Top Movies of 2006 thus far

An excellent summer movie. Although not filled with non-stop action, the movie follows on well from Superman II, and is well compensated by the plot. The unknown Brandon Routh fills Christopher Reeve's red boots well, being a worthy successor, not only because of their physical likeness, but also the aura he gives off as Superman. Kevin Spacey is excellent as Lex Luthor, portraying his evil and distaste for Superman superbly. However, the one weakness in the cast is Kate Bosworth. She wasn't terrible, but I didn't feel the chemistry between Superman and Lois Lane. Unfortunately, she wasn't an improvement on the marvellous Margot Kidder. The special effects are excellent, most notable being the reintroduction of Superman to the world. The plot is good. The use of the Marlon Brando (Jor-El) archives were great, giving a tangible link back to the original movies. There is also a somewhat unsubtle theological undertone in the movie, where Superman is portrayed as our saviour. The parallels between Jor-El and God, and Superman and Jesus are apparent. All in all, an excellent movie, definitely worth watching.

A great movie set in a totalitarian society of Britain not dissimilar to George Orwell's 1984. The plot circles upon the charismatic and eloquent V (an inspired Hugo Weaving) who manages to justify his debatable deeds to the whole country. Natalie Portman is the somewhat skeptical Evie. She was satisfactory, however, her fluctuating accent really irritated me after a while. The movie had the viewer sympathise with V especially given his background. Did you ever think you were going to back a terrorist over the government??

Wow. Being a true Bond fan, I was apprehensive about Daniel Craig's appointment as I believed he didn't fit the requirements. I was wrong. He shows a new rougher, grittier Bond. He has balls!!! He seems to be a Bond who loves to use his licence to kill, a darker Bond. He also gets hurt, which is rare in Bond films; he actually bleeds a lot and gets heavily tortured without magically escaping. We also see a human side to Craig's Bond and there is brilliant character development, showing how Bond became the man he is. Well done Daniel Craig, you proved me wrong, you're worthy enough to don the 007 tuxedo. The action scenes are brilliant. They look authentic, realistic as opposed to regular Bond action sequences. I especially loved the first chase sequence. The plot is also sensible. There was no megalomaniac trying to destroy the world in a stupid far-fetched way, say by implanting diamonds into space and utilising it as a weapon. The plot is realistic as it is a reasonable possibility in our world today. The exotic gadgetry is also sacrificed for character development and more authentic action sequences, which is welcomed by me. Mads Mikkelsen makes a good villain. He isn't as commanding as say Goldfinger, but he knows what he wants and gets the job done. I'm glad Judi Dench was kept as M. Although her part was small, she was very good. Her character sheds some light on Bond's character. Eva Green is a good Bond girl. Good-looking and she acted well. Bond is besotted by her which shows his vulnerable interior. Felix Leiter was basically introduced in this film, showing the beginning of their friendship. The film is also funny at parts. It falls away from it's usual cheesy one-liners. It is more witty. I cannot praise it enough, I even liked the title sequences. I love the song. Timothy Dalton was the closest to a dark Bond, now Daniel Craig has surpassed that accompanied with better, fresher attributes too. This is one of the best Bond films. That's a huge compliment considering a like nearly every Bond film (not too keen on the last 2 Brosnans). It is a must-see. Even if you are not a Bond fan, you will appreciate the plot and action sequences. One of the best Bonds ever!!

One of the films of the year. I certainly hold this film in high regard. This American re-make of Internal Affairs is excellent. Although I have not seen Internal Affairs I do not know how this compares, but this film is intrinsically brilliant. This strong cast gives us an equally strong performance. I had high expectations and i did not disappoint. Jack Nicholson is the star performer; he is sensational. You immediately feel his overwhelming confidence in nearly all situations and his belief that everything can be moulded into his instrumental. This is typified by the first line of the movie where he expects the environment to be moulded around him and not the other way round. DiCaprio, Scorcese's new muse, excellently portrayed the troubled undercover cop; he exuded confidence, yet you always felt he was vulnerable. The same could be said of Matt Damon who was the polar opposite of DiCaprio in terms of allegiance, yet they had comparable lives including the love interest. Special mention must go to Alec Baldwin, who is the scene stealer of the film. All in all, this was a well written film, superbly acted by a strong ensemble and brilliantly directed, tying all loose ends very neatly. Well done Scorcese. DiCaprio proves he is a worthy successor to De Niro as Scorcese's muse. A brilliant movie - definitely one for my dvd collection.

It doesn't quite live up to its predecessor. Once again Johnny Depp is the main man, but he doesn't quite have that same effect as in the first one. Understandably he was given the spotlight for his scenes due to his remarkable performance in The Curse Of The Black Pearl. However, with this arrangement, it prevents him from scene stealing if he's given the spotlight. However, he is still excellent. Some of the humour was silly, but bearable. The action scenes, especially the sword fights were still at a high level. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley had reduced roles I felt. I also believed that some of Keira Knightley's acting was irksome on one occasion. Orlando Bloom was as adequate as ever. Bill Nighy was utterly unrecognisable as Davy Jones. The plot was good, but there was always a feel of familiarity as the film went on. The effects were good, especially the visuals of Davy Jones. It isn't a neccesity to watch the first installment, but there are a few references, most notably the re-introduction of two characters, one being Commodore Norrington, the other being someone else central to the the fisrt installment. It is, however, well worth a watch, although Superman Returns was the better of the two summer blockbusters. I must mention the ending, which really annoyed me, but now I really want to see At World's End. All in all, it is definitely well worth a watch and if you liked Curse of the Black Pearl, you won't be disappointed with this. The same ingredients are there, it's just that it would have lost the charm of Curse Of The Black Pearl.

I decided to review this after my second viewing. Although watching it a second time would have "ruined" the ending (which was a tad predictable and, therefore, underwhelming), it did not detract from the complexities of the film.
A dark film. Perhaps a little slow, but it does keep the viewer's attention.
Jackman and Bale are superb as the rival magicians. They portray each trait brilliantly, be they egotism, an inner darkness, a ruthlessly meticulous person. They also portray their inner torment well, both having suffered throughout the feud. They sacrifice so much for the sake of a seemingly superficial victory, however, these sacrifices do have their rewards. They gain prestige and they express a willingness to improve each, though as with all obsessions, terrible consequences result.
Michael Caine is brilliant as ever as the mentor. He is wise and hopes to restore parity between the two, but to no avail. David Bowie put in a surprisingly great performance as Tesla. His accent was brilliant and he pulled off the moustache very well. Very commendable. Scarlett Johansson was adequate. She wasn't brilliant, but her character represented the depths with which each magician would plunge; the pawn to gain the upperhand.
Well done to the Nolan brothers who have come up with an excellent screenplay. Christopher Nolan directed this with aplomb. A very stylish film. Great use of camera angles to hide the twist without fully revealing it.
Do you really need to watch carefully?? No. People say you have to pay attention fully. You don't. You can figure out the final twist without meticulously scanning the scenes. In the end, you may find it rather predictable.
In the end, you get an entertaining tale of deceit, secrets and revelations, which comes to a neat climax which ties up all the loose ends. A great film, superbly acted and superbly directed.

The premise of this film had a lot of potential, however, only a small amount of that potential was fulfilled. It was, nonetheless, harrowing. The bleak world portrayed is terrifying and yet is implied to be a product of human conflicts, therefore, it is chilling to think that such a world is possible. Clive Owen is remarkable. He portrays Theo excellently: a man minding his own business thrust into the task of potentially saving mankind and restoring hope to humanity. The range and depth of his character is easily visible. Michael Caine's high hippy Jasper was well portrayed and added some humour in a bleak background. Claire-Hope Ashitey's portrayal of Kee was convincing. You felt her fear, yet she was confident and strong-willed. The first half of the film focused on the premise, however, the second half was more focused on the getaway/ chase, thus relieving most of the promise of the first half. Thanks to Cuaron's direction it was thrilling, but part of me believes the film could have been so much more had the suspense of the chase been sacrificed for the exploration of the issues at hand. The street conflict sequence in the ghetto was extremely realistic. It had me on the edge of my seat. It was very reminiscent to the action sequences of Saving Private Ryan. The cinematography is excellent. The action is of high quality if not frequent, but such a film does not require regular action to make it good. This is a film I was glad to go see, even if my expectations were not quite fulfilled.