gotta love her.

-LOki

TRANSFORMERS

SKY HIGH

3.5/5
michael angarano, kurt russell, kelly preston, danielle panabaker

my grandmother was visiting from cambodia, and it was her first time in australia, her first time even out of her country town of siem reap. i don't think she'd ever been to a cinema before so we thought it'd be a cool thing to do.

we wanted to see a movie that didn't require her to understand too much english, and still have a good time watching what was unfolding on the screen. and i think SKY HIGH was the perfect choice.

SKY HIGH is a high school for superhero kids, where they are divided into "heroes" and "hero support", but more referred to as "sidekicks". most of these kids have super-powered parents, which is definitely the case with Will Stronghold (angarano), having both his parents being the most powerful super-heroes of all time.

but there's a problem - he doesn't have any powers.

the story deals with the disappointment of his parents, the changing attitudes towards sidekicks from previous generations, and Will's acceptance of being a sidekick rather than a hero. but as you will all see, there are a couple of twists in this film that add some depth to the plot.

the film goes on to explore what its like with the dichotomies established in high schools, not only at SKY HIGH, but also in the real world too. it uses the main character and supporting cast of kids to look at the issues 'freshmen' kids are faced with, whether it be bullying, romance, friendship, or just trying to pass a class.

this film is very light-hearted and the laughs are usually on the spot. i don't have any real criticisms about this film simply because saying it was cliche or predictable would only be affirming what you already think.

if you want to entertain your grandparents or even random little kids, go see it. they'll love it.

-LOki

SERENITY

3.9/5
stars nathan fillion, adam baldwin, gina torres

after incessant nagging from my brother, i went to see joss whedon's SERENITY, a film based off the cult television series Firefly. i thoroughly enjoyed the movie and even though i had no idea what it was going to be about or who any of the characters were, there was the inherent joss whendon comedy and smart-ass comments that made me feel right at home.

the film follows a group of mercenaries aboard the Serenity, a ship that is barely holding itself together. they do odd jobs to pay for repairs, pay themselves, and satisfy "the need to eat sometime this month". like i said before, the even though i didn't know the characters, i felt like i did. they were well developed and believable. when it comes to special effects, CG, and dog-fight directing, all i have to say is this: george lucas, talk to joss whedon. the epic space battle in Serenity is amazing.

the film hits emotional highs and lows of the characters, as well as the funnier side of what it is to be a human being. i've just gotta sit down and watch the series now to fully appreciate it.

-LOki

WALLACE & GROMIT: CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT

3.9/5
stars helena bonham-carter, ralph fiennes, peter sallis

the last claymation thing i had seen was "chicken run", made by the same guys that did this film, and i can confidently say i had a blast. a unique style of animation plust that dry english humour made that film great. and the same applies now, to the just-released WALLACE AND GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABIT.

wallace and gromit operate a 'friendly' pest control service, where they capture pest rabbits and instead of culling them, put them in cages and house them. awwww how sweet.

but things go a little crazy when wallace uses the rabbits in one of his experiments in mind control. uh-oh.

this movie is great; it's funny, smart, touching. as i mentioned earlier, the humour in it is so well woven into the main script/film that it happens without you even realising. you find yourself laughing at moments that seem so ordinary, just because in the back of your mind the film has triggered some kind of humorous response.

anyhoo, i'm heading to a bbq now but if you haven't got anything planned for the day, go see this movie!

-LOki

WEDDING CRASHERS

3.8/5
stars vince vaughn, owen wislon, rachel mcadams, christopher walken

it pains me to admit that i'm not a stranger to the romantic comedy genre. the good ones make me feel good, and the bad ones make me want to invest in a time machine. but WEDDING CRASHERS certainly gave me that feel-good movie feeling.

brothers john (wilson) and jeremy (vaughn) are two guys who crash weddings to meet, greet and sleep with heaps of single women who are so "aroused by the thought of marriage that they're willing to throw their inhibitions to the wind". for the better part of 12 years, they've been pretending to be countless cousins, nephews, adopted grandkids etc... but then comes the cleary wedding - the kentucky derby of all weddings.

enter clare and gloria cleary (mcadams and fishcer, respectively), daughters of the secretary of treasury played superbly by christopher walken.

while jeremy has is hands full with gloria, john tries to win over the heart of clare who, conveniently, is going out with some other guy.

the film takes its time to get rolling, but once it does it soars. a lot of work must've gone into the script as every character had deliberate dialogue but executed perfectly by all cast members.

a special mention goes to aisla fischer who plays the immature but scaringly loving gloria; also to dr. quinn medicine woman for her role as the secretary wife - both proper and kinky.

the film explores what it means to be a true friend, and also what one should be looking for in that other someone. with the backdrop of numerous weddings, this movie is given plenty of opportunities to explore that. however, due to the hilarity of the film, many of the emotionally heavy scenes fall flat.

overall though, i've seen this movie twice and liked it both times; if you've got a space $10 and 2 hours, i highly recommend this movie. vince vaughn kicks ass.

-LOki

MONSTER IN LAW

3/5
jennifer lopez, michael vartan, jane fonda

up in northland where the air is thinner than chadstone, we decided to see this movie. i'm not a big fan of j-lo (!) but i figure what the hell? so i went in, sat down, and closed my eyes.

nah, the film is suprisingly funny and hits most of the laugh cues on the head. the story follows charlie (lopez), a single woman who has a change encounter with kevin (vartan) and through a series of montages, they get married. kevin's mother however (fonda), a washed-up television show host is not so happy that a "pregnant lesbian" is taking her son away.

the story is a little old; mother in law trying to get rid of the daughter in law, but the antics they use on each other elicit some laughs. a mention has to go to wanda sykes, who plays ruby - fonda's personal assisstant. i think her role is what really got the movie rolling and the laughs that it effortlessly evokes from the audience.

very superficial, very formulaic, very funny.

-LOki

HOUSE OF WAX

2.5/5
stars elisha cuthbert, chad michael murray, paris hilton

i wanted to see this movie for two reasons: elisha cuthbert and paris hilton. the former, because i like her, and the latter cos i wanted to see that since money couldn't by brains, maybe it could buy some acting skills.

the film is about a bunch of kids going to some random football game, but taking the ever-so-fobidden short cut through the dark woods until they eventually stop in the middle of nowhere and start a 20-minute sequence of drinking, playing football (in teh dark!) and no-so-subtle sexual inuendos. one character has a video camera and goes around filming everyone, making paris hilton feel right at home.

cuthbert and murray play twin brother and sister, cuthbert being the good one and murray being the badass one. with their little group of friends, they go to a town that looks like its abandoned (gasp - it is!) and that's where people start getting killed. people die pretty easily, although the token black guy didn't die first but dies pretty pathetically.

cut to the rest of the film where there's plenty of running away from a couple of bad guys. paris hilton puts up a bit of a fight though, which is kinda cool, but not cool enough to avoid being speared in the head.

the film is long and boring, apart from the last ten minutes when the house of wax is completely destroyed - at last!

-LOki

MORE UPCOMING REVIEWS

WEDDING CRASHERS
stars owen wilson, vince vaughn, rachel mcadams, christopher walken
3.9/5

nutshell: takes a bit to get off the ground, but when it does it soars. hilarious - outstanding performance by ailsa fischer.


IN GOOD COMPANY
stars topher grace, dennis quaid, scarlett johanssen
3/5

nutshell: hits only a few emotional peaks, but enjoyable.

REVIEWS COMING SOON

HOUSE OF WAX (2.5/5)
stars elisha cuthbert, chad michael murray, paris hilton

in a nutshell: long and boring, best part is the last ten minutes.

MONSTER IN LAW (3.5/5)
stars jennifer lopez, michael vartan, jane fonda

in a nutshell: suprisingly funny, jennifer lopez aint that bad.

-LOki

THE ISLAND

3.5/5
stars ewan mcgregor, scarlett johansen, steve buscemi, sean bean

ok. i had initially decided to give this film a 3/5 for the reasons i've outlined in my previous post "CRITIQUING THE CRITIC", but after a second viewing (and earbashing from the guys i went to see it with), i gave it that extra .5.

the film is about a society of clones that hav ebeen brought up thinking that they are the only survivors of a worldwide contamination, and that "the island" is the only place left on earth that is pathegon free. the clones stay at the institute and eagerly await their chance to visit the island, the last paradise on earth. but, like all michael bay film, this is not what it seems.

in fact, these guys have all been commissioned to be made by 'real' people, people living in the outswide world, as insuarance policies should any of their own organs or whatever stuff up.

lincoln echo six (i want that name! (ewan mcgregor)) is the first of the clones to question his purpose in life, and this leads him to do a bti of digging until he reveals that there is in fact no island of paradise at all, and that all the clone who had been sent there were harvested for tier organs. in one heartbearking scene, a clone gives birth to a baby girl, and once the baby is taken away, the clone is discarded like yesterday's newspaper. it's fucken horrible.

so anyway, his life-long friend (well, three years since these clones are made straight into adulthood) jordan delta two (johanssen) wins her way to the island and can't wait to go. and this is where the story really kicks off, as lincoln and jordan make their escape into the real world.

the film looks stunning, which is not suprising considering michael bay's reputation for blowing shit up and making it look fantastic. acting-wise, the cast does an amazin job, especially steve buscemi as one of the very few characters who isn't a clone himself, but treats them as human. we need more poeple like him around. up until i saw this film, i couldn't stand scarlett johanssen - but now i love her.

i guess what really tipped the .5 scales is the underlying theme - that the new american dream is to live forever, and that some people are rich enough to do anything to get that. it questions the very notion of what it is to be human - is it just flesh and bone that make a human, or is it something more? memories, life experiences, compassion, and feelings are what make the concept of human come to life.

in this film ironically, the 'clones' have been embued with more emotion and feeling than the 'real' humans.. and the human are protrayed as absolute pricks. it's like a bell curve on one of those shitty graphs we used to do in maths; you can only go so high in scientific progress until you reach a point where all the work done after that starts crumbling the human conscience.

alright, this is film review and not a discussion on the concept of what it is to be human. BUT, this film is sure to bring these kinds of questions up in your mind.. and for a blockbuster film to do that is quite rare.

i never heard of the composer for this film before (and i can't even remember thier name), but he does an awesome job, especially in the opening and closing sequences. SFX were done well also, relying on a lot more live-action stunts and explosions than CG... but like i said, if you're michael bay, you can afford it.

see this movie.. it only scores 3.5 for a couple of reasons: product placement, and length.

-LOki