The Watch (15)

When a self righteous, do-gooder, Store Manager called Evan decides to set up a Neighbourhood Watch, after his friend and store security guard is mysteriously murdered, he comes up against something completely unexpected. Ben Stiller plays this lead character in his no thrills, deadpan, way and shortly after this starts becoming painful we are introduced to the three co-stars, in the hope that they can be a foil to Stiller’s predicable and all too samey approach.

Vince Vaughn plays the boisterous Bob who is perhaps the strongest of the crew, pulling a few laughs, but once again filling a role he has become stereotyped for. He has some back story and a daughter called Chelsea, Erin Moriarty, who he obsesses over.  Jonah Hill (Moneyball) plays the strange Franklin and Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd) plays the even stranger Jamarcus. Both are uneasy and it’s difficult to really pin down what they represent or to form any attachment to them.

There is definitely a trend of uncertainty which runs through the film and perhaps the highlights are the set pieces rather than the overall story which is fairly predictable. There is a scene where the Watch are caught drinking alcohol in their car and Stiller is fined by the persistent Sergeant Bressman, played by the amusing Will Forte. When they think they have a dead alien on their hands and begin taking photos of it in rube positions they soon find out that the alien is only unconscious. 

The concept of bringing aliens into this type of comedy arena is a risky one. The film is billed as a comedy not a comedy sci-fi and although it could be argued that the secret in the film is the science fiction element you have a sense that this is a difficult match. It does feel as if the sci-fi is just a gimmick rather than an important part of the storyline. Thankfully though it’s not too long and curious enough to keep you watching.

61/100

Brave (PG)

When a highly successful brand such as Pixar produces a film it has a lot to stand up against. Toy Story and the Incredibles loom large over any forth coming productions and Brave has its work cut out but it certainly has a great start with the awe-inspiring back drop of a rugged Scotland.

Merida is a Scottish Princess who has a duty to follow but has decided that she doesn’t want to wed any of her hopeless suitors. This classic storyline is turned on its head though when she stumbles into the open arms of an ancient curse and we are drawn into the chase to save her loved ones. This lead character is voiced by the versatile and excellent Kelly Macdonald who has featured in a range of films including No Country for Old Men, Nanny McPhee and Trainspotting. She is thankfully Scottish and her rich voice and talent shine through.

Merida’s giant of a father is played by jovial Billy Connolly and her mother by Emma Thompson who on the face of it struggles to fit into the earthy selection of voices, although her character, the disappointed mother, is arguably meant to be one of the conflicting aspects of the storyline. She fails to charm. The local Lords, played by Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd and Craig Ferguson who come to present their sons to claim Merida’s hand in marriage are, through no fault of the actors, poorly developed and overly comical but the witch, who is voiced by Julie Walters, suitably adds magic to the plot.

A clever aspect which makes Brave very relevant for today’s market, and perhaps the strength of the film, is the story that lies just under the surface. Aside from her role as Princess, Merida is an independent young woman. She wants to be different, break with tradition and prove her skills rather than be subjugated by her father and forced into a stereotypical role. For all those young girls out there she is a rebel hero, and something to aspire to. Brave proves to be a great yearn, with action, humour and terror but, when there is no male lead in the film, it does appear to want to exclude boys from the viewing figures.

72/100

Chernobyl Diaries (15)

As a concept the Chernobyl disaster is an interesting, although devastating, urban event which could originate a range of urban myths and be a suitable setting for a horror film. Especially the town itself and the deserted poignant shells of the buildings left to rot in their radioactive residue. The director Bradley Parker, who has much experience working on blockbusters such as Fight Club and Red Planet but in the Visual Effects unit, obviously saw this as a major strength and the character of the location is well shot and incorporated into the narrative. The haunting scenes capture a tragic sorrow which is edged with the fear of the potential horror which is about to commence.

We have a party of six young adults, joyfully oblivious to the obvious dangers, led by the Russian Extreme Tourism guide, Uri who is played by the gruff Dimitri Diatchenko. Diatchenko pulls off the expected stereotype with enough subtle humour to make him the stand out character. The rest of the cast is young and brittle and their character’s are glossed over. Within this mix of frantic bodies is the recognisable Jonathan Sadowski  (Die Hard 4.0) but his aggressive persona fails to find the right counter balance and at times it feels he is simply shouting at the camera, and suffering from poor direction.

The main problem that the Chernobyl Diaries has is that it doesn’t deliver enough horror. It is a fifteen rating and so the punches were always going to be pulled but it really could have done with being an eighteen. There are moments when one of the trapped group Amanda played effectively by Devin Kelley, whose van has been sabotaged by some unseen assailant in the middle of Chernobyl, finds herself trapped and we never really glimpse the warped creature who’s trapping her. It is frustratingly anticlimactic considering this is a contemporary horror and a genre we have become used to revealing all. In fact the mutated populace of Chernobyl remain much of an enigma, which is a surprise when you consider the Director’s past in special effects. The sets are grand, the pace picks up towards the end but the delivery is disappointing.

48/100

Men in Black 3 (PG)

The important thing about Men in Black 3 is that it is Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Sonnenfeld  directed the first Men in Black as well as Wild Wild West and obviously understands Will Smith who in his own right is a producer of blockbusters as well as a super star. Sonnenfeld's original vision of the concept of the Men in Black is carried through in this film and he rightly focuses on Smith who is an expert on screen. Smith is perhaps one of the most comfortable and likable figures to ever appear in a sci-fi and his emotional foil (and partner) Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K is suitably bland and understated to counteract any excess bravado.

Agent J played by Will Smith has to go back in time and rescue Agent K while saving the world from an alien played by the very scary Jemaine Clement, who's character is monstrously grim and about to change the course of history, save his species and instigate the invasion of the planet Earth. Smith encounters the young Agent K played by the excellent Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) who replicates a young Jones superbly. 

Emma Thompson also has a minor role as the Agent O and appears slightly awkward when trust into the alien world. Her younger version is played by Alice Eve, who is forging a career in the main stream after staring in The Raven and will soon be appearing in the much awaited blockbuster Star Trek Into Darkness. Eve is a competent character actor and slips comfortably into character, adding a needed love interest for the suddenly deeper Agent K, although it is a role as brief as Thompson’s.

There are many chuckles and a couple of laugh-out-loud moments in the film as well a poignant and revealing story twist which, in the context of a outlandish science fiction film, surprisingly jumps out of left field and pulls at the heart strings. The exaggerated effects and sometimes crazy ideas which couple the story together are elements you have to accept as it rockets ahead on screen. Men in Black 3 is a fun and farfetched which is what you sign up to when you switch on and engage.

DVD Review.

71/100