Movie Reviews - new films reviewed

Shrek, missing being a “real ogre”, is tricked by Rumpelstiltskin into giving him one day of his life in exchange for one day being a real ogre again. Rumpelstiltskin takes away the day Shrek is born, so he never rescued Fiona from the dragon and never met Donkey and Puss in Boots. Now Rumpelstiltskin is the evil emperor of Far Far Away, Fiona is the leader of the resistance, and Shrek has only one day to straighten things out.

The latest – and probably last – of the Shrek franchise, Forever After comes in 3D, but without the charm, wit and sparkling originality of Shrek. Arguably better than Shrek the Third and not a total fail, it’s still a disappointment and it seems about time to let the franchise rest in peace.

Based on the true story of CIA operative Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts), Fair Game shows what it’s like to be a wife, mother and spy. And what’s it like to fall out of favor with the the authorities when her husband Joe Wilson (Sean Penn) publicly accuses the CIA and the government to have made up the reports of Iraq acquiring uranium for the production of weapons of mass destruction.
With Fair Game, Doug Liman leaves Bourne and Mr & Mrs Smith territory and goes for the real thing. And while there is not as much action in a real spook’s life, there is drama enough to make a good movie. Valerie’s cover is blown, her career destroyed and her marriage is put to test when Joe decides to take on the government and to fight back by going public. Sean Penn of course is perfectly cast as Joe, and his and Naomi Watt’s performances and the gripping story make this a movie you shouldn’t miss.

Fair Game Movie Trailer

On his way to Los Angeles to attend the birth of his first child with wife Sarah (Michelle Monaghan), uptight Peter Highman (Robert Downey, Jr.) meets man-child Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) who gets him on the no-fly list, forcing him to drive all the way from Atlanta by car together with Ethan, who carries the ashes of his father in a coffe can to spread them into the Grand Canyon and then wants to go to L.A. to become an actor. If that was not enough, Peter also left his wallet in the plane and has no money and no ID.

The plot of this road movie is familiar (Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Midnight Run), but the execution makes Due Date a pleasure despite the lack of an original story. The gags are coming fast, politically uncorrect, and hit the spot, Downey Jr. is brilliant and likeable as always, and Zach Galifianakis is hideously funny (basically channeling Alan from The Hangover).

Due Date Movie Trailer

Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) is back after fourteen years in prison for insider trading, and he is no longer the man who once said “Greed is good”. Instead, he has written a book with the title Is Greed Good? and lectures young would-be brokers about a coming financial meltdown because the system is rotten.
Jacob Moore (Shia LaBeouf) is a young trader who wants to make it to the top – and is in love with Gekko’s estranged daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan).

If Oliver Stone has set out to make the definitive movie about the recent financial crunch then Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is a failure. It comes too late, preaching what everybody already knows, and Shia LaBeouf hardly convinces as a young stock-exchange shooting star.
It is telling when a 10-second cameo from original Wall Street star Charlie Sheen is a highlight of this belated sequel.

The biggest excitement in retired CIA agent Frank Moses’ (Bruce Willis) life is to flirt with Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), his customer service agent in his pension office. But that changes when an assassination team tries to off him in his house. He dispatches the assault team and goes to make sure Sarah is safe, and to team up with his old colleagues (Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren). Together they have to find out who wants to kill them and uncover a conspiration.

R.E.D. (for Retired Extremely Dangerous) is proof that Bruce & Co are not “too old for this shit”. R.E.D. is good fun, has lots of action, charm and a great cast – it’s fun while it lasts, but is hardly a classic and will soon be forgotten.

R.E.D. Movie Trailer