Stardust

WITH the colder nights drawing in, any distraction from the dreary weather is always a welcome prospect.
And what better way to escape the banalities of winter life than with an epic fantasy adventure at the silver screen?
These bold, ambitious movies seem to be the next big thing in the Hollywood nerve centre and thankfully Stardust is an enchanting fairytale that really lives up to its name.
Based on a novel by Neil Gaiman, it is the tale of a young man called Tristan (newcomer Charlie Cox) – an archetype hero, who starts out as a bit of a loser and ends up as a fully-fledged sword-wielding knight.
When he sees a falling star he vows to bring it back home to win the heart of the girl he loves. But to do this he must pass through a gap in an ancient wall, which is the portal to another world called Stormhold.

Meanwhile, a 400-year-old witch called Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) ruthlessly hunts the star (personified by Claire Danes), as a source of eternal life and a bunch of treacherous princes need the star’s amulet to be pronounced king.
As these three forces collide, the story gets in full swing and it is well paced and compelling throughout, even with its lengthy two and a half hour running time.
What’s more, the shroud of fantasy always remains strong – perhaps the idea of another world right under our noses somehow makes it more believable.
Also look out for Robert DeNiro as a camp pirate and a collection of British comedy actors such as Mark Heap from Spaced and Adam Buxton from Adam & Joe playing the spectral form of the defeated princes.

Shoot 'Em Up

IMAGINE a Van Damme film with more ideas, a better budget, marginally better acting and significantly greater stunts.
Because that's exactly what you'll get if you go and watch Shoot Em Up this weekend.
It's not exactly going to threaten Schindler's List or Casablanca but in terms of pure high-octane popcorn fodder, you couldn't ask for more and even makes recent action movies like Die Hard 4.0 look mild mannered in comparison.
The affable Clive Owen - who seems to just fall into hero roles these days - plays Smith, a reclusive man who just wants to be left alone.
But when he is minding his own business chewing on a carrot and waiting for a bus, a terrified pregnant woman runs past followed by a gun-wielding goon.

With a sense of moral duty overcoming his urge to walk the other way, he helps deliver the child and kill the bad guys all at once.
But then Smith finds himself in the position of a reluctant nanny as he protects the child from further hoards led by mob boss Hertz (played by Sideways star Paul Giamatti in a curiously refreshing role).
It's a simple premise with slick execution and as long as you just sit back, switch off and forget about the plot, chances are you'll enjoy it.
Envisage henchmen being departed in wild and wonderful ways - many involving the aforementioned carrot - and stunts that are as breathtaking as they are hilarious.

Tales From Earthsea

EVERY son knows that living up to a father’s legacy is rarely an easy task.
And when your father is the founder of a legendary animation studio, that assertion has never held so much weight.
Dubbed by westerners as the ‘Walt Disney of Japan’, Studio Ghibli has created a string of enduring films that have cut through the mainstream in to critical viewing, such as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.
Tales From Earthsea is the first feature film directed by Goro Miyazaki – the son of Ghibli genius Hiyao Miyazaki.
Many feared the new director would be crushed under the pressure of expectation, especially since his previous vocational experience was more involved with landscaping than animation.
But it was pleasing to discover that Goro Miyazaki has made a worthy debut based on books by Ursula Le Guin.
Tales From Earthsea is the story of a deteriorating kingdom in which a young and distraught boy called Arren loses his will to live.
After being saved by Sparrowhawk, an Archmage investigating evil sorcery at the root of the problem, Arren slowly starts to realise his destiny to restore balance to Earthsea.
Although the movie avoids the usual eccentricities that usually dance across the screen in Hiyao Miyazaki pictures, it is a really solid and enjoyable story with central themes like life and death and the balance between all living things handled excellently.
For Studio Ghibli fans or for those who want a first taste of Japanese cinema, this is not to be missed.

28 Weeks Later

IT'S so easy to be dubious but 28 Weeks Later is a gruesomely satisfying sequel in every sense of the word.
Set seven months after the Rage virus decimated Britain, the war against the infection has seemingly been won.
Aided by American soldiers, authorities are picking up the pieces of London's ravished city and survivors are being herded into a safe zone simply known as District One'.
Initially, the story focuses on Don (Robert Carlyle) who is reunited with his kids in the first wave of returning refugees.
Anxious to visit their family home, Don's kids sneak out of District One into the restricted area of the city.
But when they reach the house, they unlock a dark secret about the virus which has catastrophic consequences for the survivors.
Using much of the same soundtrack as its predecessor and relying on tension and shock value, 28 Weeks Later succeeds as a sequel because it maintains the same tone as the 2002 original.
Expect dramatic pulsing music, a lot of gore and some genuinely scary bits.
The US military response to the new outbreak of Rage is also emotive and horrific and is an obvious critique of American foreign policy of late.
Generally, 28 Weeks Later is an excellent film and almost lives up to Danny Boyle's original but there are a few snags. A couple of moments are so coincidental and convenient that it almost ruins the experience and the film's subtext is as subtle as a slap in the face.
But if you can forgive these problems, then you'll certainly enjoy the ride.

Spiderman 3

"WHERE do all these guys come from?"
Never has a truer word been spoken by arachnid hero Peter Parker in the third and possibly final instalment of the Sam Raimi opus.
Because, during the lengthy 140-minute film, Spiderman has clashed with three super villains in true comic book style.
Among the eccentric oddballs, expect a petty criminal who conveniently gets caught in an accident that displaces molecules and a parasitic meteoric black substance that engulfs its host.
Yes, Spiderman 3 is very possibly the most absurd edition of the trilogy but, if you suspend your disbelief, you will really enjoy the ride.
Set a short while after the second movie, Peter Parker has finally struck a balance between his relationship with MJ and his duties as a superhero.
But things start to unravel when his relationship becomes jeopardised and a rival is set to swipe the staff job he had lined up at the Daily Bugle.
His best friend Harry Osborn is also out for cold-blooded vengeance for Peter's role in his father's death from the first film.
The fight scenes are astounding and it really goes to show what modern special effects and a budget of more than £250 million can achieve.
It is also the darkest instalment of the trilogy as Spiderman comes to terms with his inner turmoil in and out of the suit.
This is perfectly offset with some hilarious scenes, including Peter Parker trying to play it cool' as well as an excellent cameo by cult legend Bruce Campbell as a French waiter.
In terms of story, Spiderman 3 falls flat and the message of revenge and redemption is horribly clichéd but taken at face value, the film will catch you in its web.

Sunshine

IN space no one can hear you scream. Or at least no one can hear the eerie knell of catastrophe.
Set 50 years in the future, Sunshine is the story of a group of astronauts who are charged with the gallant task of re-igniting the dying sun with a bomb the size of Manhattan Island.
As the film starts, the audience is immediately thrust into the epicentre of the Icarus II vessel at its pinnacle moments.
The crew is about to enter the 'dead zone' of space meaning they can no longer contact Earth, and face the cold fact that they are the last hope to save humanity.
Events then take a turn for the surreal when a chilling distress signal is picked up from the original Icarus ship assigned to save the sun seven years ago.
Should they investigate the signal or continue directly with the mission? The final decision splinters the crew and shapes events for the rest of the film.

Fairly typically for director, Danny Boyle, an authentic veil of dread permeates the movie and expect some horrifying scenes as things go wayward - a little bit like Event Horizon but executed much better.
Aesthetically, Sunshine pays homage to Ridley Scott's Alien marrying up old-fashioned consoles with futuristic computers to give the film a timeless appeal. There is even a joke referring to Ridley Scott's opus that further cements the film's roots.
Sunshine also boasts the unquestionable talents of Cillian Murphy who successfully portrays a man devoted to duty and obsessed with the sun.

Blood Diamond

GRITTY socio-political thrillers based on real world events seem to be the latest phase in modern motion picture history these days.
And if films like The Last King of Scotland and Blood Diamond are anything to go by, we can all look forward to some deeply thought provoking cinema in the months to come.
But that's assuming this is to your taste because Blood Diamond is an extremely violent and provocative experience and hardly the material for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
The film chronicles, albeit in a slightly sensationalised manner, the civil war that engulfed Sierra Leone in the 1990s.
No holds barred, director Edward Zwick reveals the true devastation of the conflict.
A country torn apart, marauding rebels indiscriminately murder anyone who stands in their way and much of the population are forced to become refugees.
What's even more shocking is the recruitment of children to fight the war and this subtle portrayal of innocence lost is stunning.
Amid the conflict, a South African mercenary, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, a Mende fisherman, Djimon Hounsou, and an American journalist, Jennifer Connelly, are drawn together to recover a rare pink diamond.
Danny is motivated by money, the diamond is Solomon's ticket to rescue his family and Maddy wants to break the story that could end the conflict - diamond corruption.
It really is a film that makes you think and it is also very easy to sympathise with the struggling journalist who is trying to change the world for the better.
Although it could have been shorter - and DiCaprio's accent was a bit dodgy - Blood Diamond is a bold movie with an important message about war, greed and corruption.