Bedtime Stories

Yup, another kids’ film. And a pretty darn good one as well. Bedtime Stories is one of Adam Sandler‘s less annoying movies where he just plays a person rather than a character. Ben Stiller should realise his films are better under the same circumstances as well.

Plot-in-a-nutshell: Sandler plays Skeeter Bronson, a luckless chap who’s father passed the family motel on to a business man with a promise that Skeeter would one day run it. Of course, this doesn’t happen and Skeeter becomes the handyman. He entertains his niece and nephew with the titular bedtime stories which start to – in some haphazard fashion – come true.

It’s a fairly familiar plot, on the whole, especially for Sandler. However, it’s good fun with plenty of little background gags that may even make it worth an extra view. As Skeeter tells his sister’s kids the stories, the scene shifts into whatever fantasy world the tale is set in leading to some good jokes and special effects. They’re the kind of thing you wish you could dream up at a moment’s notice if you’re trying to get a small child to settle down for the night.

The bad guys are suitably bad (and I was amazed to find out that the crotchety one was Lucy Lawless), the good guys suitably sickly and the animals suitably cute. I was impressed with how the scenes from the stories worked their way into real life – especially the last one. Surprisingly clever, in fact.

One thing that did grate, though, was Courtney Cox‘s performance. It looks like she’s had some kind of facial operation which is weird enough, but all of her lines are out of sync with her mouth. I can only think that the weird look affected her ability to talk at the time of filming and they did a pants-awful job of the dubbing afterwards.

My little cousin loves this film and I can see why. Great family fun.

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Agent Cody Banks (1 and 2)

Agent Cody Banks
Agent Cody Banks

OK, not only did I watch Agent Cody Banks one night, I followed it with Destination London the night after. Overall I was pleasantly surprised, and the films are very different from one another.

Plot-in-a-nutshell: Cody Banks is a 14 year-old drafted into the CIA via a spy summer camp (of course). Bad guys want to take over the world with a mad plot. He stops them (in both films).

We’re introduced to Cody (Frankie Muniz from TV’s Malcolm in the Middle) in the first film with a scene at home followed by an short action sequence. These cover the obvious bases so we know who he is – an average teenager with above-average abilities.

The film’s madman with views of global domination is Brinkman (Ian McShane) who is forcing one Dr Connors to create a horde of nanobots capable of eating metal. Brinkman even has an evil henchman (Arnold Vosloo from The Mummy).

Banks is taken under the wing of a rather hot “handler” and between them they wheedle Cody into the interests of Connors’ daughter to infiltrate the mountain lair of Brinkman. All very James Bond Jr., really. Oh, and there are gadgets. And a mad inventor who creates them.

The film has action, slapstick and laughs. The effects are pretty decent for what is a comparitively low-budget offering and it offers bags of entertainment. As ever in a good kids’ film, adults are made to look bad compared to the children.

Points for spotting the “Flynn” reference late on in the movie.

Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London
Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London

Destination London is a little different. It’s more of a children’s film than the first offering. The action is more slapstick, the plot a little simpler and the humour more kiddie. There’s even a random fart gag and a character called “Jerkalot”. This time we have another madman intent on taking over the brains of many heads of state. Along with more gadgets and the most bonkers “Q” rip-off character, it’s a worthy sequel though not as good as the original from this adult’s viewpoint.

Neither movie is as good as Stormbreaker, but that’s partly due to Alex Rider being English. And like Bond, to be a good secret agent you really have to be English.

OK, or Scots. Or an Aussie. Or Welsh.

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Red Cliff

Red Cliff (film)
Red Cliff

First up, Red Cliff is quite simply beautiful. Imagine a cross between Saving Private Ryan and Lord of the Rings but set in ancient China. This release is a 2½-hour contraction of the two separate films released in Asia, but feels like 1½ hours when you’re watching it. I have the original versions kicking about and will watch them but, really, you have to see this on a large screen. The biggest travesty is the lack of an IMAX version.

Plot-in-a-nutshell: Read Records of the Three Kingdoms if you have a year or two to spare. If not… the Chinese Emperor reluctantly agrees to send troops into the south to put down warlords who some political types think are being a little too powerful.

The reasoning behind the shortened western release is that the plot features quite a few characters, many of whom the Chinese are brought up to know about. As such, the story is easier to follow than it would be for those who haven’t heard the basis of the story before. I have to admit that at points I was a little lost simply as some of the cast look the same. Yes, I know – “all Chinese people look identical blah blah racist blah”, but it does take a while to get your heard round the quick introduction to all the cast.

It’s not going to be to everyone’s taste, I admit. It is slightly arty in places and it does use wirework, which generally I’m not keen on. In this case it’s not overused and adds to the scenes in which it’s used rather than being the centrepiece (as in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). The story is well-paced and interesting with a couple of moments that make you smile as the “good guys” get one over the evil empire.  OK, that makes it sound like Star Wars.

However, what the film is all about is the action. The scenery. The grand scale. The costumes. Just settle back and let your eyes feast. John Woo has made some more than decent films in the past, but Red Cliff just shoves them all to one side. It is, quite simply, magnificent.

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The Hangover

The Hangover
The Hangover

So far I’ve not read or heard a bad review of this film, and having seen it I’m not surprised. One thing I would recommend is to avoid the trailer if you can. There are loads of laughs in here, and it takes the edge off if you’ve seen them before.

Plot-in-a-nutshell: Four guys go for a stag night in Las Vegas. And then wake up the next morning without the husband-to-be…

The Hangover has a great script, starting at the beginning, jumping a few hours and leaving you guessing as much as the main characters as to what’s happened. Each bizarre thing they did the night before is revealed perfectly and nothing is so outlandish that you can’t believe it could happen. In fact I’m sure most of them have happened to someone at some point and probably reported in the little funny stories in the newspapers.

We don’t see too much of the groom in the film (well, the fact he goes missing is central to the plot), but the three main protagonists are a very good mixed bunch. Different from each other without going off the deep end of believability.

We have a somewhat mad but somehow gifted child in a man’s body. A suave ladies’ man. A geek with an overbearing girlfriend. They play off each other so well and the scenes see them go through every emotion you can conceive without once seeming unrealistic.

And there’s a key word: believability. That’s what’s key about this film. As much as insane things happen (or happened), as bonkers as it all may seem, it doesn’t quite let go of the fact that this could maybe, perhaps, just happen.

Is this “the comedy of the year”? I don’t know – it’s only June and I’m not some tosser who writes for The Sun and proclaims anything that makes him chortle the funniest thing in the world. However, it is very funny and also a great story. Don’t miss it.

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Terminator Salvation

Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation

At last I got to see Terminator Salvation after the evil North Americans got it a whole half week before the civilised world (jealous, me?). I’d read a fair few negative reviews both from across the Pond and from here in Blighty. So how did I, Joe Public, react?

Plot-in-a-nutshell: Judgement Day has come and gone, as detailed at the end of Terminator 3. We join the story as John Connor (Christian Bale this time) is working his way up through the ranks of the resistance, but not before a little scene-setting…

Unlike the trailer, which gives away one of the only plot twists in the film, I’ll try to keep this review spoiler-free. The expected character list is present and correct, carrying on from the previous film. Connor is now married to Kate (played by the impossibly well-coifed Bryce Dallas Howard – seriously, where would she get lipstick post-apocalypse?) who is a doctor. Makes sense given her veterinary background. She’s also heavily pregnant though this isn’t even mentioned during the movie. Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin, who also plays Chekov in this summer’s new Star Trek film) is elsewhere and still a teenager, not the fully-fledged soldier we encounter in the first Terminator movie.

The major new character is Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a convicted murderer (before Judgement Day) who finds himself dumped into the middle of the action. He’s a nice new addition to the Terminator canon.

No surprises, it’s an effect-fest which makes the most of the improvements in special effects since the old days of Stan Winston (who the film is kindly dedicated to). It all fits together well. McG carries the sense of motion he filled the two Charlie’s Angels films with, only transfers the setting into the Fallout-esque scenery of 2018. The action scenes are fast, frenetic and far superior to the epileptic mess that was Quantum of Solace. It is possible to film a chase scene without the camera changing viewpoint every 0.83 seconds.

Yeah, there are gaping plot-holes even though there is no time travel involved. Sure, it’s somewhat predictable (name me a film that isn’t these days). But who cares? It’s a ride. And an impressive one.

Honestly, I don’t think Cameron would have done a better job. McG isn’t a bad director judging by his action film pedigree and I think Terminator 5 – whatever it ends up being called – is in good hands.

Note that the story follows on fairly well from the last film, but pretty much ignores the Sarah Connor Chronicles TV show. This isn’t surprising, though it does seem to be what’s lead to most of the unfavourable reviews elsewhere. A lot of people sound like they’d have preferred another series of that than a fourth motion picture. I’m greedy – I want both.

At least the cancellation of the former has been offset with a very enjoyable latter. Just don’t try too hard with the plot and you’ll have a great time.

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