Review: Kick Ass

Much like how Iron Man did a couple of years ago, Kick Ass succeeds by actually remembering that Super Hero films can be fun and vibrant affairs, and this is a film full of bright colours and actual sunshine can be seen at times - a rarity in the flood of dark and dingy films that followed in the wake of Batman Begins.

Kick Ass is damn funny film at times too - not just from the sweary Hit Girl that grabbed the headlines, but right throughout the cast with even the minor roles of Marty and Todd providing plenty of laughs.

Not sure I agree with all the 5 Star reviews being handed out all over the place for this film, Nicolas Cage is still bad, but its okay here as his tongues firmly in cheek with his best Adam West impression - However, Kick Ass is still a fine film and arguably the best of the year so far.

Review: Alice In Wonderland

Its not a great Burton film, but thankfully this update of the classic Alice tale loads better than when Burton got his hands on the disappointing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The film is full of fine performances from the mainly British cast (Helena Bonhem Carter's Queenie rip-off is the highlight), with just a couple of annoying bits that blight it - firstly the whole fudderwhacking business which is built up throughout the film ends up as a major letdown, with what should've been a highlight turning out to be 10 seconds of rubbish CGI special effects with dodgy some music that ruins the tone of the film. Also Anne Hathaway as the White Queen gives a pretty ropey performance doing her version a Depp, unsurprisingly she fails, coming across oddly cold for someone supposedly full of love.

But these are minor flaws, and the film is a fun two hours - just one that probably won't stay in the memory for long.

Review: The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker is an incredibly tense affair, made to seem even more realistic by a handheld shooting style made famous by the Bourne films and only loose story that ties together a series of events documenting the remaining days of a bomb disposal squad's tour of Iraq.

Fans of Mike from Neighbours will be disappointed, but blowing him up in the first scene has you on the edge of your seats throughout as you wonder who's next to go. Fully deserving its Oscar glory, the only downside for me was the final action scene, which lost the sense of realism that it had worked so hard to maintain throughout.

Review: I Love You Phillip Morris

Slap bang in the middle of the two sides of Jim Carrey's work, I Love You Phillip Morris allows plenty of time for Carrey to camp it up in his outrageous, rubber-faced style whilst also managing to touch on some pretty dark subjects at several points too.

Carrey plays Steve Russell, who has an epiphany after a near-fatal car crash, becoming a flamboyant gay conman that stays just the right side of a stereotype thanks to Carrey's likeability - McGregor stars as the title character, doing the whole wide eyed, near-retard Southern thing we've seen from him before - but doesn't feature enough to ruin the movie.

I wouldn't say the film is a total success - it isn't quite a funny as it needs to be in places, but the several incredibly brave choices in the film that make it worth a watch for sure.

Review: Shutter Island

Scorsese's latest sometimes lays down homages to its influences a little too heavy handedly at times - the score of eerie horns and Hitchcock strings is borderline ridiculous - but for the most part Shutter Island is a stylish thriller that looks stunning and always entertains throughout. It won't be remembered as one if his classics but is another entry to his cannon of consistently good films recent times.

Review: No Distance Left To Run

More than just a tour diary following this film also documents the rise and fall of Britpop trailblazers Blur and their eventual return to the top with a pair of sold out shows at London's Hyde Park.

Alex James' hedonistic past is well documented in his book A Bit of a Blur, so whilst he and drummer Dave Rowntree get to say their pieces, the film shows how the friendship between Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon was always central to the band's fortunes. With plenty of detail for fans, the fact that Blur so ubiquitous during Britpop's heyday means that this is also film for everyone to enjoy.

Review: Green Zone

Sadly its not just the subject matter that means this has more in common with The Kingdom than the Bourne films that Greengrass and Damon previously worked on. Something just doesn't quite click with Green Zone meaning that whilst it has all the trademark visual tricks of the Bourne films, it just seems a bit lightweight beneath the surface and is simply just a competent action thriller that'll keep you entertained, but won't make you think afterwards.

Review: Iron Maiden - Flight 666

Unlike recent rockumentaries such as Anvil! and Dig! which could be enjoyed if you hadn't even heard of the bands, let alone were a fan of then - Flight 666's reliance on concert footage and a lack of any really surprising events within means in the end this can only be recommended for fans only