I Am Legend

SWEEPING scenes of utter devastation in the backdrop of an abandoned New York City.
That’s the entrancing opening sequence in this apocalyptic thriller from director Francis Lawrence.
In an almost single-handed role, Will Smith plays Robert Neville, a former scientist and one of the last surviving humans three years after a virus obliterates the world.
Via flashbacks, you soon learn that the virus was initially intended as a cure for cancer but had horrific consequences. Ninety per cent of the population were killed, nine per cent have regressed into ferocious mutants and just a vulnerable one per cent were immune.
Now seemingly the last resident of New York, Robert’s only companion is his dog Sam and his fragile sanity is only maintained by watching old videos, keeping to a routine and trying to find a cure as his battle for survival rages on against the mutants.

Smith plays the flawed character well and in a variety of humourous yet tragic scenes he interacts with mannequins, just longing for human contact.
It’s also interesting to see the character forcibly lodged back into the food chain. With creatures roaming and food scarce, this Darwinian principle is best demonstated when Robert hunts a deer only to be beaten to the kill by a lioness.
This is the third adaptation of Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel following The Last Man on Earth (1964) and The Omega Man (1971).
And once again, it is a very interesting and horrifying take on what would happen if things all went wrong for humankind.

The Golden Compass

POLAR bears clashing in ferocious combat. Now that’s what I call a winter blockbuster!
Based on a bold and ambitious story by Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass is the kind of creation that was confined to the realms of the imagination not long ago.
But now that we have tumbled into the era of computer generation, the vivid thoughts of authors can be transformed into something of a visual sensation.
Many naysayers and directors of yore slate modern cinema but this is an exciting time for fantasy fans.
Because films like this rely on their aesthetic qualities to push the story forward and to allow the viewer to suspend their belief. The Golden Compass - the first instalment of a trilogy - gets the balance just right.
This is a parallel universe to our own where all humans must be accompanied by a daemon (that take on a variety of forms from insects to monkeys).
The story focuses on Lyra Belacqua, a student of Jordan College who falls into the clutches of the cool and calculating Marisa Coulter (Nicole Kidman).
Lyra soon uncovers the truth about a group that kidnap children called ‘the gobblers’ and becomes entangled in an epic struggle to free them.
Although the end battle may be a bit intense for very young viewers, this is great Christmas fodder for the family.
But if you want to avoid being surrounded by children at the cinema, I’d advise seeing this in the evening.

American Gangster

WHEN it comes to a memorable movie experiece, you know you are in safe hands with Ridley Scott.
And with American Gangster, the versatile director has once again proven that there is no genre that he cannot master.
His early career saw him tackle the realm of science fiction with Alien and Blade Runner and when the 21st century kicked in, his interest seemed to sway towards historical epics with Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven.
Now the cigar toting director has set about conquering the world of gangster movies.
Set in the 1970s, American Gangster is the true - albeit sensationalised - story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), the driver of a leading black crime boss.
When his boss suddenly dies, Frank sees a void in the power structure that he quickly fills.
Not long after, the streets are flooded with high quality drugs that Frank has sourced directly from the Far East during the Vietnam War.
Meanwhile, Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) is an outcast cop who loses the support of his corrupt department for playing by the rules.
Working on opposite sides of the law - each with their own ethical code - their worlds soon collide and only one man can come out on top.
If you’re looking for a violent gangster film, this isn’t it. There are some particularly grisly scenes but these are intertwined with some hefty characterisation.
With American Gangster you have to be patient - it slowly reveals its charms over its lengthy screen time.

Planet Terror

IF you’re willing to go the extra mile to see Planet Terror, then you’re certainly in for a treat.
The gloriously overblown zombie film has enough blood and gore to keep horror fans sated, enough cheeky one-liners to raise a wry smile and enough guns to make Arnie blush.
Planet Terror also arguably has the best cast since Pulp Fiction. Imagine Bruce Willis as an ominous lieutenant, Lost’s Naveen Andrews as a scientist, The Terminator’s Michael Biehn as a cop and a cameo from Tarantino and you’ll have a pretty good idea.
It is the story of an experimental bio-weapon that is set off at a military base in Texas. A horde of zombies are unleashed and a special ops tearaway and a go go dancer find themselves the unlikely heroes.
As the second instalment of the ill fated Grindhouse feature, the film is a tribute to 70s B-movies but with the zombie storyline, it is clear that director Robert Rodriguez is also paying respect to zombie movie legend George A. Romero.
When the Grindhouse double-feature hit the States, it received an abundance of critical acclaim yet failed to pull in the punters at the cinema.
This has obviously had an impact on the British screenings. Firstly, it is being shown separately to its companion piece, Death Proof and secondly, the film is only on a handful of screens across the region.
So do yourself a favour and search this film out - you won’t be disappointed. Planet Terror is on at the Odeon cinemas in Manchester and the Trafford Centre.

30 Days of Night

AT the northernmost point of North America lies a sleepy Alaskan city called Barrow, which endures a winter of permanent darkness.
This was the setting for the film translation of the comic 30 Days Of Night about a gang of vampires that go bump in the night.
On paper, this appeared to be the perfect premise for a straightforward horror movie but in practice, it lacks the tension to provoke fear or even capture the imagination.
Despite some vague attempts at characterization, director David Slade fails to inject any life into the Barrow residents led by Sheriff Eben Oleson (Josh Harnett).
Apart from a good job by Mark Boone Junior, the characters are two-dimensional throughout and frankly seem to have less soul than the undead bloodsuckers, making it very difficult to vie for them.

Meanwhile, with glazed eyes and vicious claws and teeth, the vampires look great but the effect is somewhat ruined with their annoying shriek.
The vampires also needlessly have their own language which makes no sense since the creatures used to be human. (Where do they learn this new language? Ghoul school?!)
30 Days Of Night does have some nice touches though. Horror fans will rejoice at the sheer level of blood and gore and a magnificent bird’s eye shot reveals the extent of the vampiric carnage.
But beyond that, there is very little to be desired. It has none of the sophistication of Interview with the Vampire, none of the slick execution of From Dusk ‘Til Dawn and none of the gothic style of Underworld. If you want a good film set in the dark, watch Pitch Black instead.

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.