'Kick Ass' 2010

Title: Kick Ass

Rating: 15

Released: 2010

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Grace Moretz, Mark Strong, Nicholas Cage,

Our Verdict: * 1 star

In a line: Normal teenager becomes a superhero... though unlike 'Spiderman',etc, lacks special powers.

Background: 'Kick Ass' appeared as a comic in February of 2008. Written by comic-book author, Mark Millar, 'Kick Ass' has been published monthly (with some gaps) since 2008 and is an ongoing publication. Millar is probably best known for 'Marvel Knights Spider-Man', 'Ultimate Fantastic Four' and the 'Wanted' series of comics which was adapted as a film in 2008, starring James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie. The comic is 'pencilled' by Marvel Comics legend, John Romita Jr.

The comic-book 'Kick Ass' was adapted by director Matthew Vaughn and screenplay-writer Jane Goldman; wife of Jonathan Ross and co-writer of the 2007 fantasy 'Stardust', which was also directed by Vaughn. Vaughn is a British director/producer who has previously directed 'Layer Cake' (2004). His producing credits include 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' (1998), 'Snatch' (2000), 'Mean Machine' (2001) and 'Harry Brown' (2009). Following the success of Vaughn's directorial début ('Layer Cake' 2004), he was hotly tipped to direct the blockbuster 'X-Men: The Last Stand' (2006) but was dropped just two weeks before filming began. With the exception of 'Stardust' (to a certain extent), 'Kick Ass' is Vaughn's first big Hollywood production. Celebrity-enthusiasts may be interested to know that since 2002, Vaughn has been married to German supermodel, Claudia Schiffer, with whom he has two children, and one on the way. Actor Brad Pitt produced the film; it is his 11th role as producer.

Synopsis: An everyday teenager becomes a masked vigilante. Dave Lizewski buys a scuba-diving suit and takes to the streets at his alter ego. Whilst trying to stand up to a pair of criminals, Dave is stabbed and subsequently run over. Whilst in hospital he undergoes several operations which include the insertion of metal into his skeleton; making him feel like 'Wolverine'. As soon as he is released from hospital, Dave once again dons his outfit and begins to fight crime. He adopts the name 'Kick Ass' and soon becomes an internet phenomenon. Dave learns he is not the only masked hero in the city when he meets 'Hit Girl' and 'Big Daddy'. Together they try to overthrow the criminal leader Frank D'Amico. But things aren't smooth sailing as D'Amico gets his son to create a new superhero alter-ego ('Red Mist') to befriend Kick Ass in an attempt to bring down the vigilante.

Review: The film has a really promising start. The protagonist 'Dave' narrates, discussing his confusion at why nobody had tried to be a superhero before he did. This is accompanied with footage of a man dressed in a hero-like outfit, complete with wings, jumping off a skyscraper. As the music swells to a crescendo, we expect the hero to take to flight. Alas, he is unable to do this and ends up crashing into a car below. This earned a chuckle from most people in the cinema. I think I may have only laughed another couple of times. The same can be said of those around me.

'Kick Ass' tries hard to not just be a simple tale of the self-discovery of a geeky teen who struggles where women are concerned. However, it fails miserably and can't even be described as a valiant attempt. The film is slow to get going. We are introduced to all the main characters in neatly ended little scenes which tell us just enough information. Personally I was quite bewildered as to how the protagonist came to the conclusion that the best way to stop being mugged was to don a scuba suit and fight back. I think I speak for geeks everywhere when I say that, that option doesn't rank very highly on the action lists of most.

The script was very flat. Sadly, every vaguely amusing part of the film was used in the full-length trailer. The trailer had well and truly whet my appetite and I was expecting something really quite special, a super hero film with a sense of humour. As a super hero film enthusiast, I thought that 'Kick Ass' had tapped into a goldmine, mixing the well established genre with a bit of comedy to produce a new hybrid. It was here that 'Kick Ass' fell flat on its face. The humour was weak, and mostly quite childish. I would probably have got more laughs from watching the 2008 spoof 'Super Hero Movie', and that is one hell of a statement to make.

I think I was most disappointed with the lack of plot development regarding Dave's reinforced bone structure. When we see Dave recovering in hospital, accompanied by images of X-Rays which show the vast amount of metal now in his body, I quite expected that this would be something that he used in his quest to become a superhero; expecting a 'Wolverine'-like physique, especially as 'Wolverine' was mentioned in comparison. However, the hospital scene was one of only two times that Dave's metal-ridden body was referred to, and in any fight sequences he displayed a very normal physique indeed, perhaps even below average, only commenting that he didn't feel any pain because of the metal insertions. I felt that the film would have benefited from Dave discovering that he now had super-human strength thanks to his operations. To me, he still felt like the underdog throughout the film.

Good points (of which there were few) include two of the big action sequences (the sequence following Big Daddy and Kick Ass' capture, and the library corridor scene) were exceptionally well done. Rapid action shots were edited seamlessly and although the flashing lights probably wouldn't be appreciated by an epileptic (indeed there was a warning in the cinema entrance), they added a wonderful frenzied effect. For me, the only other good point was Nicholas Cage's performance as 'Big Daddy'. He was wonderfully neurotic, a perfect mix of trained assassin and hapless single father. Big thumbs up to Mr Cage.

I let out an audible groan when the final scene of the film appeared to leave a very clear opening for a sequel. 'Red Mist' looks at the camera and smirks as he delivers the line "Wait till they get a load of me", which movie buffs will recognise as being from 'Batman' (1989), and originally spoken by the ultimate super-baddy, 'The Joker'. Any continuation of this second-rate adaptation would only be, at best, cringe-worthy and, at worst, a contender for epic fail of the year.

I wait with baited breath for a proper super hero film to hit cinemas. Hopefully my prayers will be answered by Iron Man 2, due to be released in the UK on April 30th 2010.

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I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)

Title: I Love You Phillip Morris

Rating: 15

Released: 2009

Director: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa

Starring: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro

Our Verdict: **** 3.5 stars

In a line: The 'campest' comedy of the year that will leave you wondering how on earth it could be true!

Background: Before I saw this film, I had no idea about the background story. I watched the opening credits which declared that the film was based on true events. As a fan of horror, I'm all too familiar with 'true' stories, that is, stories that are maybe an ounce of truth and over an hour of pure fiction blended together. The first thing I did after seeing this film was look up the story it was based on. Ladies and Gentlemen; it is a true story. Very little in the film is fictitious. And that makes the film truly remarkable. I spent the whole time watching it thinking that it was totally impossible that the film could be based on real events. It actually is.

The film is the story of Steven (Jay) Russell, one of America's greatest ever con artists. The narrative was adapted from the book 'I love you Phillip Morris: A True Story of Life, Love and Prison Breaks' by Steve McVicker. Due to the relatively explicit gay sexual content, the film has experienced delays in release, particularly in America, as finding a distributor has proved difficult. Despite being released in the UK on the 18th of March 2010, the film will not premier in the USA until April 30th 2010.

Produced for $20million, the film was a collaboration between French and American production companies. So far, it has been a successful release, but it remains to be seen how the film will go down in the USA.

Synopsis: Steven Russell has the perfect life. He has a beautiful family and is working as a police officer; the job he always wanted. He is devoutly religious; meeting his wife at church. Steven is also adopted. Really, he became a police officer so he could use police databases to find his birth mother. After managing to track her down, Steven learns that his birth mother has kept her other children. Devastated, he moves his family to Texas to live out the 'American Dream'. One night, Steven is involved in a car accident. He realises that life is too short to live a lie, and subsequently comes out as being gay. Impulsively he moves to Miami with new boyfriend, Jimmy. Living the playboy lifestyle, Steven soon learns that "being gay is expensive" and takes to committing insurance fraud to fund their extravagant lifestyle. Rather unsurprisingly, this leads to him being imprisoned. Whilst in prison, Steven meets Phillip Morris, who he falls in love with. Steven is released from prison, and manages to get Phillip released early. He pretends to be a lawyer, even helping Phillip's neighbour with a legal case. Steven gets a high flying job, which he is nowhere near qualified for, by lying his way through the interview. He begins to steal vast quantities of money from the company. Steven ends up in prison again, but manages to escape. He is caught and sent back to prison, but manages to escape again. Both Phillip and Steven are then arrested. It is at this point that Steven begins his most daring escape ever. It is so crazy that you won't believe it really happened, but it did.

Review: From the first five minutes, this film is hilarious. One liners aplenty. And it isn't just obvious humour; the film is pretty witty too.

The main strength of this film is the totally unbelievable plot. The narrative is so crazy and far-fetched that it becomes truly hilarious. And the best part about it is that it's all true; this madness really happened.

For me, one of the greatest things about this film is looking up the story it is based on. That made the film all the more interesting and really quite special.

It's a love story. Really quite a sweet and beautiful love story; but juxtaposed against the harsh reality of prison. It's also a story of hope, and one that illustrates that you can do anything if you want it badly enough, and really put your mind to it.

The final escape attempt was absolutely amazing. Everyone in the cinema was sat with their mouths open.

The comedy was executed perfectly; Carrey is a master of comedic timing. McGregor is exceptionally well cast as the bumbling and naive lover, the complete antithesis of the criminal mastermind played by Carrey. The supporting cast was also well chosen.

I'm usually not a big fan of American comedy films. I tend to find them obvious, tedious and boring. This film is completely different to many of the big-budget ($20million) comedies; it's slick, intelligent and has a story which is so amazing, you just couldn't make it up.

You are completely rooting for Carrey as Steven Russell, even as he commits crime and fraud. The characters are totally loveable; which is part of the attraction for me. I like watching a film containing characters I like. With each escape attempt becoming more daring, the audience becomes more and more supporting of Steven.

It's pretty rare to see such an explicitly gay film in the mainstream, with some scenes reminiscent of 'Brüno' (2009). It is refreshing though, to see the relationship between the two lead actors portrayed in such a sweet and sensitive way. As well as being a hilarious comedy, this really is a love story; and a very well executed one at that.

For me, the most touching part of the film was the information given before the credits began to roll; that Steven Russell was arrested for trying to arrange Phillip's release, and that Steven has been sentenced to life (actually, he has been sentenced to 144 years) and is currently on 23hour-a-day lock-down, with just one hour for showering and exercise. This is a penalty befitting a dangerous criminal; Steven was a conman who didn't really do anyone any harm.

That aside; the film is of top comedic standard. It will make you laugh, and you will be in disbelief of what one conman was capable of.

Highly recommended.

Shutter Island (2010)

Title: Shutter Island

Rating: 15

Released: 2010

Director: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams

Our Verdict: **** 3.5 stars

In a line: A psychological thriller which leaves you thinking "what the hell just happened?!"

Background: 'Shutter Island' is the 21st feature film to be directed by Martin Scorsese. Scorsese has given us some of the greatest films of the last few decades, including: 'Taxi Driver' (1976), 'Raging Bull' (1980), 'Goodfellas' (1990) and 'The Departed' (2006). The latter was the third collaberation between Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio; with 'Shutter Island' being their 4th joint outing.

The film is based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane; though it is sometimes published under the name 'Prisoner 67'. Principle photography for the film began back in March 2008, and ended on July 2 2008, costing $80million. The film was originally due to be released in October 2009, but had its release date pushed back to February 2010 due to the economic downturn. The film was a box office hit, and gave both Scorsese and DiCaprio their best box office opening yet.

Interestingly, there was no original soundtrack created for the film. Scorsese worked with Robbie Robertson to collect previously used material to form the score for 'Shutter Island', so if the music seems familiar to you; you know why.

Synopsis: The basis of the plot is that US Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is sent to Shutter Island, home to the Ashecliff hospital for the criminally insane, to investigate the strange disappearance of a female patient. Daniels and his partner, Chuck Aule, are drawn into the strangely secretive life on the island, which head psychiatrist Dr. John Cawley (Ben Kingsley) says is a "moral fusion between law, order and clinical care." Teddy is plagued by flashbacks of his dead wife and children, and also his time as a soldier liberating Dachau Concentration Camp at the end of WWII. He also begins to suffer from crippling migraines as he searches for the missing patient. When she is found, many unanswered questions become apparent. Teddy slowly begins to unravel and questions his own sanity as he realises that there may be no escape from the island; where everything is not what it seems.

Review: As I walked out of the cinema after seeing this film, I listened to what the people around me were saying. Some direct quotes are: "Well, that was weird." "I totally didn't get that." "Damn, confusing." "Didn't understand any of it." and "Weird, wasn't it?!" It also seemed that nobody could get their head around the ending. In my opinion, the ending left several unanswered questions. Not wanting to give too much away, I'll not dwell on it, but I will say that if you see this film; you need to pay attention.

As you sit down to watch this film you need to bear two things in mind; 1) that you're going to be sat down for 138 minutes and 2) you need to really watch the film, and remember that nothing is as it seems and the lines of reality and fantasy are blurred throughout. Those would be my essential survival tips for this film.

It is a long film. It feels long. But an awful lot happens in the film. The action is pretty much constant. The storyline is complex and needs 2 hours+ to explain itself. If it was squeezed into, say an hour and a half, you would literally leave with your head spinning.

It's quite a roller-coaster of a narrative. From tense to funny. From scary to intensely personal. We grow to like Teddy, and want to see him triumph over the 'evil' doctors, discover the secrets behind the island and eventually escape. Scorsese builds the characters beautifully; not just Teddy but the staff members at the hospital, and even Teddy's dead wife who is shown only in flashback sequences.

One of my favourite scenes had to be Teddy's exploration of the incredibly sinister Ward C (reserved for the very worse patients). As Teddy strikes matches to light his way through the darkness; the tension reaches boiling point. It was really quite marvellous to watch.

I'd say that for the whole film. It's a really enjoyable film. The emotion, the tension and the intrigue make it very watchable. The storyline has enough to maintain your interest and the ending (which I felt was predictable but clearly confused my fellow cinema-goers) was really brilliant.

The acting was top-notch. Scorsese has chosen his cast very well. Scenes were set up beautifully and the cinematography was very impressive.

I'd really recommend this film. If you can survive the 138 minutes, you'll most likely enjoy it. The narrative is really very engaging. My only criticism was that DiCaprio was, at times, a little flat and mono-dimensional. A couple of times I felt like he needed a rocket up his backside to show any real emotion. This changed towards the end, when Teddy became desperate to flee the island. Then again, I won't hide that I'm generally not a fan of DiCaprio. I can think of several actors who would have played the part better. But Scorsese is clearly very happy with the actor he is now referring to as his 'muse'.

Overall, I'd really suggest seeing this film. It's an entertaining psychological thriller, with plenty of action and a great twist that most people just didn't see coming.

'The Hurt Locker' (2009)

Title: The Hurt Locker

Rating: 15

Released: 2009

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Christian Camargo, Evangeline Lilly, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Guy Pearce

Our Verdict: ** 2.5 stars

In a line: A tense and realistic snapshot of a US bomb-disposal unit in Iraq

Background: If y

ou’ve not heard of this relativel low-budget ($11million) war flick; you must have been living under a rock for the last couple of months. You are forgiven though, if you hadn’t heard of the film until the BAFTAs in February, where the film walked away with honours for ‘Best Original Screenplay’, the David Lean Award for ‘Best Director’ and the top

accolade of the night; Best Film. For many, the BAFTAs are seen as a precursor for the Academy Awards, and on March 7^th, The Hurt Locker triumphed once again at the 82^nd ‘Oscars’ ceremony. The film was presented with 6 of the 8 awards it was nominated for.

In Britain, The Hurt Locker received a (very) limited release in November and December of 2009. Many cinemas either showed the film for around one to two weeks, and it didn’t even play in a large number of UK cinemas. Out of 209 cinemas, 103 showed the film in the UK. But as the award season started, the film’s popularity gained momentum and by the time that the BAFTA and Academy Award nominations were released, everyone seemed to be talking about it. As the BAFTA ceremony took place; the film was already available on DVD in the Britain. Since the Hurt Locker’s prolific wins at the prestigious Oscars, there has been renewed interest in the film. It rocketed to the top of the UK DVD charts and began to fly off the shelves, as people became increasingly curious about the film that triumphed over the highest grossing film of all time; James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ which had also been nominated for ‘Best Film’, etc.

The Hurt Locker is the 8^th film by director Kathryn Bigelow; who became the first female director to win the Academy Award for ‘Best Director’. Her previous best-known films are probably ‘K-19: The Widowmaker’ (2002) and ‘Point Break’ (1991).

Synopsis: The film has very little in the way of a narrative. It is a series of basically unconnected scenes depicting the United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team at work.

Review: The film opens with one of the tensest and dramatic openings I’ve seen in recent years. Straight away we are catapulted into the world of the bomb disposal unit. The tension created as a soldier attempts to disarm the first bomb is really fantastic. It’s worth seeing the film for the opening 15 minutes alone. When the bomb goes off, the slow-motion explosion is simply beautiful. It made the film seem very promising; but in my opinion, the film fails to deliver after this point.

Personally I was disappointed with the lack of a tangible narrative. I wanted to connect with the characters, to get to know the men personally, and there was very little of this.

When the maverick ‘new guy’ enters the proceedings, I was again filled with hope that the film would become a more personal story; sadly this failed to materialise. The camaraderie between the men is quite touching. There are a couple of instances when the men vaguely discuss their family, or their fears about dying, but these are few and far between, and one such scene is rather rudely interrupted by the men gaining the sudden urge for a bit of rough-housing to display some masculinity and work off excessive testosterone.

I must praise the constant building of tension and threat. You could easily spend ¾ of the film sat on the edge of your seat. Despite the tension, there are some amusing moments and some upbeat streaks amongst the men.

Overall, it’s not a bad piece of tense action/drama. If you want to see a film showing the personal perspective of the Iraq war, this really isn’t for you. I’d say that’s where the film is most lacking. It should also be noted that many Iraq veterans have picked fault with the fail and hailed it as a very poor representation of life in the warzone. If you take the film for what it is (a fictional drama), then you won’t be disappointed. However, if you’re looking for something totally accurate or a gripping personal struggle, you might want to give ‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998) another go.

SFX Magazine's 'Horror' Special Edition (Feb 2010)

If you're a 'gorehound' as editor Ian Berriman describes, this special edition of SFX magazine is for you. It's over 100 pages of pure horror delight. From a look at the upcoming horror films of 2010, to a run-down of the top 20 villains as voted for by SFX readers.

There in an exclusive interview with Robert Englund (the original 'Freddy Krueger' in the 'Nightmare On Elm Street' franchise), and a look back at classic and obscure horror titles.

We particularly recommend the look at the remake of 'Nightmare On Elm Street'; it'll help you join in the debate as to whether the film could possibly be as good as the original, especially after a series of relatively terrible remakes ('Friday 13th' 2009... need I say any more?)

There's a nice bit of nostalgia as Alan Barnes looks back at the 1941 classic 'The Wolf Man', which was just released on DVD (February 9th 2010).

Also recommended is the feature on lost silent horror films; those gems that we will never see again.

So, curl up with a copy of this horror-bible and stick on your copy of 'Nosferatu' (if classic horror is your thing), or perhaps the recently released 'Saw VI' (on DVD from 8th March 2010).

It makes for truly horrific reading ;-)

SFX Magazine's 'Horror' Special Edition is now available from all good newsagents for £7.99. The magazine comes with 6 free gifts; two pin badges, three beer mats and a double-sided giant poster.

Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland (2010)

Title: Alice in Wonderland

Rating: PG

Released: 2010

Director: Tim Burton

Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Michael Sheen, Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman, Barbara Windsor,

Our Verdict: **** 4 Stars

In a line: Visual spectacular, re-imagining and revitalising the classic fairytale

Background: Tim Burton is a director who needs no introduction. His films have captured the weird, the quirky, the dark and the downright bizarre for the best part of 30 years. He is the champion of films depicting misfits. His films are instantly recognisable, and he has a cult following of dedicated fans around the world. His collaborations with actor, Johnny Depp, are now infamous. Recently, the pair came together to bring the musical 'Sweeney Todd' to the big screen, but their relationship goes way back to 'Edward Scissorhands' in 1990. The two are now close friends, and are Godfather to each other's children.

'Alice in Wonderland' features a number of Burton's friends and even his wife, Helena Bonham Carter, who has also featured in a number of his productions. The film is actress Mia Wasikowska's first starring role. The film features live action and animation which is even simultaneous in some scenes. 'Alice in Wonderland' was produced for $200million, only $37million less than James Cameron's blockbuster 'Avatar'

Burton has made it clear that the film is neither a remake, nor a sequel, he has referred to it as a 're-imagining' of the original Lewis Carroll 'Alice' books.

The screenplay was adapted from the original Carroll books by Linda Woolverton, best known for writing the screenplay for Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' (1991) and 'The Lion King' (1994), and for later adapting both for Broadway/stage. Woolverton has stated that she researched how young women were expected to behave in the Victorian era and then made Alice the opposite. Writing for the film began in 2007.

Synopsis: We first meet Alice Kingsley as a young girl, haunted by nightmares of a bizarre world that she has visited in her dreams. Her doting father reassures her that whilst she's mad, 'all the best people are'. The action then moves forward 13 years. Alice is now 19 attends a country party held by the aristocratic Ascot family. Her father has recently died. She learns that the party is actually in honour of her forthcoming engagement to Hamish Ascot; an engagement she knew nothing about. During Hamish's proposal, Alice runs away. She sees the White Rabbit and follows him to a rabbit hole, which she falls inside. Alice finds herself in Underland. There she meets a host of eccentric characters, including the Doormouse Mallymkun (Barbara Windsor), Uilleam the Dodo (Michael Gough), and Tweedledum & Tweedledee (Matt Lucas). The Underland residents are worried that they've got the 'wrong' Alice; as the girl they need to save them from the clutches of the evil Red Queen has visited Underland previously, and Alice Kingsley has no memory of the place.

Alice is told that on the Frabjous Day, she will slay the Jabberwocky (the Red Queen's guardian) using the Vorpal Sword and in doing so will allow the White Queen to reclaim her throne and restore peace. Alice finds herself hunted by the vicious Red Queen and her Knave of Hearts. Along the way, Alice meets Chessur (the Cheshire Cat, voiced by Stephen Fry), Tarrant Hightopp (the Mad Hatter, Johnny Depp) and Thackery Earwicket (the March Hare, voiced by Paul Whitehouse).

Thanks to the help of the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), Alice realises her destiny as the slayer of the Jabberwocky. She also comes to realise that Underland is the place she visited as a child; and that her dreams were in fact memories of her first visit. After defeating the Jabberwocky and helping the White Queen reclaim her crown, Alice returns home where she refuses Hamish's proposal and takes up a position as an apprentice in the company her father had owned. Having conquered her fears, Alice has big ideas for improving the firm, including taking it to new locations like China.

Review: This film has had so much hype. Any Burton-Depp collaboration does. But the first Burton-Depp Disney Digital 3D production has really caused a stir. I saw it an almost sold-out cinema on its opening night (March 5th 2010) and the first thing that struck me, before the lights even went down, was the bizarre mix of children, young adults, studenty-types, adults and pensioners. Burton and Depp appeal to everyone. They present whimsical stories that appeal to children, and yet include wicked humour that appeals to the older contingencies. The underlying darkness in their films draws in a whole different crowd, and the stunning visuals promised by the tag of 'Disney Digital 3D' brings in yet another group of people. The air was thick with excitement, with nervous apprehension, but most of all with anticipation.

The film opens with the gloom of Victorian London. Memories of Burton's 2007 'Sweeney Todd' are immediately invoked. When the film moves to the countryside and some 13 years later, you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching a period drama; not quite a lavish reproduction of a classic fairytale. There are subtle hints that Alice's everyday life has parallels to the mystical 'Underland' she visits; we are introduced to Alice's potential step-mother who is clearly a parallel for the Red Queen, and a set of twins that scream of Tweedledum & Tweedledee. Snippets of Burton's wicked sense of humour begin to show at an early stage of the film.

The film changes totally when Alice finds herself in Underland. The audience practically gasped as we first saw the amazing technicolour world at the bottom of the rabbit hole. The brilliance of the colour that Burton uses to create the magical landscape just cannot be described. It must be witnessed. The Underland garden is simply stunning. The animated characters are equally fantastic; the March Hare is a testament to how much CGI has improved; next to Alice he looks completely real. The mix of animation and real footage of Matt Lucas used to produce the Tweedledum & Tweedledee characters is really very impressive. The furious Bandersnatch and the hideous Jabberwocky are both perfectly created and are all they should be.

One of the best scenes has to be the 'tea party' in which we are introduced to Johnny Depp's 'Mad Hatter'. Once again, Depp has totally transformed himself into an amazingly complex character that supersedes all expectations. Even down to his constantly changing accent to reflect his inner turmoil, Depp plays the part brilliantly. His rendition of the original poem 'Jabberwock' in a haunting Scottish accent is particularly wonderful.

The three actresses in the film also give brilliant performances. Bonham Carter is wonderful as the bloody-curdling Red Queen (with a head that is digitally enhanced to be three sizes bigger than normal) and Anne Hathaway is the perfect antithesis. Mia Wasikowska gives a great first big performance. There was a lot of press speculation that casting a basically unknown actress would lead to the film's downfall. I personally think that Wasikowska is perfectly cast and has the right amount of on-screen presence, youth vitality and actual acting talent, to pull the role off. She looks alarmingly like Gwyneth Paltrow; not sure if that's a good thing or not.

Overall the film suffers in one area; the narrative. The plotline is a little slow, very obvious and really not very exciting or interesting. If it wasn't for the brilliant acting and truly amazing visuals, this film would be a very sad story indeed. I really can't say enough good things about the actors (including those that merely lend their vocal talents), or about the visual effects. The film looks fantastic. The actors are fantastic. The plot is mediocre at best. It's obvious from the start that Alice is the Alice (despite some confusion over that), and that she will slay the Jabberwocky. Despite a couple of attempts at twists in the plot, it really is incredibly linear.

I'd recommend viewing this film (of course in Disney Digital 3D) because it is a joy to watch thanks to the stunning Underland that Burton has created, and thanks to the brilliant acting involved. If you're looking for a deep, complex or exciting plotline then this isn't the film for you. But, if you want to be immersed in a beautiful fantasy world, and want to find yourself totally engrossed in the performances you're watching, then this is the film for you. It's a good watch, it's visually amazing, it's just very obvious and doesn't attempt to disguise what it is; a retelling of a simple fairytale.

82nd Academy Awards (Oscars) 2010

All eyes fell on Hollywood last night (March 7th 2010) as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences distributed their honours in the 82nd Academy Awards; the biggest night in the award season. No awards are as prestigious as the 'Oscars'. No night means more in the film industry. The Academy Awards are watched by millions around the world; by film enthusiasts and fashionistas alike. As per tradition, Los Angeles played host to the awards, and anyone who is anyone was found walking the 500 foot red carpet that leads to the Kodak Theatre in central Hollywood. Despite blue skies, Hollywood's greatest were at times rained on as they made their way inside.

The Kodak Theatre looked simply amazing inside, with 1000's of LED lights twinkling away as if it were Christmas. The ceremony began with the nominees for the 'Best Actor' and 'Best Actress' taking to the stage. Ironically, the first two to be introduced were the eventual winners; Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock respectively. The show was opened by Neil Patrick Harris (a surprise performer; his participation in the night had been kept under wraps), in a typical show-tune fashion, complete with showgirls. You couldn't fit another sequin on Harris' tuxedo if you tried. Hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin descended from the ceiling, and then promptly began their opening monologue. The jokes were pure cheese, an example being;

Martin: "Hey look, it's that damn Helen Mirren,"

Baldwin: "It says 'Dame' Helen Mirren..."

It was the third time that Martin had acted as host, and the first Academy Award show to have multiple hosts since the 59th ceremony in 1987.

It was a night of firsts as Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to ever win the Academy Award for 'Best Director'. 'The Hurt Locker' went on to become the first film directed by a woman (Bigelow) to win the 'Best Motion Picture' honour. Also, Geoffrey Fletcher became the first African American to win an Academy Award for Writing when he took the honour for 'Best Adapted Screenplay' for his work with 'Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire'.

The big surprise for me came in the 'Best Foreign Language Film' category. Pundits had pretty much settled on the idea of the German film 'Das weiße Band' ('The White Ribbon') taking the prize, with the Israeli nomination ('Ajami') being the second-in-line. The Academy Award for 'Best Foreign Language Film' in fact went to Argentina's 'El Secreto de Sus Ojos' ('The Secret in Their Eyes'). I felt this was the curveball of the night.

Many would argue that the unstoppable success of 'The Hurt Locker' at the Academy Awards was unforeseen, but I think that previous award-show victory had the film as a major contender, and Hollywood always loves an underdog. For me it was no great surprise when the gritty war film, made for the tiny sum of $11million, triumphed over its major competition, the highest grossing film of all time, 'Avatar' (which incidentally was made for $237million). The 'Best Motion Picture' award had always been a two-horse race. Amusingly, the directors of 'Avatar' and 'The Hurt Locker' (James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow, respectively) were once married, and this fact was joked about in the opening monologue of show.

The four awards for acting ('Best Actor/Actress in a Leading Role' and 'Best Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role') were all dead certs. Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock took the awards for 'Leading Actor/Actress' whilst Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz took the awards for 'Supporting Actor/Actress'. Both Waltz and Mo'Nique had already won the BAFTA for the same roles. Sandra Bullock had been 'honoured' only the night before with the 'Razzie' (Golden Raspberry) award for 'Worst Actress' for her role in 'All About Steve'. It was the actress' first Academy Award nomination. Jeff Bridges is a Hollywood favourite; it was his 5th nomination and his first win. Mo'Nique summed up the night perfectly when she told E!'s Ryan Seacreast that the night was "not a competition, but a celebration." The talk-show host and comedienne has made the transition to actress seamlessly, winning one of the highest accolades for her début role.

In total, 'The Hurt Locker' took home 6 of the 8 awards it was nominated for. 'Avatar' took home 3. The big winner of the night was most definitely Kathryn Bigelow. Her work on 'The Hurt Locker' is an amazing achievement, and the film is a very deserving winner of the 'Best Motion Picture' award; for being gripping, thrilling and yet maintaining eerie realism. If you haven't seen it yet, make sure you do. In the UK it's available on DVD from all good retailers. Some cinemas are planning to show the film for a limited time; check your local listings.

No Oscar review would be complete without a nod towards the fashion on display last night. Kudos to Maggie Gyllenhaal for daring to wear bold prints on the red carpet, and to Carey Mulligan for her Prada dress that was decorated with tiny knives, forks and scissors. The worst-dressed award would have to go Mariah Carey, who was wearing a dress that looked two... maybe three sizes too small for her frame. E! gave us amazing red carpet footage in their 'Live from the Red Carpet' programme that was apparently watched by 180million households in 120 countries.

The Academy Awards are truly a global phenomenon.

For a full round-up of the winners, please visit the official Academy Awards homepage:http://www.oscars.org/

You can catch 'Live from the Red Carpet' when it's repeated all week on E! - Sky Channel 151, Virgin 156.