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Reviews sent in before 2009
The House Bunny
Reviewed by Tayla
The House Bunny is based on a character from the playboy mansion. There are several others but there is one evil one who writes a letter to the most popular girl in the mansion who is running for Miss November so this so called letter say im so sorry but i have to kick you out of the mansion because your to old. Shel is only 27, but in bunny years 59. So she moves on and moves out she has no where to go! She sleeps in her car for 1 night. The next day she goes into town and finds herself as a mum for a sorority house that needs to save itself!
She helps them very much gives them proper makeovers and helps them to buy water bras and make-up so then she found out that it was that nasty evil girl who is only filled with jealousy and denial...!
October 2008
Bruce Almighty
Reviewed by Upasana Mehta
This film is a great one. I loved it as it really portrays how god loves us, in all the possible ways that he can. Being a Christian myself this film, has made me understand better what the role of god is. Whoever came up with this film, is totally a genius in my eyes. I love to learn more about god and this film really shows you how t do so. I really enjoyed it. Personally I would recommend it too all who are either looking for Christ or are following him.
October 2008
Never Back Down
Reviewed by Jasmin Willan
Never Back Down is a story of overcoming the anger and disappointment in your life through a means in which you benefit. With a new outlook on life, new friends and new town, Jake is finally finding his voice and standing on his own two feet. With a mix of martial arts teachers he is learning two things about fighting: you either back the hell up, or get the hell in.
September 2008
The dark knight
Reviewed by Leah James-Lynch, 14
The opening scene of the movie almost had me running for the exit but I didn't move and in the end I am glad that I didn’t. The best way to watch the movie is to forget the friendly Batman from the TV show that I grew up loving and move on to the batman of modern day America. Violence, gambling and drugs all fuel the underworld and the Joker just about tops the crooks with his insanity that luckily hasn’t yet been portrayed by anyone in real life. If I had to sum up the movie in one word it would most certainly be intense because I spent the entire movie sitting on the edge of my seat with sweat pouring down my face. Go watch it now! My only horror was at the number of young innocent boys in the cinema with their parents sitting their lapping it up with every bone of their body their eyes almost glazing over.
August 2008
Gossip Girl (TV Show)
Reviewed by Leah James-Lynch, 14
At first glance the show seems to depict the life of a bunch of snobby upper Manhattan teenagers who depend on their trust funds and their parents undying love for them (not) but look a little deeper and you will find people just like yourself, wanting to be accepted and praised and so I say give it a go and remember to look beneath the surface because after all, its what's beneath the surface that counts in the end. The shows main characters are Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf two best friends who deal with the usual teenage girl problems but of course there's a whole lot of cash thrown in to add to the mess but through and through they always seem to make-up even if a bitchy cat fight is only just around the corner.
August 2008
Casino Royale
Reviewed by Abbas Nazari
Casino royale starring damien craig and eva green is the most explosive James Bond movie ever!!!
Of all the Bond movies i think its the best because of the fast-flowing non-stop action right from the start all the way to the end.damien craig plays a blond bond (recently promoted to "00" status) out on a mission to unravel a mysterious secret involving a french banker betting on the stock market using terrorists' money.
what i loved about this movie was the gripping action and the nonstop storyline that had you begging for more.
i can not think of something that i didnt like because unlike some of the other bond movies casino royale delivers everything.
i recommend this to anyone looking for a good film to watch on a rainy friday night.
July 2008
John Q
reviewed by Abbas Nazari
Denzel Washington stars as john quincy archibald in a film that i think is a work of art. John q is a heartbreaking story of the lengths a father will go to save his son. Mikey looks like a healthy 9 year old until he collapses all of a sudden for no apparent reason. turns out that his heart is three times larger than normal and a $250,000 heart transplant is the only way to save him. But the archibalds are already facing financial difficulties and the surgery looks impossible. with no other options john takes hostages in the ER of the local hospital and won't give up until his son has the surgery.
This movie is a story of failure and triumph that will melt your heart at the end. i recommend it to anyone wanting to see the world from a more loving perspective.
July 2008
North Country
R13. Directed by Niki Caro, reviewed by Kerrianne Cowlishaw, 17.
The movie North Country, a true story directed by Niki Caro, is about women living in North America who work in the mines with the men, but get sexually and emotionally harassed by the men everyday because they don't like the women doing their jobs. One woman gets incredibly fed up with the way the women are being treated and decides to take the mining company to court to try and get the harassment stopped.
I thought that the acting was great in the movie, especially Charlize Theron who played the main character Josie. She portrayed a strong willed woman who had her mind set on stopping the harassment and who would keep at it until she got a result. For example when Josie went to the CEO of the mining company to try and get the issue resolved only to be turned away, she managed to take it to court to get it fixed.
I also thought that the lighting used in the movie was perfect for the plot because it gave the effect of the whole place being extremely cold and really dull and dismal. The movie was set in the North Country in America where it is freezing. This is seen in the beginning scene where outside is covered in snow and everywhere you go is cold and snowy.
Overall, I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys dramatic, true stories.
Its an interesting and dramatic story of how women of the North Country fight to have their rights at their workplace.
June 2008
Hairspray
Reviewed by Jesse Prescott, 13
I had recently watched the 1992 version of hairspray and i loved it but then all my friends tell me omg guess what a new 2007 hairspray is coming out we were so excited so we all went and saw it it was the most full on exciting movie i have ever seen the set the music was soo cool i loved it my fav bit was when mrs turblad and mr turblad saw tracy on tv it gave me tingles down my spine i dont no why lol my favorite song was YOU CANT STOP THE BEAT
May 2008
Enchanted
Reviewed by Alice and Janie, 15
It was different in a good way. The use of animation and real life was a clever mix. It was very sweet!
March 2008
Meet the Spartans
Rated PG, Reviewed by Jesse Prescott
This movie is hilarious! This movie is a take off of the movie 300 and it is another epic adventure. The next king was being trained to rule Sparta. He gets kicked out into the wild with a warm subway sandwich he takes a bite and there’s no mayo, so he chucks it away. Then Happy Feet comes along and starts dancing. Happy Feet turns evil and trys to attack the main character. What the hell? It’s in the middle of nowhere in a hot place with random penguins everywhere - it’s so funny. The next part with well known celebrities doing their thing singing and judging it’s so funny. Oh my gosh, that part's the best. Now go and see it. I saw it at Hoyts Riccarton in the Cinemaxx theatre it was very good. The website is www.meetthespartans.com.
February 2008
THE GRUDGE 1 & 2
Reviewed by Jesse Prescott, 13
This movie is a horror thriller it is the best movie i have ever seen i is based in tokyo im nt gonna tell you to much that would ruin it these movies are freaky and contain blood and gore the best.
February 2008
High School Musical 1 & 2 by Kenny Ortega
Reviewed by Sally
It was just agreat; I loved it!!
I will grade this musical 9/10.
In High School Musical, you can learn so many things, like dancing and singing!!
You just can't stop following the moves!!
I especially loved the 'Evans' who is Ryan and Sharpay. Their acting is so amusing; you can't stop laughing!
But the sad part was that Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) is so a bad actor; she's so wrong, I just don't want to talk about her!!
But other than that, it was great!!
You must watch this musical!!!
January 2008
high school musical 2
Reviewed by adoniah
this movie is alrit, numba 1 was beta. luv da song between troi and gabriella (u r da musik in me) so kool to listen to.
i jus think there going to far with a 3rd one!
watch it on dvd or on disney!
October 2007
Die Hard 4.0
Reviewed by Connor
This movie is not as gory as the other three and i preferred John McClane’s White T-Shirt to this old Grampa Cardigan but it is still really funny and is full of witty one-liners.
It is about computer hackers who think that they are doing the world a favour by totally sending it into chaos.
Then John McClane comes in and saves the day like he always does.
This movie doesn’t have all the swearing and gore of the last 3 but I recommend it to any fans of Die Hard 1, 2 and 3 and also fans of Bruce Willis.
August 2007
high school musical
Reviewed by caitlyn
I think it was quite cool because i like musical stuff and it was i've got the cd and the dvd and I hope you guys will love it if you watch and my fav chacritors wre troy(Zac Efron) and Gabriealla (Vanessa Hudgens)
September 2006
Dead man's chest
reviewed by Zoe
A take off from the first movie, filled with twists and turns. Dark characters and great use of scottish myths. Suprising ending!!!!!
September 2006
Breakfast On Pluto
Reviewed by Saraid
This movie is about an Irish transvestite and it is AWESOME. Cilian Murphy from Red Eye plays Kitten (the transvestite) and it is a complete insight into how damn awful it must feel to be one sex but feel inside that you're another. Go see it at the Regent asap.
September 2006
Snakes on a plane
Reviewed by Sandy
WELl iT Was An Aite MoViE AI... PrEtTy fuNNi BuT AlsO FreKY at TyMzzz...loL.. goOd MoVie TaH WaTch... i RecoMmeNd it to YaH ALl... MuWWaHazzZZzzz
September 2006
dead mans chest
reviewed by matt
the movie pirates of the caribbean dead mans chest was really good.
July 2006
over the hedge
Review by maree
theres a group of different animals like a skunk,a squierl etc and the've just come out of hibernation and hammy the squrril ishungry so hammy ask where all the food went and the rest of the group said they ate it later on in the movie a skunk came and had to put some food together for a bear cos he did something wrong and ate all the bears food so he made hammys group put it all together with out them knowing and he just ran away with the food and ...
July 2006
2 fast 2 fourius TOKYO DRIFT
ethan
iT WAS KOOL
June 2006
Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift
Chris
I thought it was a great movie but it was a bit of a let down from the last series. It could of at least carried on from the last lot or with the same people but it didnt. Exept that it was a really awesome movie and i enjoyed it. Hope this helps. Bye! P.S There is a surprise guest at the end of the movie. U will have to go see it to find out though cause i aint tellin.
June 2006
Beauty Shop
Kimberley
Beauty shop is awesome, it is funny and very action packed.
June 2006
The Spongebob Squarepants Movie
Kerry
Ribbidge. This has got to be just about the worst movie i've ever seen, including the rugrats go wild which is absolutely s***
May 2006
Martin Luther King
Addie
I found that this movie was pretty interesting being that it was made a long time ago, but i understood it and it made sense to me. I liked it but I think they should make a newer movie based on the same thing but shorter...haha.....thanx
May 2006
scary movie 4
Reviewed by Tori
very funy made me laugh heaps great movie...
May 2006
MI 3
Review by Jade
I had no idea i was going to dis movie it was an "Out Of The Blue" thing my besties came up wif. but i'm glad they did coz this movie should be on the list of '100 movies to see before you die' It was wicked!! A little confusing wif da start but very, very enteretaining! I rate it 100/100 and any one who dis agrees should see it again to be sure!
May 2006
Mission Impossible 3
Reviewed by Michelle
I have seen dis movie wif my friends and it really rox!!! It is so cool I wish i could see it a 1000 times more. Whoever says it's boring needs to get their head checked.
May 2006
Bring it on Again
Reviewed by Samantha
I found this movie very Amusing and funny. especially when the really popular girl gets bummed out by a Nerd...
May 2006
Sione's Wedding
Reviewed by Mary
I twas one of the best movies I have ever seen. It was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 2006
the date movie
Reviewed by ngai
well it was okay but to be honest i didnt really like it much
May 2006
Blue Crush
Reviewed by Chelsey
This is a great movie it is all about these chicks that surf. All girl that like surfing will love this movie. so please watch it!
May 2006
shark tale
reviewed by Haylee
shark tale is a very cool movie.
March 2006
Get hard or die trying
Reviewed by Kaitlyn
I have seen this movie and it rox's. 50 cent is invole It is worth having a look but is is R16.
February 2006
Joyeux Noel
reviewed by Grum
This movie was inspired by a true event that happened during WW1,
Christmas 1914, when a truce was called in the trenches by the
soldiers themselves and opposing sides came out and shook hands,
exchanged cigarettes and even played football. The repercussions
for doing this were huge and they were later labelled as cowards.
Christian Carion, director/writer, has taken full advantage of artistic license and developed his characters lives around this incident - to such a degree that you can’t but help believe totally and utterly in what is happening on the screen in front of. It’s like a slice of life from the huge tragedy of World War 1 but its impact is all the more effective because of its very simplicity. By the time the credits came up the movie theatre was completely quiet … and stayed that way for quite a while.
January 2006
Step Into Liquid - A Documentary About Surfing
reviewed by Steve
Saw this on the Rialto channel and it rocked BIG time - and I’m
not even into surfing. It’s not just about the big names
on the world circuit but it’s also about the oldies who’ve
been around for years, women and girl surfies who are kickin butt and
about ordinary kids and people too. There’s some awesome
surfing and the ultimate thrill - like 66 foot waves 100 miles
off shore!!! - and there’s also cool stuff like when a group
of Protestant and Catholic kids in Ireland get together with three
American surfers - the Malloy Brothers. It’s really funny
in places and portrays surf culture for what it really is - a whole
load of fun, good times and unassuming people. (It’s now
out on DVD).
January 2006
Memoirs of a Geisha
reviewed by Rachel
I was a bit worried. It’s always the same after you’ve read a book
wondering what the movie would be like but it was more or less
true to the novel and way, way cool. No pun intended as it was
a 30 degree day when we headed into the air-conditioned movie
theatre. The beginning could be a bit confusing if you didn’t
already know what was actually happening and there’s a bit too
much running around narrow, dark rain-sodden Japanese streets
but then it takes off and it’s total immersion into a different
world but be warned - it’s not an action packed movie.
I’ve got a vivid imagination, so I’ve been told, but to be honest I hadn’t imagined anything quite like what was up on the screen in front of me - the scenery, settings and the whole world of Geisha was so much more exotic than I’d ever pictured. One of the most breath taking visuals was the night that Sayuri has to give herself to the highest bidder, the Doctor - her flame red robe, long black hair and blue, blue eyes were unreal. Also watch out for her solo dance scene - how she even walks in those things on her feet … whoa, go figure! Exquisite, exotic - a must see.
January 2006
King Kong
Whooo, this is one majorly long movie and it felt like it too. SJ
is a legend and you kind of feel bad saying this but the last hour
was pretty much a killer especially with the drawn out ending. It
was kind of like how many times does this gorilla and chick have
to stare into each others’ eyes - and how difficult’s
that on top of the Empire State Building??? King Kong hisself
is cool but forget the rest.
Reviewed by Annie
January 2006
The
Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe
Reviewed by Harvey.
Man, this sucked major big time. The special affects were pathetic
and as to the battle scene… talk about a major disappointment.
I’d recommend it for young kids only.
Reviewed
by Min
Just as it should be - I really couldn't fault this movie. And
I loved the way the witch fights with two swords - super-cool.
January 2006
Pride & Prejudice
In a word - yummy. Make that four words. Yummy and very different. It’s not all prim and proper in this production but is very rustic and very realistic with pigs, chickens, rain, mud and washing lines of bloomers and sheets. The Bennett girls have messy hair and crumpled brown dresses and the country dances are loud and undignified and everyone looks like they’re having one helluva time. Admittedly it doesn’t always keep to the novel - but then again it’s a big ask as the movie’s just over 2 hours long - and there are some unique scenes that work especially well. Brenda Blythen is as twitty as you could wish for Mrs Bennett and Donald Sutherland has to be the best Mr Bennett ever. Only trouble is I didn’t fall in love with Mr Darcy but I’m sure that’s all Colin Firth’s fault and not Matthew Macfayden’s because I had no trouble in sighing over him in My Father’s Den. And to finish up - when’s Wuthering Heights coming out then because I figure he’d make the best Heathcliffe ever …
October 2005
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
I didn’t want to go and see this movie. Don’t ask me why … I can’t give you a logical reason. I just knew I’d dug my heels in and refused to go initially. But then I had a text from my sister who insisted it didn’t get much better than Johnny Depp AND chocolate. So I went. And she was right, it doesn’t get much better but truthfully, it wasn’t about Tim Burton’s wicked special effects, nor about Johnny Depp’s absolutely breath-taking beauty - it was about his superb acting skills. The man goes up in my estimation every time I see him. The screen was filled time and time again with just JD’s face and it was sheer magic, of another kind, to watch the emotions chase, one after the other oh so craftily and oh so superbly across his beautiful face (or have I already mentioned that?!)
And another great thing in this movie’s favour? It was so wonderfully un- P.C. In fact, I think I might have to go again simply to savour those moments when Willy Wonka tells the facts for what they really are instead of dishing out a load of pc rubbish.
October 2005
The
Island
starring Ewan McGregor & Scarlett Johansson
Futuristic, freaky and really believable. Puts a whole new edge on plastic surgery. When folks have got their outsides looking good maybe they will start thinking about their insides and where does that lead to? An expensive insurance policy and … cloning. Action packed, great chase scenes and some really wacky humour. Ewan McGregor actually looks like he's enjoying acting this part but then again why wouldn't he after all those hours he had to stand around bored-as while making Star Wars.
August 2005
Fantastic Four
Director Tim Story
I surprised myself. I was dragged along to this movie fully prepared to endure a couple of hours of ‘yet another comic book hero movie' … but I loved it! It's cheesy, yes, but in the nicest possible way and it's very funny in parts which means you're not just bombarded with one special effect after another. My personal favourite was Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch - as totally un-PC as a superhero can get.
August 2005
War of the Worlds
Starring Tom Cruise / directed by Steven Spielberg
Suffice it to say I spent most of the time trying to figure out whether Tom had had a nose job or not. It's a massive movie with massive special effects which led me to be massively bored. Tim Robbins seemed very out of place, Dakota Fanning screamed a lot and Miranda Otto was more at home in Middle World. What more's to be said?
August 2005
Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
directed by George Lucas
I'm not a great Star Wars fan so why did I go? The power of publicity and promotion and hype I guess. I was bored, bored, bored and in spite of all the wonders of Dolby surround sound, I found myself yawning and dozing whilst mind-boggling battles were taking place. To my way of thinking Master Yoda was the only one worth watching out for …
Layer Cake
(R16) Producer: Matthew Vaughn (Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels)
Drug use and violence - a plenty! Quirky offbeat story and as the title suggests, it comes with plenty of twists and turns and wacky characters from the drug world in England. Daniel Craig plays our main man and looks rather splendid strolling around in worn out jeans, white T-shirt and leather jacket …
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
reviewed by Anny Ma
Terrible movie. I nearly fell asleep. The Show's much better
Phantom of the Opera
Just don't bother!!!!! They really should leave some live shows purely as live shows and this is one of them. In between squirming with embarrassment (because most of the actors can't sing for peanuts) we were trying to stifle fits of hysterical laughter (like when the Phantom had snot dribbling out of his nose) and yawns of boredom. Call us hard-hearted or unromantic but there's something very shallow about a 17 year old actress trying to portray depths of emotion that only comes with life experience.
In a nutshell? There's a lot of heaving bare-breasted bosoms for the blokes and a short but stunningly funny performance from Minnie Driver - but that's about it. Our verdict? Don't even bother to watch it on ordinary telly.
The Incredibles
Rating: PG/115 mins
With the voices of: Craig T Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L Jackson and Jason Lee
I have to be honest - I really really REALLY didn't want to go and see this movie. It was one of those irrational dig-your-toes-in and no no no moments but I was out-numbered, out-voted and out-of-luck… for which I now give thanks because this is one movie you simply MUST NOT miss. It's clever, it's brilliant, it's over the top fantastic. The action, the one-liners, the special effects and the super-hero reactions in normal family situations just keep on coming - and it's all superbly and ridiculously funny. Forget the vid or DVD - this is one that simply has to be seen on the big screen
Ocean's 12
Rating: M/125 mins. Starring: All The Big Names from O.11 + Catherine Zeta Jones
More of the same really but with something missing - it just doesn't have that smooth touch that made O.11 such a glossy masterpiece, although it has to be said that George Clooney and Brad Pitt interact with that same wonderful, deadpan nonchalance and humour and Catherine Zeta gives an impressive performance but forget the business with a cameo appearance by Bruce Willis - it's just too weird to mention. As to the rest of it… there's a somewhat mangled plot where the Gang have to return to crime to try and pay off their $150 million debt only to be challenged by a super-slick European thief who's been trained by the world's best… It all culminates in a bizarre and (even for Hollywood) totally unbelievable ending. There's definitely a few laughs along the way… just don't go along expecting the same cut 'n polish that came with O.11. Our recommendation is that you should hold out until it comes along as a freebie on Sky
Bridget Jones 2: The Edge of Reason
Rating M
With Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth & Hugh Grant
I went along with a group of galpals and we were all expecting more of the same from Bridget … and I'm real glad to say … WE WEREN'T DISAPPOINTED!!! So if you're thinking of going and expecting something way different to Bridget Jones 1, forget it.
The story picks up 4 weeks from where the last one left off, with Bridget still blurting out whatever she's thinking and being just as accident prone as ever. She's in lurrrrrve and in-living with Mr Darcy BUT … it's not all moonlight and roses and Mills & Boon happy ever afters.
This movie is one roller coaster of a ride - and we made just as much noise as if we were actually on one - as Bridget stumbles through the plot … from a disastrous Barrister's function in London to an elite ski-ing holiday in the Alps where our heroine spends most of the time on her bum or quarrelling with Mark Darcy, to a hot, romantic and magic-mushroom interlude in Thailand where Daniel Cleaver looms leering on the horizon before sliming off when Bridget gets in a bit of bother at the airport. But I won't give away the plot - just, please, please, please, watch out for one of the most incredible renditions of Madonna's ‘Like A Virgin' ever heard!
Bridget Jones 1 and 2 are the ultimate in Chickflick (although I've come across quite a few guys who seem to know the plot pretty well too) with superlative performances from the three main actors. What more can you say apart from - DON'T MISS IT!!!
Wimbledon
Directed by Richard Loncraine and starring Paul Bettany & Kirsten
Dunst
Tanya's Review:Rating M
This movie was a comedy with a bit of spank - and at times you'd hold your breath! I couldn't stop grinning after I saw it.
The Village Writer/Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: M Reviewed by Jules
We thought we'd do something really different and go along to a scary movie - one where you've got your fingers shoved in your ears and are staring constantly at the ground or the back wall, one that has you involuntarily shooting out of your seat as if a six inch nail has penetrated your posterior flesh. The only time we left our seats was a) to go to the loo and b) when we were body slack with total and utter boredom.
If you're expecting the same tension, twists and shocks as The Sixth Sense, forget it. The Village was full of atmosphere all right - it's brown, dull and full of characters that are brown and dull too, ones that deliver the most lengthy and moralistic monologues. Initially, you go with it, believing that this is all adding to the suspense … the plot … the climax … but after an hour, and another diatribe, the only horrible feeling you get is that this movie is basically going nowhere.
Basically, The Village (Covington) is stuck in the middle of this isolated valley and totally cut off from civilization (it pays not to think too much about how likely this is). It's surrounded by woods in which lurk ‘those we do not speak of' and who wear the forbidden colour red and eat meat. Yawn. There's a boundary, punctuated with watch towers and flaming torches, that's respected by both sides but, horror of horrors, someone steps over it … and all hell lets loose - not!
We squirmed with boredom and, at times, embarrassment - there's something quite dreadful about watching supreme actors like William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver delivering such wooden performances up on screen. Others must have felt likewise as the audience was restless and very irreverent as they too laughed along at all the wrong moments. Our advice? Don't even bother to hire it on DVD.
Super Size Me
Directed/Produced/Presented by Morgan Spurlock
Rating: M Reviewed by Rachel W
It's hard not to get caught up in the current paranoia sweeping the country about the ever-increasing size of our waist lines. With talks of a new ‘fat tax' being introduced and numerous ads on TV promoting just 30 mins a day, the obesity epidemic (a contentious term at best) appears to be out of control, bloating and engorging the bodies of children, teenagers and adults alike. Morgan Spurlock's irreverent documentary, Super Size Me, taps directly into these fears, creating a film that horrifies even as it mocks. Spurlock's idea is astoundingly simple (albeit insane): he must eat McDonalds and only McDonalds three times a day for 30 days.
Surprisingly enough, the results are unsurprising. Spurlock almost instantaneously begins to put on weight. His sex life suffers (his vegan chef girlfriend informs us that not only has he gotten lazier in bed, forcing her to go on top, but he has problems getting it up, too). He gets headaches and mood swings. His cholesterol rises. He struggles to walk up the stairs to his apartment. His liver begins to deteriorate, much like an alcoholic's on a drinking binge would. He even starts getting meat sweats, whatever particularly repulsive things they may be. Medical experts, nutritionists, friends and family all become increasingly concerned as the month progresses, imploring Spurlock to come off his binge before he incurs permanent damage and turns his liver into pate.
The obviousness of all this could make for a boring movie since the reality is that we know fast food isn't good for us. We know fries and burgers will make us fat and that too much sugar can be addictive. We may be plagued by obesity but we're not stupid. Thankfully, Super Size Me evades this by making a very direct, very successful appeal to our voyeurism. There's something undeniably pleasurable in watching Spurlock struggle for 30 mins to finish his first super-sized meal before heaving it all back up out the car window in the McDonalds car-park, just as there's a gross fascination with the sadistic close-ups of watching a stomach stapling operation or the countless shots of huge bums and enormous bellies filling the screen in larger than life, gruesome detail.
The problem, of course, with the kind of criticism that the film offers is that it walks an extraordinarily fine balance between simply exploring the reasons for our expanding girths and preaching what we should be doing about it - ie. eating salads and going to the gym everyday in pursuit of the body beautiful. However, while experts and interviewees appear too condemning and image-orientated at times, Spurlock never is. Instead, he directs the film with self-deprecating humour, pointing out that his diet is far beyond what even a McDonald's devotee would consume in a similar time frame. He insists that he is neither a fitness nor health freak (although his girlfriend may well be), and point-blank refuses to even contemplate vegetarianism. Quite simply, he's a likeable, average guy and herein lies the success of Super Size Me: the film is indeed an expose of the horrors of McDonalds and other fast food outlets, but it is also a journal of a recognisably familiar man's relationship with his body. Consequently, it's easy to supplant one's self somewhere into the picture, to imagine the effects Sunday morning's greasy cook-up had on your own stomach, not to mention your liver… Perhaps what horrifies the most then is that one is forced to realise that there's no such thing as moderation when it comes to McDonalds and other fast food - it's crazy to eat McDonalds anytime, no matter what you may tell yourself in justification.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban the Movie
Without a doubt, the best yet. Under the direction of Alfonso Cuaron, Hogwarts and all its inhabitants seem to enter a deeper and darker realm, interspersed with wonderful flashes of humour. The special effects are rolled out effortlessly, as are the ever-developing roles of all our favourite characters (along with some delicious new ones). Make sure this is one you see on the big screen.
Fahrenheit 911
Dave - 11-08-04
I thought this movie was a good reality check with the whole American Presidency. Although I found Michael Moore to be very manipulative and the whole argument was way to one sided for me. From past experiences, it is real easy to back someone just because they have made some really good points. But how about the counter argument, I'm sure Bush does have some points to consider.
sarah's review- 31-07-04
Spiderman 2
What a waste of time and money!! The film drags on (and on … and on …) and spends most the time trying to be deep and meaningful as Peter Parker ponders his life - which is precisely what you don't want to see when you go to a movie about a man who has the powers of a spider.
Sapphire's Review - 28-10-03
Pirates of the Carribean
Not only was it great seeing orlando & johnny in the same movie but the effects were primo too. The way they changed in & out of the moonlight was terrific. I give it a 9/10
Ray's review - 29-09-03
Didn't really want to go but turned out to be a choice movie. Johnny Depp & Geoffrey Rush - cool fight scenes. Orlando Bloom, yeah, well more of a chicflik thing ya know? Special effex are pretty good - you'll see what I mean when you get a look at the skeleton crew.
Memmma's review - 22-09-03
Finding Nemo
Don't be fooled into thinking this is a kid's movie coz it's not. there's a ton of zany crazy hilarious stuff in here that's for an older audience. Basically, Nemo runs away & gets lost in the big bad ocean and his dad's real timid but takes off after him and meets up with Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) who has a real problem remembering stuff. It's pretty rad - enough to make me go twice to see it, anyways.
Ben's Review - 05-08-03
What Would You Do If You Were God For One Week?
This movie is another Jim Carrey classic, and is surely designed to make many of us crack up to the max. It starts when Bruce gets sacked from his job (A TV News reporter) and keeps on complaining about his life to God. Then suddenly alarm bells ring, and then Bruce sees God's weird life, with a building with nothing and a cabinet filer that is so long, which keeps all of Bruce's life! A good movie to watch when you're bored or like Jim Carrey stuff.
Rating 9.5/10
PS Unless you know about your 'body parts'… don't watch it, especially you
boys and girls under 10!
Harmony's review
8 MILES
(featuring Eminem): A good movie. Great in fact but it should not have been R13. Maybe R16. The reason a lot of people didn't like it was because they expected it to be like his life in the songs but in fact it was the complete opposite. He has a brother and goes on about his mum's drug habits in real life but in the movie he's got a sister and his mother just drinks, so yeah, I think it's good if you don't watch it expecting it to be like his songs. My fav part is when they sing that song like sweet home alabama but change the words.
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