The Bank Job (2008)

Synopsis:
A car dealer with a dodgy past and new family, Terry (Statham) has always avoided major-league scams. But when Martine (Burrows), a beautiful model from his old neighborhood, offers him a lead on a foolproof bank hit on London's Baker Street, Terry recognizes the opportunity of a lifetime. Martine targets a roomful of safe deposit boxes worth millions in cash and jewelry. But Terry and his crew don't realize the boxes also contain a treasure trove of dirty secrets - secrets that will thrust them into a deadly web of corruption and illicit scandal that spans London's criminal underworld, the highest echelons of the British government, and the Royal Family itself...the true story of a heist gone wrong...in all the right ways.

Review: The Bank Job starts off a bit choppy with the confusing introduction of its central characters, but quickly tightens up and becomes a thoroughly entertaining caper film with Jason Statham (Transporter, Crank) in the lead. A story so intriguing and bizarre it’s difficult to believe it’s based on true events, The Bank Job is a very British tale of orgies, crooked cops, dedicated MI5 agents, bank robbers, and one very naughty member of the Royal Family.

The Bank Job does a great job of keeping the audience guessing the entire 110 minute running time. By feeding out important parcels of the story a little at a time and not tying neat little bows around each character’s part in the pic until absolutely necessary (don’t go for popcorn or you’ll miss something important), director Donaldson offers up a movie that’s edgy and even darkly humorous at times, and definitely worth a trip to the theater.

Genre: Action | Adventure| Crime | Drama | Thriller
Starring: Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Stephen Campbell Moore, David Suchet
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Language: English
Director: Roger Donaldson
Writers: Dick Clement (written by) & Ian La Frenais
Company: Arclight Films
Distributor: Lionsgate
Theatrical Release: Mar 7, 2008
Rating: Rated R for sexual content, nudity, violence and language.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Get Smart (2008)

Synopsis:
Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) is on a mission to thwart the latest plot for world domination by the evil crime syndicate known as KAOS. When the headquarters of U.S. spy agency Control is attacked... Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) is on a mission to thwart the latest plot for world domination by the evil crime syndicate known as KAOS. When the headquarters of U.S. spy agency Control is attacked and the identities of its agents compromised, the Chief (Alan Arkin) has no choice but to promote his ever-eager analyst Maxwell Smart, who has always dreamt of working in the field alongside stalwart superstar Agent 23 (Dwayne Johnson). Smart is partnered instead with the lovely-but-lethal veteran Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway). Given little field experience and even less time, Smart-armed with nothing but a few spy-tech gadgets and his unbridled enthusiasm-must thwart the doomsday plans of KAOS head Siegfried (Terence Stamp).

Review: This movie was funny,exciting and well acted. Good movie, but if you go expecting to see the original show, you're out of luck. They could have made it better, and they needed to have more satire in there to make it TRUE Get Smart. Overall, it's a good movie that could have been better and should have been truer to the series. Overall, this is a good movie worth watching.

Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Starring: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin
Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.
Language: English | Russian
Director: Peter Segal
Writers: Tom J. Astle, Mel Brooks (creator)
Producers: Alex Gartner, Andrew Lazar, Charles Roven
Company: Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Theatrical Release: Jun 20, 2008
Rating: Rated PG-13 for some rude humor, action violence and language.

Overall Rating: 8/10

Taken (2008)

Synopsis:
Bryan (Neeson) has taken early retirement from the CIA in order to live closer to his teenage daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). Bryan's government work kept him away from Kim for much of her childhood, and he's now trying to make up for lost time. When Kim announces that she's taking a trip to Paris with her friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy), Bryan is apprehensive about her traveling on her own. His worst fear is soon realized, as Kim and Amanda are abducted upon their arrival in France. Bryan immediately springs into action, using his well-honed CIA skills to piece together clues from a single, frantic phone call he received from Kim. He hops a plane to Paris, determined to rescue his daughter before she falls off the grid completely. With some help from his old CIA buddies, he tracks down the kidnappers--an Albanian crime ring known for selling young girls into the sex trade. He quickly takes matters into his own hands, plowing his way through Paris's underworld as the clock ticks down and the bullets fly. His search propels him into the upper echelons of a massive crime ring, putting him closer and closer to his beloved daughter.

Review: Liam Neeson is an unstoppable force in this adrenaline-fueled thriller from director Pierre Morel. Bryan (Neeson) has taken early retirement from the CIA in order to live closer to his teenage... Liam Neeson is an unstoppable force in this adrenaline-fueled thriller from director Pierre Morel.

Neeson is known for tackling extremely cerebral roles, so it is interesting to see him in full-on action-hero mode. In TAKEN he is no less than a crime-fighting machine--a Bourne/Bond hybrid with a deathly serious baritone. And while he spends most of the film firing Uzis and snapping necks, he still manages to deliver a moving performance as an estranged father fighting for what he loves most in the world. The film undeniably owes a lot to Neeson's acting chops. He manages to raise this rather thinly plotted, deeply violent film a bar above your typical action fare.

Genre: Action|Thriller|Crime
Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Xander Berkeley
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Language: English | French
Director: Pierre Morel
Writers: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen
Producers: India Osborne, Luc Besson, Pierre-Ange Le Pogam
Company: Europa Corp.
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Theatrical Release: September 19, 2008
Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and language.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Senior Skip Day (2008)

Synopsis:
Adam Harris, a semi-lame senior, is head over heels in love with Cara. Unfortunately she is the most popular girl in school. On the one day of the year that he could actually have a chance, senior skip day, he screws it all up by accidentaly slipping the location of the party to his principle. But have no fear, in a last resort effort he moves the party to his house and all seems to be well. Or is it...

Review: Suprisngly, i really liked this movie, it just so funny. it really reminded me alot of American Pie Series but with much milder jokes and younger actors. It surely is funny how the Principal gets beaten up by the parents, just makes it so funny and also the jokes inside the party were not so bad, good enough to satisfy..

The movie could have been better if it had more jokes though, because you can see places where good jokes could fit well but it was left empty.. oh well, not bad after all.. had wicked time watching..

Genre: Comedy
Starring: Larry Miller, Gary Lundy, Tara Reid, Lea Thompson, Norm MacDonald
Runtime: 83 mins
Language: English
Director: Nick Weiss
Writer: Evan Wasserstrom
Company: Alla Prima Productions
Theatrical Release: 6 May 2008 (USA)
Rating: Rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, drug and alcohol use - all involving teens.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

The Happening (2008)

Synopsis:
M. Night Shyamalan directs this thriller about a science teacher (Mark Wahlberg) who tries to escape with his wife and friend's daughter after an apocalyptic event. THE HAPPENING costars Zooey Deschanel and John Leguizamo.

Review: Something in the air is turning normal people into self-destructive crazies prone to flinging themselves off buildings and blowing their brains out. That much, at least, can be shared about The Happening, a feature-length Twilight Zone episode in which a high school science teacher (Mark Wahlberg, constricted), his flighty wife (Zooey Deschanel of the big blue eyes), and an Innocent Little Girl in their care (Ashlyn Sanchez, nearly mute) face down an epidemic of death rampaging through the Northeast. Supposedly, the cause of the catastrophe is unknown — it might be the work of terrorists, a virus, a toxin in the air, or the legacy of nuclear malfeasance.

The Happening begins with promise, but unfortunately descends into an incoherent and unconvincing trifle. The last 10 minutes of the movie makes you embarrased.

But the point behind the movie was great. It made sense, the simple fact that the environment was feeling threatened by humans so in its defense it sent out poisonous venoms, like they would send out if they felt threatened by insects. And it made me wonder what will happen if humans continue to endanger plants and animals causing them to become extinct would they really be able to do something of this nature to harm humans.

Genre: Adventure | Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo, Betty Buckley
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Language: English
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Company: Blinding Edge Pictures
Theatrical Release: Jun 13, 2008
Rating: Rated R for violent and disturbing images.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

College (2008)

Synopsis:
After Kevin (Drake Bell), a high school senior, gets dumped by his girlfriend Gina (Alona Tal) for being too boring, he doesn't want to go to the freshman orientation weekend at Fieldmont University, where they had planned to go together. But his best friends Carter (Andrew Caldwell) and Morris (Kevin Covais) convince him that the weekend away will help get his mind off her. Once there, one of the rowdiest Fraternities and sororities fraternities on campus pretends to recruit them as pledges in return for granting them access to the college party scene. Though forced to put up with the disgusting antics of fraternity brothers Teague (Nick Zano), Bearcat (Gary Owen), and Cooper (Zach Cregger), the guys meet sorority girls Kendall (Haley Bennett), Heather (Camille Mana), and Amy (Nathalie Walker), and sparks fly. But once Teague feels threatened by Kevin's new relationship with Kendall, he takes the pre-frosh humiliation to a greater level, forcing the guys to decide to fight back.

Review: An outrageous new comedy
that follows in the classic footsteps of "Animal House," "American Pie" and "Old School," COLLEGE is the story of three high school friends
(Drake Bell, Kevin Covais and Andrew Caldwell) who visit a local college campus as prospective freshman anticipating the best weekend of their lives. Once there, the rowdiest fraternity on campus (headed by womanizing jock Nick Zano) decides to recruit the boys as "pledges," subjecting them to endless humiliations, in return for granting them access to the no-holds-barred college party scene.

Though forced to put up with the humiliating and disgusting antics of the fraternity brothers, the boys still manage to meet sorority girls (Haley Bennett, Camille Mana and Nathalie Walker) who mistake them for college freshmen. Now, at the thought of the boys getting their women, the fraternity increases the pre-frosh humiliation and blackmails the boys by threatening to expose their underage status. With no choice but to fight back, the three friends retaliate with a major scheme to avenge their tormentors, destroy the fraternity, and win back the hearts, minds - and bodies! - of the sorority girls.

Genre: Comedy
Starring: Drake Bell, Kevin Covais, Andrew Caldwell, Haley Bennett
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Language: English
Director: Deb Hagan
Writers: Dan Callahan (written by) & Adam Ellison (written by)
Producers: Adam Rosenfelt, Julie Dangel, Malcolm Petal
Company: Element Films
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Release Date: 29 August 2008
Rating: Rated R for pervasive crude and sexual content, nudity, language, drug and alcohol abuse.

Overall Rating: 8/10

Red Cliff | Chi bi (2008)

Synopsis:
In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale, led by the Prime Minister, himself. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance. Numerous battles of strength and wit ensued, both on land and on water, eventually culminating in the battle of Red Cliff. During the battle, two thousand ships were burned, and the course of Chinese history was changed forever.

Review: The movie(s) tell the story of a historic battle in the warlord controlled China of 208 AD. It is rumoured to be the most expensive Chinese film ever made with a budget estimated to be in the region of 80 million dollars (US).

This is a movie that actually deserves the "epic" label in the best sense possible. It has the right balance between wire-fights and brawling fights, between wide battle scenes and intimate moments with the characters. It never feels too long or that is wasting time in pointless exposition.

This movie has that feeling about it which makes you feel like you're not watching a movie anymore, but you're actually peering into another world. Coupled with solid acting and great action scenes, and you have this movie, which is pretty much a textbook example of a great historical war movie.

Finally this is the best ever epic movie i saw. Worth watching and looking for the second instalment.

Genre: Action | Adventure | Drama | War
Starring: Tony Leung, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Chi-Ling Lin
Runtime: Singapore:150 min (PG version) | China:146 min | South Korea:134 min
Language: English | Chinese
Director: John Woo
Writers: John Woo (screenplay) & Khan Chan (screenplay)
Company: Beijing Film Studio
Release Date: 10 July 2008
Rating: PG

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Step Brothers (2008)

Synopsis:
Two spoiled guys become competitive stepbrothers after their single parents get hitched. The plot is about as simple as they come: Brennan Huff (Ferrell) and Dale Doback (Reilly) are deadbeat man-children thrown together when the single parents with whom they live marry. The two initially despise one another, but become fast friends over a shared love of ninjas, COPS, porno mags, and the comforts of living in the fantasy world of a prolonged adolescence.

Review: What makes STEPBROTHERS so much fun, however, has nothing to do with story or script; rather, it's McKay's foresight to step back and let Ferrell and Reilly run wild. The duo kick and punch, fart and burp, laugh and cry, yet somehow elevate such banalities to a level of grotesque poetry, hitting upon what feels like an entirely new comedic language. When the pair act like children, they are not presenting themselves as immature adults, but are literally acting like children, meticulously duplicating everything from the fears and concerns to the speech patterns and awkward physicality of children. It sounds simple enough, but it requires a dexterity and sense of timing and delivery that is actually quite amazing. In the end, STEP BROTHERS is really nothing more than an absurd comedy. Worth watching.

Genre: Comedy
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, Richard Jenkins
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins|Germany:105 min (extended version)
Language: English
Director: Adam McKay
Writers: Will Ferrell (screenplay) & Adam McKay (screenplay)
Company: Apatow Productions
Theatrical Release: Jul 25, 2008
Rating: Rated R for crude and sexual content, and pervasive language.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Pineapple Express (2008)

Synopsis:
Dale Denton (Rogen), a process server with a weed fixation, witnesses a murder and turns to his dealer, Saul (James Franco), for support. The murderer is actually Saul's main drug supplier, and because of Saul's access to some extremely rare high-grade pot (called Pineapple Express) the two are quickly tracked down and put on the run.

Review: The movie deals with the theme of men succumbing to adulthood and all the adjustments they are forced to make in the process. However, unlike KNOCKED UP and THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS is just too wacky to offer any lessons. Still, there's more going on here than giggles and the munchies.

What I really enjoyed most about this movie is that it has real heart and is not afraid to make the audience know it. It's a great buddy movie to see with all your friends. It doesn't matter if you're a guy or a girl, you'll love Pineapple Express.

Genre: Comedy | Crime | Thriller
Starring: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Amber Heard, Danny McBride
Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins
Language: English
Director: David Gordon Green
Writers: Seth Rogen (screenplay) & Evan Goldberg (screenplay)
Company: Columbia Pictures
Theatrical Release: Aug 6, 2008
Rating: Rated R for pervasive language, drug use, sexual references and violence.

Overall Rating: 8/10

Bangkok Dangerous (2008)

Synopsis:
Based on the Pang Brothers' wildly popular Hong Kong action film of the same name, Bangkok
Dangerous follows the story of Joe (Cage), a remorseless hit man who comes to Bangkok to execute four enemies of a ruthless crime boss. He hires Kong (Shahkrit Yamnarm, Belly of the Beast), a street punk and pickpocket, to run errands for him with the intention of covering his tracks by killing him at the end of the assignment. Strangely, Joe, the ultimate lone wolf, finds himself mentoring the young man instead whilst simultaneously being drawn into a tentative romance with a local shop girl. As he falls further under the sway of Bangkok's intoxicating beauty, Joe begins to question his isolated existence and lets down his guard …just as the crime boss decides it's time to clean house.

Review: I felt so strongly about this horrible movie that I should at least try to warn other movie watchers. Please do not watch this movie unless you enjoy scratching your eyeballs or head butting stone walls because I'd rather do either of those than watch this movie again. Nicholas Cage is awful. The rest of the cast is awful. The whole tone of the movie is awful. The entire movie is either the color blue or red. If you don't know what I mean about the color watch it and it will drive you so crazy that will you realize what I mean. Some action scenes worth watching. But over all this movie is not worth watching.

Genre: Action/Adventure/Crime/Thriller
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Chakrit Yamnarm, Charlie Yeung
Language: English | Thai
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Director: Oxide Pang Chun, Danny Pang
Writers: Jason Richman (screenplay)
Company: Bangkok Dangerous
Distributor: Lionsgate
Theatrical Release: Sep 5, 2008
Rating: Rated R for violence, language and some sexuality.

Overall Rating: 7/10

Eagle Eye (2008)

Synopsis:
Jerry and Rachel are two strangers thrown together by a mysterious phone call from a woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, she pushes Jerry and Rachel into a series of increasingly dangerous situations, using the technology of everyday life to track and control their every move.

Review: Eagle Eye does start out fresh and exciting in the beginning, gets a little boggy in the middle, and is soft at the end--BUT, it is still worth the admission price. You won't want to leave at anytime during the movie, the pace is so tightly executed. The stunt action is primo--the car crashes alone are standout. And the chase scene in the airport conveyor system is something else. The whole question of do we have too much technology is the theme.

Genre: Action | Mystery | Thriller | Adventure
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Michael Chiklis
Runtime: 118 min
Language: English
Director: D.J. Caruso
Writers: John Glenn (screenplay) & Travis Wright (screenplay)
Company: DreamWorks SKG
Theatrical Release: Sep 26, 2008
Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and for language.

Overall Rating: 8/10

Max Payne (2008)

Synopsis:
Coming together to solve a series of murders in New York City are a DEA agent whose family was slain as part of a conspiracy and an assassin out to avenge her sister's death. The duo will be hunted by the police, the mob, and a ruthless corporation.

Review: At it's core, Max Payne, despite a lot of changes from the game, remains the dark, story driven thriller that I've loved for a good part of my life. I'm proud of the film as a die hard fan of the game, and respect it for what it is as a film by itself. I'm satisfied, and not disappointed. For those who haven't played the game, Max Payne is an effective mystery film that is driven by the main character and the exposition around him. For those who will inevitably complain about a lack of action sequences, wake up and realize that Moore & company got the tone right, at the expense of necessary cuts.

Genre: Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller
Starring: Beau Bridges, Chris ODonnell, Mark Wahlberg,Mila Kunis,Olga Kurylenko
Runtime: 1 hr. 39 min
Language: Spanish | English | Russian
Director: John Moore
Writers: Beau Thorne (screenplay),Sam Lake (video game by Remedy Entertainment and 3-D Realms Entertainment)
Producer: Julie Silverman, Scott Faye
Company: Abandon Entertainment
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: October 17, 2008
Rating: Rated PG-13 for violence including intense shooting sequences, drug content, some sexuality and brief strong language.

Overall Rating: 8/10

Mirrors (2008)

Synopsis:
Kiefer Sutherland stars as Ben Carson, a disgraced former New York City cop who attempts to put his checkered past behind him by taking a job as a security guard. Carson is required to take the night shift in a department store in the city. The store closed down after a fire put an end to its business, and Carson soon discovers that malevolent spirits are lurking behind its walls. The spirits connect with the human world through the mirrors in the store, and when they discover Carson's presence they go after his ex-wife, Amy (Paula Patton), and his kids (played by Erica Gluck and Cameron Boyce). Carson attempts to figure out the meaning of a cryptic message carved into one of the mirrors, hoping it will save his family and cut off contact with the malignant lurking presence.

Review: A characteristic of truly great horror fiction is it's ability to believably transform some aspect of our world from a reassuring pillar of certainty into a doorway to hell. In the case of "Mirrors", this process is applied to the fact that reflections in glass can simply never have a life of their own. The plot centers on an ex-cop named Ben Carson (Keifer Sutherland) who takes a job as a night watchman at a burned-out department store. This apparently easy gig turns into a nightmare after he attracts the attention of an evil presence that dwells in the mirrors that somehow survived the fire. To make matters worse, his family are also targeted by this entity -which can exert it's influence through any reflecting surface- and Carson is running out of time to save them.

The pace is relentless and the atmosphere of terror only escalates as the film reaches it's climax. This is one of the few horror films ever made that is truly and deeply frightening. An undisputed classic.

Genre: Horror | Mystery | Thriller
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton, Amy Smart, Jason Flemyng
Language: English
Runtime: 110 min | 1 hr 52 mins
Director: Alexandre Aja
Writers : Alexandre Aja (screenplay) & Grégory Levasseur (screenplay)
Release Date: 15 August 2008 (USA)
Company: Castel Film Romania
Rating: Rated R for strong violence, disturbing images, language and brief nudity.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Babylon A.D (2008)

Synopsis:
Veteran-turned-mercenary Thoorop takes the high-risk job of escorting a woman from Russia to America. Little does he know that she is host to an organism that a cult wants to harvest in order to produce a genetically modified Messiah.

Review: This is just a bad movie from start to finish. There is no setup, little story, and no character. I have no reason to care about any of them. Babylon A.D. is a terribly hollow film that may have started great on paper, but ended up a generic violence riddled mess. Whatever comments on society that were made in the book were lost through the translation and editing process. Your best bet is to skip this.

This is not Vin Diesel's best performance, but it's certainly not his worst (even though I still moderately enjoyed Chronicles of Riddick, I admit it was pretty bad and to this day I still don't know why I like it.) I think Diesel is good at what he does, although he really hasn't been in anything that really blows me away, even my favorite Diesel film (Pitch Black) wasn't completely stunning, but it was really good.

Genre: Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Triller
Starring: Vin Diesel,Michelle Yeoh, Mélanie Thierry, Gérard Depardieu
Runtime: USA:90 min | France:101 min | 161 min (Director's Cut) | Argentina:90 min
Language: English
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Writers: Eric Besnard (writer), Maurice G. Dantec (novel)
Company: Canal+,Légende Films,MNP Entreprise,Okko Productions
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Release Date: 10 October 2008
Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, language and some Sexuality.

Overall Rating: 7/10

Transsiberian (2008)

Synopsis:
A Trans-Siberian train journey from China to Moscow becomes a thrilling chase of deception and murder when an American couple encounters a mysterious pair of fellow travelers.

Review: This is a fine film, a movie that tells an old tale in a refreshing way, a presentation that satisfies the viewer because it engages the audience with its dramatic power. One is likely to want to see it again to clarify a few points and also to enjoy it again and again.Doing some very good work, Emily Mortimer and Woody Harrelson play the unsuspecting couple who see their adventure turn sour as they run into a couple of young people who might be or not be who they say they are. Before the audience can start wandering what's going on, things become uglier and more twisted that we expected. It is almost a perfect film.Hell is really a very cold place.

Genre: Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller
Starring: Emily Mortimer, Kate Mara, Eduardo Noriega, Thomas Kretschmann
Runtime: 111 min
Language: English | Russian
Director: Brad Anderson
Writers: Brad Anderson & Will Conroy
Company: Filmax Group
Rating: Rated R for some violence, including torture and language.

Overall Rating : 8.5/10

Death Race (2008)

Synopsis:
Ex-con Jensen Ames is forced by the warden of a notorious prison to compete in our post-industrial world's most popular sport: a car race in which inmates must brutalize and kill one another on the road to victory.

Review: Jason Statham plays Jensen Ames, an ex-NASCAR driver who finds himself framed for murdering his wife in 2012 United States. He's sent to prison, but not just any prison. It's the jail used for "Death Race," a popular race where convicts race for their freedom -- and kill or be killed. The warden is this cool, cold, sadistic in a smooth way woman who wants our poor guy to race as "Frankenstein," a popular convict who won four out of the five wins needed to get free. But will Ames be able to win? This is a pretty good movie to be honest. I'm not a huge fan when it comes to gore. Yes, it has gore people. How else will convict play on the track? If you like Jason Statham and 89 min action, then see this movie. highly recommend it.

Genre: Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Starring: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane
Language: English
Runtime: 105 min | USA:111 min (unrated version)
Company: Universal Pictures
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Writers:Paul W.S. Anderson (screenplay), Paul W.S. Anderson (screen story)
Release Date: 22 August 2008
Rating: Rated R for strong violence and language.

Overall Rating: 8/10

Transporter 3 (2008)

Synopsis:
Frank Martin puts the driving gloves on to deliver Valentina, the kidnapped daughter of a Ukranian government official, from Marseilles to Odessa on the Black Sea. En route, he has to contend with thugs who want to intercept Valentina's safe delivery and not let his personal feelings get in the way of his dangerous objective.

Review: The action sort of lacked, but they were very well done and all out enjoyable. The action scenes also never get repetitive like Transporter 2's. Like all sequels Transporter 3 introduces new characters into the mix, all are more interesting than the ones seen in the last installment. The chemistry between the actors was good, especially between Statham and Rudakova. The actors themselves were good. Lastly this is better than the second one in concept, but not better in quantity.

Genre: Action/Adventure
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Language: English
Starring: Jason Statham, Robert Knepper, Francois Berleand, Natalya Rudakova
Director: Olivier Megaton
Producer: Luc Besson, Steve Chasman
Screenwriter: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen
Theatrical Release: Nov 26, 2008
Box Office: $31,316,973
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence, some sexual content and drug material.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

SAW - V (2008)

Synopsis:
Following Jigsaw's grisly demise, Mark Hoffman, the final apprentice to the serial killer is deigned a hero. Meanwhile, Agent Strahm is tested and puts the pieces together. While Strahm realizes that Hoffman is helping Jigsaw, five seemingly unconnected people face a horrible lesson about teamwork.

Strahm follows all the leads he can get off Hoffman, including the death of his sister and why he joined Jigsaw. Hoffman and Strahm circle each other until it boils down to a gruesome and bone-crushing finale.

Review: The story has flashbacks to previous films and previous characters and at times, you are so busy trying to remember what happened in the previous films that it distracts you from this one. This leaves enough questions and storyline threads to guarantee that we'll be watching Saw VI this time next year.

For me this is on a par with part IV and basically it is more of what we have come to expect. It's not a bad film, it's just not anything new or particularly memorable.

Shockingly, there is no big shock in Saw V, no mind-busting twist, only a series of small realizations,

Genre: Crime | Horror | Thriller
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson
Runtime: 92 min
Language: English
Studio: Lionsgate
Director: David Hackl
Writers: Patrick Melton (screenplay) & Marcus Dunstan (screenplay)
Release Date: 24 October 2008 (USA)
Rating: Rated R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, language and brief nudity.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Behind Enemy Lines : Colombia (2009)

Synopsis:
Colombia is in chaos, caught in a bitter war between its government and insurgent guerillas. A team of U.S. Navy SEALS is sent on a secret mission to observe a meeting between the factions and ensure peace is the end result. But when the meeting is attacked and the leaders of both sides are murdered, the SEALS are framed for the assault. Abandoned by their own government and trapped behind enemy lines, the group must survive long enough to find evidence of their innocence and prevent the brutal war from spilling over the border.

Review: If you're looking for a way to kill an hour-and-a-half with some mindless entertainment, this isn't a bad way to spend that time. The best comparison to this would be a Rambo movie but instead of working solo, Mr. Kennedy has a partner to help him take out an elite fighting unit. From a film-making perspective, this is the best WWE film made so far, but I have to admit that I enjoyed The Condemned more. Although that might possibly be due to seeing that movie in the theaters, an experience I enjoy better than watching a DVD.

Genre: Action | Thriller | War
Starring: Keith David,Joe Manganiello,Mr.Kennedy,Channon Roe
Language: English
Runtime: 94 min
Director: Tim Matheson
Writer: Tobias Iaconis
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: 6 January 2009 (USA)
Rating: Rated R for violence.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Eden Lake (2008)

Synopsis:
Like a bad dream turned worst nightmare, Eden Lake is a “relentlessly tense and immaculately paced” (Twitch Film) horror-thriller about modern youth gone wild. When a young couple goes to a... Like a bad dream turned worst nightmare, Eden Lake is a “relentlessly tense and immaculately paced” (Twitch Film) horror-thriller about modern youth gone wild. When a young couple goes to a remote wooded lake for a romantic getaway, their quiet weekend is shattered by an aggressive group of local kids. Rowdiness quickly turns to rage as the teens terrorize the couple in unimaginable ways, and a weekend outing becomes a bloody battle for survival. Eden Lake is “fierce, thought-provoking… and genuinely shocking”.

Review: Fantastic movie, visually looked great. Couple get harassed by local youths and one mans pride turns the situation into a living nightmare. Really good pacing right till the end, started a teeny weeny bit twee with the couple being just a bit too nice and laughing geekily but thats OK, as the rest was ACE! worth watching!!! little torture bit in it isn't too bad, i don't usually like torture films, this wasn't one of them as it was needed for the plot and done with some taste, the hoodie boys are brilliant, superb acting they were pretty believable actually, and the lead actress Jenny was good, end sequence is pretty CHILLING!- which is a rarity these days.

Genre: Horror/Suspense
Starring: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Thomas Turgoose
Language:English
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Screenwriter: James Watkins
Director: James Watkins
Studio: Third Rail
Theatrical Release: 12-09-2008
Rated: (18) Rated R for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some nudity and brief drug use.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Joy Ride 2 : Dead Ahead (2008)

Synopsis:
The sadistic and shadow-shrouded truck driver Rusty Nails has hijacked the CB airwaves once again, brutally reclaiming the road as his personal playground of slaughter. When four friends call out... The sadistic and shadow-shrouded truck driver Rusty Nails has hijacked the CB airwaves once again, brutally reclaiming the road as his personal playground of slaughter. When four friends call out for help after their car breaks down during a cross country trip to Las Vegas, it looks as though professional mutilator Rusty has found himself some new playmates. In this high-octane sequel, Kyle Schmid (A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE) heads a cast which includes genre regulars Nicki Aycox (JEEPERS CREEPERS II) and Nick Zano (FINAL DESINATION 4).

Review: This sequel is by no means a bad movie but like most direct to DVD sequels it does nothing new for the genre. The big problem I have with the film is the lack of need for a sequel. Very much like Rest Stop 2 the film is not badly done but lacks any reason. By that I mean the movie is the exact same premise of the first film with a small twist. This time some teens have stolen from Rusty Nails and he sets out to introduce them to his world of justice.

At times gorey, but at other times very tame the film is a mix of 'ok' writing, no scares and some moments of carnage... but very limited. I would say that this is on par with Rest Stop 2 as far as quality and writing goes but Rest Stop 2 was much gorier. Joy Ride 2 is a rent at best. If you really liked the first one you will probably find the sequel mildly entertaining. If you didnt like the first one.... dont take this one for a Joy Ride.

Genre: Horror/Suspense
Starring: Kyle Schmid, Nicki Aycox, Nick Zano
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Language: English
Director: Louis Morneau
Writers: James Robert Johnston (screenplay) & Bennett Yellin (screenplay)
Release Date: 7 October 2008 (USA)

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Hellboy II : The Golden Army (2008)

Synopsis:
The mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth, so Hellboy and his team must save the world from the rebellious creatures.

Review: In theory, Hellboy II is ... exactly what a comic-book movie should be. It lets its actions speak louder than their back stories and features an ample cache of weapons, creatures, locales and obstacles for our heroes to contend with. It's a long sprint through a series of loosely connected episodes that feel like the serialized issues of a comic.

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Luke Goss
Language: English
Runtime: 2 hrs
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Theatrical Release: Jul 11, 2008 Wide
Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and some language.

Overall Rating : 8.5/10

I am Legend (2007)

Synopsis:
Robert Neville is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain the terrible virus that was unstoppable, incurable, and man-made. Somehow immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and maybe the world. For three years, Neville has faithfully sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone. Mutant victims of the plague -- The Infected -- lurk in the shadows... watching Neville's every move... waiting for him to make a fatal mistake. Perhaps mankind's last, best hope, Neville is driven by only one remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus using his own immune blood. But he knows he is outnumbered... and quickly running out of time.

Review: The updated script by Mark Protosevich and Akiva Goldsman is slow-moving, uneventful and slackly directed by video veteran Francis Lawrence. Still, the CGI vision of an empty, dilapidated New York, overgrown with weeds and teeming with vampires and wild animals, is morbidly amusing, and it’s virtually a one-man show for Smith, who commands the screen.

Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, War
Starring: Alice Braga, Will Smith, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Salli Richardson
Language: English
Duration: 1 hr. 41 min.
Director: Francis Lawrence
Producer: Akiva Goldsman, David Heyman, Erwin Stoff, Neal H. Moritz
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: December 14, 2007
Writer: Akiva Goldsman, Richard Matheson

Overall Rating : 9/10

District B-13 (2006)

Synopsis: Damien (Cyril Raffaelli) is a member of the police elite task force. As a special intervention unit officer and expert in martial arts, he is a master in the field of infiltration, and well versed in successfully completing his operations through rapid, precise and often strong-arm actions.

This time, the government has assigned him the most extreme expedition of his entire career: a weapon of mass destruction has been stolen by the most powerful gang of District B13.

Assigned to infiltrate the sector to defuse the bomb, Damien must join hands with Leïto (David Belle), whose sole goal is to save his sister, fallen into the hands of the same gang. He is, moreover, the only one who knows District B13 like the back of his hand.

But the story is not so simple. Who exactly works for who? Where are those who really pull the strings hiding? And who would really profit from this bomb?

Genre: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Cast: David Belle, Cyril Raffaelli, Tony D'Amario, Larbi Naceri, Dany Verissimo, François Chattot, Nicolas Woirion, Patrick Olivier, Samir Guesmi, Gadner Jerome, Tarik Boucekhine Both of the leads in the French action flick DISTRICT B13 practice parkour, a kind of urban gymnastics that looks a little like skateboarding without the skateboard, and the pleasure of this short...
Director: Pierre Morel
Writer(s): Luc Besson, Bibi Naceri
Runtime : 85 Minutes
Release Date: June 2, 2006
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Rating: Rated R for strong violence, some drug content and language.

Overall Movie Rating: 9.5/10

Movie Reviews

Hi Friends, this is sravan. I am starting a new blog. This blog contains the information about the movies and their reviews. English and Asian movie reviews will be presented here.