favourite wrestler in WWE at the moment, with a style that stands out from the usual homogeneity of the WWE style. The finish was one of those turns from the wrestler that really insults the intelligence of the viewer when the commentators play it up like its the most shocking event in the history of wrestling. This time to the surprise of no-one Big Show helped his tag team partner win, and not Raw! OMG!

The fact that Raw lost was a bit of the turn up for the books as I thought they would've rammed home the fact that Raw is the A-show and possibly furthered the build to a tag title match between DX and Jericho/Big Show by having them pick up the win. It may be as likely as hell freezing over, but I'd like to think this result will allow them to attempt to push The Miz again after they messed it up last time, as he now has the ammo to say he is better than the entire Raw locker room on a regular basis - and seeing as he's proved he's not the next Marty Jannetty, how about a feud with Shawn Michaels somewhere down the line?

The main event was the moment I'd been dreading. John Cena. Randy 'Chinlock' Orton. 60 minute Ironman match.

Despite my pleas, they didn't start the clock before the ring entrances to eat up at least half an hour of the match so we had the usual Cena fanfare and an even slower Orton entrance than usual to conserve energy. The main problem I had with the match wasn't the quality of wrestling, it was just that they did everything they would do in a normal WWE title match, but over the course of an hour with lots of lying down and hastily added rest period rules to pad it out.

The big moments came halfway through when that old staple of the Ironman match was used - attempting to murder your opponent by setting off a load of explosive pyrotechnics under his prone body. You knew this was meant to be a grave situation as King put on his serious voice and started calling him John but it looked a bit farcical as Orton appeared to be playing one of those fairground Whack it games as he randomly started hitting comedy red buttons waiting for an explosion to come. All that was missing was the mallet to complete to complete the image, but I guess Triple H wouldn't lend him his for the night.

Cena would go on to launch his usual heroic comeback, fighting out near death, a Legacy run in (with the help of Kofi Kingston, who hopefully is getting a push) to win back the title 6-5 with an STF in the dying seconds of the match and save him from the fate worse than death that is going to Smackdown.

I'm probably in the minority, but I actually think the Bragging Rights event is actually a pretty good idea by WWE, and with some tweaking would be a welcome return to the PPV calender next year.

Firstly, the event needs a longer build to hype up the issues surrounding the main events as teams of 7 wrestlers who couldn't get along the previous week are suddenly transformed into loyal servants of the Raw and Smackdown brands. Secondly it could do with being moved a bit further away from the Survivor Series event as they both seem to step on their toes and dilute the unique selling points of both events. I'd also like to see the return of War Games in the main tag team match and it would really add a sense of occasion and really put over victory in the tournament as a big thing, making the match something special, standing out from the usual multiman matches on TV that are designed to fill two hours of programming.

The PPV should also be applauded as it made several steps to put the spotlight on new talent, giving Rhodes, R Truth and Kofi Kingston chance to establish characters in backstage segments as well as giving them plenty of ring time in the final match. Hopefully this will continue moving on to Survivor Series at the end of the month, as this events usually opens up plenty of spots for new talent to show their stuff in front of a wider audience.

Review: The Goods - Live Hard, Sell Hard

This film from Adam McKay and Will Ferrell aspires to be the next Anchorman, with one non-pc character after another appearing on screen - but truth be told the end results are sadly closer to their work on Step Brothers.

Whilst The Goods isn't as awful as that - it actually has a few laughs in it, but they aren't big enough or frequent enough for what is actually a pretty strong cast of comedy talent that suffers from a lack of story and lack of actual jokes.

Piven in his first lead role does okay, but like the rest of the cast doesn't have much to work with - his big speeches that should be the movies centrepiece fall flat everytime.

Only briefly does The Goods threaten to rise above the mediocre when a cameo involving one of the films producers and a purple dildo brings the crude humour missing for the remaining 90 minutes.

Review: The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus is full of visual flair and verve with several moments that recall the genius of Python in their - you'd be forgiven when a bunch of policemen in drag burst out into song that you'd walked into an extended Python sketch.

The rejigged story belies the impact the death of Heath Ledger had on production, with the badly photoshopped Colin Farrell magazine spread seemingly the only hint to reshoots and recasts that took place to make the film happen.

Ledger features for more than you'd expect, and often in quite eerie circumstances - but doesn't dominate the screen in a supporting role like his previous turn in the Dark Knight, instead Christopher Plummer as the good doctor himself and Lily Cole in her debut performance take the spotlight for the most part.

But if anything, the film is worth checking out solely for proof that Paloma Faith is in league with the Devil, something I have expected for quite a while.

Review: Up 3D

Don't bother wasting the extra cash for the 3D glasses - no doubt Pixar will make the definitive 3D animation at some point in the future, but this isn't it.

What we do get is oddly a bit like the Pixar Gran Torino at times, but instead of the racist bit and the grumpy guy getting shot at the end - we get a talking dog and a giant bird that's addicted to chocolate.

Which is a fair swap in my eyes.

Review: District 9

Shot in a mockumentary style, District 9 is hardly subtle in drawing parallels between the treatment of the alien race that has recently arrived in Johannesburg and the history of South African Apartheid. In the film we follow protagonist Wikus Van De Merwe as he tries to coerce the Prawns into moving out of the slums and into the concentration camp-like tents of District 10, a mission which goes awry with horrible consequences for bumbling Wikus.

Billed as a thinking man's Sci-Fi against the likes of Transformers 2 and GI Joe this year, that's only really half the story as more than a few liberties have been taken with the script for entertainment purposes, the most notable of these is the question of in a supposed documentary film, how do you explain the entire middle section of the film featuring guns and CGI aplenty?!

However, District 9 is such fun these flaws never really bother you till after the film's conclusion and the film contains enough thrills and spills to make it one of the superior action films of they year - just not quite the classic some have made it out to be.

Review: Pride and Glory

The fight scene at the end of the film probably wasn't meant to be reminiscent of Colin Firth and Hugh Grant fighting in Bridget Jones Diary, but its so laughably bad its the only comparison you can make.

The film itself wants to be an epic and gritty tale of police corruption - its not, though its probably a smidgen better than similar crap-fest We Are The Night. Those who do want to see a good police drama are much better of with The Shield boxset which despite at times falls into the same gritty=swearing trap that Pride and Glory does, at least features convincing performances that might get you believing you will see a baby ironed in the head.

An Open Letter To The Roast Beef Monster

Re: Mega Monster Munch Retro T-Shirt

I have recently received delivery of my Mega Monster Munch Retro T-Shirt (Ladies, Size XL) after sending off the required amount of packs and the requested cheque for £5 as advertised in the current promotion running, however I am very upset of the quality of merchandise that I have received.

Instead of the 'ultra cool retro t-shirt' designed by Famous Forever, I have instead received a cheap imitation of the designs shown on the packs of Monster Munch and the www.megamonstermunch.com website - I have included images that highlight how not only the design is different to the images advertised, but also printed onto substandard material - overall it feels like I have received a cheap knock-off instead of the usual high quality of item I expect from Famous Forvever and Walkers Crisps.

Terms for a refund state:

If for any reason you are unhappy with your purchase, you can return the t-shirt within 7 working days of receipt by returning the t-shirt in its original condition (labels must remain attached) to the above address together with your name and address details and we will issue a full refund.

However, since the t-shirt I received was of such a poor quality that it didn't come with any attached labels or tags, I am hesistant to return the goods as I fear I will lose a t-shirt that won't be returned as well as the £5 pounds I feel like have wasted purchasing this item.

I look forward to your help in this matter as my girlfriend would still very much like one of the Famous Forever Monster Munch T-Shirts that are shown in the pictures!

Review: Micro Men

Despite being billed as a comedy-drama, the cast mainly plays it straight, save for Alexander Armstrong's strange portrayal of Sir Clive Sinclair as a second-rate Bond villian complete with wig featuring the straightest receding hairline ever known to man.

Micro Men captures the mood of nostalgia nicely enough, mixing in archive footage to great effect, but is let down by never really capturing the rapid rise and fall of the British computing industry it sets out to document - aside of one scene where Martin Freeman has a swish office for a minute, you'd be hard-pressed to tell whether they've struck it rich, or hit rock bottom, as things look exactly the same throughout.

Review: The Baader-Meinhof Complex

Like the Mesrine films - The Baader-Meinhof Complex veers from one violent set piece to another whilst the cast play dress up in various wigs and the usual stereotypical 70s garb. But without a power-performance from someone like Cassell to hold the film together, what results is a film that is ultimately a succession of scenes promoting style over substance.

Review: Zombieland

Zombieland will satisfy both those looking for laughs and those looking for gore in equal measures - as the one liners almost match the body count which must've sailed pretty close to an 18 certificate. The highlight of the film is a random, yet hilarious cameo from a Hollywood star which couldn't even be ruined by the Vue website telling you who it was on the main ruddy page but Zombieland's short, punchy runtime ensure it stays a riot throughout.

Review: Ghost Town

Ghost Town manages to blend the contrast between the parts of the film that are so typical of the light-hearted Hollywood rom-com fare that you half expect to see Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn or Meg Ryan pop up at any minute with the other parts of the script (most obviously the scenes with Kristen Wig) that offer more of the trademark Gervais improvised banter that you've either come to love or hate.

The fact that these differences don't appear too jarring is credit to the performance in the lead role from Gervais, who proves adept at flitting between the two styles - with the schmaltz providing a welcome break for those who find Gervais' sarcastic style a little too much at times

Review: Away We Go

Away We Go is a pleasant enough watch, but the stroller scene with Maggie Gyllenhaal's Earth Mother from Hell is closest the film comes to having anything near the laugh out loud moments or momentum that the likes of its superior counterparts such as Little Miss Sunshine had in regular supply.

Its not that anything is particularly bad, but at times Away We Go feels like you're drifting aimlessly from quirky family to quirky family till it reaches it conclusion without any real purpose in the end.

WWE Hell In A Cell 2009

At this rate WWE are going to end up copying TNA's weekly pay-per-views if the gap keeps getting shorter between events. 3 weeks on from Breaking Point we're back with an almost identical card, but with a new gimmick for the main events - as this time around they were contested inside Hell in a Cell - a structure so fearsome and powerful it creates its own music by simply being lowered to the ground.

Surprisingly first up this evening was the match that headlined last time around, as Undertaker challenged CM Punk once again for the World Title. Disappointingly the match never seemed to get going and ended abruptly after 10 minutes with only fleeting attempts to bring the cage into play with the odd tame whip into the steel here and there. The Undertaker won cleanly and decisively, but god knows where they go from here with the lack of any real challengers to the title save the subtle hints towards another meddling McMahon storyline that fills me with dread.

Next up was the Intercontinental Title match with John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler actually getting the chance to have a match this time around, instead of messing around with Pat Patterson. The match itself didn't disappoint but if anything Morrison seems to be regressing charisma-wise, struggling to get a connection with a crowd he always seems to win them round with his in ring work - but seemed far more suited to an arrogant heel that he portrayed during his run with Miz. Morrison retained, leaving you wondering when on earth Dolph is going to the getting the title he seemingly looked set to win going in to most of the PPVs so far this year.

Mickie James also retained in a short women's title match against Alicia Fox, which was short enough and good enough to avoid getting crapped on by the crowd.

Despite my initial misgivings about teaming the returning Rey Mysterio with Batista, as I'd have liked to see them team up Rey with Evan Bourne to recreate the chemistry they showed on Raw - the unified Tag Title match was much more fun than it had the right to be. Rey and Jericho were reliably awesome, but Big Dave and the Big Show were excellent in their shorts bursts of action. Jericho and Big Show retained thanks to the knockout punch once again, and are now one of the highlights of WWE TV, raising the profile of the tag belts, working as a team and avoiding the usual superstars who can't get along as partners gubbins.

You wouldn't expect Triple H to stay out of the main event for too long so Orton/Cena was the second of the evening's Cell matches - and whilst not on the level of last time around it was an okay match and featured a ref bump from Mike Chioda that denied Cena retaining and hopefully doesn't lead to Chioda going all Tim White on the back of an injury suffered within the Cell. Which means that Orton is champ once again on the back of a punt that looked rubbish thanks to some shoddy WWE camerawork - and with an Ironman rematch on the cards it left me praying they start the clock on the entrances as there won't be any time for the other matches at the rate these two are going.

The two matches between this and the main event ended up coming across as filler despite the best efforts of those involved. First the re-debuting Drew McIntyre took on R-Truth and they actually gave the match quite the build with a nice video package and a promo from Mr Killings. It was a shame that when the match itself started the crowd wasn't interested in the slightest despite both men working hard in what was a good, but short match. WWE obviously have big things in mind for McIntyre, having him personally introduced by Vince on Smackdown and working with Ricky Steamboat on house shows - quite what they see in him leaves me slightly puzzled though - its not that he's bad, just he doesn't really bowl you over. I can understand looking at Brock Lesnar when they first saw him and going 'future of the business' but Drew McIntyre, I don't get how they can think that.

The penultimate match was the US triple threat title match and the highlight came during the entrances with a great promo form Miz referencing the surreal sight of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the crowd plugging their new video game. Kofi Kingston retained with a neat finish that looks to build up Jack Swagger for a one on one match as he was robbed of victory thanks to Kofi's athleticism and opportunism.

Main Event time and headlining the show was DX taking on legacy in the culmination of their feud that credit where credits due, really has raised the status of Rhodes and Dibiase. This was the only match of the three that made any use of the cage stipulations as after a heated brawl around the building, Legacy managed to lock Triple H out of the cage and beat down Shawn Michaels for the best part of the match. Legacy looked great here thanks to Shawn's super selling and Triple H's return was timed perfectly, reversing the tables for a 2 on 1 comeback that sent the crowd home happy and didn't kill the momentum built up by the 2 second generation superstars in previous weeks.

To sum it up, Hell in a Cell was a good pay-per-view, but the lack of those classic cell moments may hurt the drawing power of the name in the future - whilst I'm not fussed by the lack of blood that many others are, the lack of a big bump or spot for the highlight reel may make many punters think twice before forking over £15 pounds for a Hell in a Cell match in the future.

Review: This is England

Thomas Turgoose rightly won universal plaudits for his incredible performance in his acting debut as Shaun - but the praise for acting performances in This is England shouldn't stop there as the entire cast deliver wonderfully natural performances exploring ideas of community and culture in 80s Britain.

The film's main strength in the ominous and foreboding atmosphere present throughout - once Stephen Graham arrives as racist skinhead Combo the tension gradually increases till it becomes almost unbearable, building towards till the inevitable explosion of violence towards the film's end.

The only area the film falls down is thanks to Shaun's tiny frame, as the odd couple love interest subplot never convinces, as Punk girlfriend Smell towers over him, looking years older than one year age gap there's meant to be between the two.

Review: Son of Rambow

Son of Rambow suffers from the lack of any real laugh out moments in its 90 minutes runtime, instead relying on two predictable plots that rely heavily on a sense of 80s nostaglia for laughs - those not familiar with Spandau as well as Stallone with be left wondering why - save a few neat visual flourishes for Hammer & Tongs a pleasant, but rather empty film had a word of mouth buzz around it.