Swollen Pickles

When I saw the first Transformers movie, I can't say I was all that impressed with what I saw. I guess I shouldn't have expected so much from a movie that is essentially based on a toy. So with my expectations suitably lowered after the first film, I went along to catch Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. It's clearly a big screen, big budget, big bucket of popcorn type movie. It's packed full of stuff you'd expect. Fast cars, hot chicks and robots in disguise beating the steel out of one another.

Transformers 2 opens with Sam (Shia LaBouf) about to head off to college leaving his super hot girlfriend (Megan Fox) behind. It's not long before he drops a piece of the spark (a carry over from the first film) and we have some robots in disguise wrecking havoc in his kitchen. Look, I'll be blunt, the plot could really be summarised on the back of a postage stamp. Young dude heads to college, leaves girlfriend at home, is tempted by another hot chick, and is then, against his will, forced to save the planet from bad robots in disguise. Lots of robot fights later, the fate of the world rests in Sam's hands, and I'm sure you can figure out what happens from there. There's really nothing more to the movie than that. It's big and it's dumb. With that said though, I enjoyed it. Maybe that says a lot for me?

Now, I have some Transformers questions. This time around (if you've read any of the films press this will be no surprise - otherwise SPOILER ALERT) the evil forces of the Decepticons have a "human" model. Pretty, yet personality free, Isabel Lucas features as a potential love interest for Sam. A hot chick who looks hell bent on stealing him away from hotter Megan Fox. The sting in the tail, so to speak comes when Isabel Lucas is revealed to be an evil Decepticon. Now, my question is, why don't all the Decepticons just transform into various hot chicks and/or world leaders, and take over the planet that way? Why would you transform into a cement mixer when you could walk and talk amongst real people without alerting anyone? And why was there only one "human" transformer? Do they cost more to make? Are they Energon guzzlers? It made no sense and, for me it was the stupidest part of the whole movie.

So to summarise, Transformers 2 was a guilty pleasure. I found myself enjoying it, despite finding myself groaning at it's stupidity. I'd give it a solid 3 out of 5.

100 New Alloy Robot Toy Car Transformer Bumblebee AL 1

0 Bid

US $.85

15m

I crawled along to the movies this weekend to catch "The Hangover". Directed by Todd Phillips, the guy behind Old School and Road Trip, "The Hangover" follows the trials and tribulations of a group of four friends who travel to Les Vegas for a bachelor party. Hilarity ensues when three of the guys wake up the next morning, with memory loss, and without the groom, whose wedding is scheduled for the next day.

The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, and Heather Graham, and with the exception of Bradley Cooper (Sydney Bristow's old housemate from Alias) and Heather Graham, I hadn't seen any of the other actors in any major roles before.

So three guys wake up in a plush hotel suite that looks like it's been done over by the Who and Led Zepplin in the same night. One guy is missing a tooth, there is a baby in the closet, a tiger in the toilet, a chicken running around and a smoking lounge chair. The room has everything, besides the groom. The three buddies then turn hung over detectives, attempting to retrace their steps from the previous evening, in order to track down there lost amigo. The film rolls on from there. Think "Dude Where's My Car" but funny.

The Hangover was laugh out loud funny. There aren't really any flat spots, and thankfully the film steers away from a deep and meaningful conclusion. Zach Galifianakis as the socially awkward, soon to be brother-in-law, Alan is a stand-out. He's random and weird.

If you are after no-brainer laughs, go check out The Hangover. Overall, 4 out of 5 pickles.

During the previews I also saw the teaser trailer for the new Sacha Baren Cohen film Bruno. It looks like a cracker.

It's not often that I hire a DVD based solely on the blurb on the back of the cover, but that was the case with 88 Minutes. I walked into Blockbuster, wanted to see a film, and after picking up a few, settled on 88 Minutes, a psychological thriller, and vehicle for Al Pacino.

88 Minutes follows the story Jack Gramm (Al Pacino), a forensic psychiatrist and professor, who's testimony was largely responsible for the conviction of a serial killer, Jon Forster, nine years earlier. On the day the killer is scheduled to be executed, Jack receives a phone call telling him he has 88 minutes to live. Jack is then thrown into an investigation to try and learn the identity of his would-be assassin before his time runs out.

The film sets itself up as a 'who-dunnit' however, it doesn't really succeed, as basically anyone with a speaking role is set up to be the possible killer. I can honestly say though, that I had the killer pegged pretty as soon as the classic misdirection technique came into play (if you've seen the film you'll probably know the scene I'm talking about - it's when the film maker clearly wants you to think 'but it can't be that person because they've been... oh hang on... maybe they just wanted it to look like that...').

Besides Al Pacino, 88 Minutes features a range of actors that you'll know doubt recognise from various TV shows, even if you can't remember their names. For example, there's that chick for Judging Amy, that guy that used to be the brooding dude on the OC and that other chick that played Joan of Arc in a telemovie a while back.

88 Minutes was filmed in 2005 and didn't see release until late 2008, I guess that should have served as a warning. Maybe the studio was sitting on it hoping that it would hatch cinematic gold? Unfortunately the egg didn't hatch. 88 Minutes is an interested idea that gets bogged down with formulaic cliches. It's the sort of film you watch and can't help but think there was a lot of stuff cut out in the editing room. Overall I'd give it 2 out of 5.

Duplicity: deceitfulness in speech or conduct; speaking or acting in two different ways concerning the same matter with intent to deceive; double-dealing. Duplicity is also a film that follows the escapades of two corporate spies, Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. Both characters are former secret service agents from their respective countries (CIA and MI-6) who retire from their state funded duties to move into the private sector. They share a romantic history, which leads them to hatch a plot to manipulate two corporate giants in order to obtain profit themselves and fund their own lavish lifestyle.

I can't say much more without giving the film away, but I will say that there are that many twists and turns going on here that at times it was hard to keep up.

I've seen Duplicity described as a romantic comedy thriller. It's definitely got a lot of the spy/thriller thing happening, and some romance, but I wouldn't describe it as being a comedy. It's basically a laugh free film, so if you're expecting a standard Julia Roberts rom-com then you'll be in for disappointment. You could describe Duplicity as a film about corporate espionage, or alternatively a love story focusing on the relationship between a couple that lie for a living.

My major complaint with Duplicity is that it run about 25-30mins too long, wearing out its welcome, and features one too many twists. I kept waiting for the bit shocking twist at the finale, but by the time it came around, I was over all the twisting, and the conclusion left me a little underwhelmed.

Overall, Duplicity is a decent film that loses its way. I'd give it 2 out of 5.

BLU RAY Duplicity GREAT DEAL BARGAIN BLU RAY

1 Bid

US $3.99

28m

Lee Konitz Martial Solal DUPLICITY 2009 CD

US $18.95

1h 46m

It was with great anticipation that I went along to watch the Watchmen on the weekend. As we all know though, with great anticipation, can come great disappointment. So does the film deliver?

The graphic novel (note: not comic) Watchmen is one of the more revered illustrated stories in the universe. It was first released in 1986, and it's a little surprising to see that it's taken this long for a film version to hit the screen.

Watchmen is set in an alternative version of 1985. Masked vigilantes have been outlawed, Richard Nixon is still President of the United States, and the world is on the edge of armageddon as nuclear war between the US and Russia is no longer a matter of 'if' but 'when'.

As with the novel, the film opens with the spectacular murder of The Comedian, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan in a massive departure from his role in Grey's Anatomy. The Comedian was a member of a wider fraternity of semi-retired superheroes, that also includes the Night Owl (Patrick Wilson), Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), Ozymandius (Matthew Goode), Silk Spectre 2, (Malin Akerman) and my personal favorite, Rorschach (Jackie Earle Hayley). Rorschach, the most active member of the group, decides to investigate the Comedians death. What follows is a murder mystery of sorts that unravels into a conspiracy of epic proportions. (more...)

When you sit down to watch a movie with the title "Zack and Miri Make a Porno", you do so with certain expectations. You want laughs and you expect jokes that you wouldn't feel comfortable re-telling to your mother. Fortunately Zack and Miri delivers both in spades, but for me, it delivered so much more.

Put simply Zack and Miri Make a Porno is the most romantic movie I have ever seen. Zack (Seth Rogan) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are platonic life long friends, who happen to share a house, and also happen to be deep in debt. They need money fast, or else they are likely to find themselves homeless. Now in need of some fast money, the average person may take a second job, or sell off unwanted furniture. Zack, however, hatches the plan to make and sell his very own pornographic movie. From there on in, it's all very predictable, in a good way. You can disengage your brain and just have a laugh.
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In an effort to inject a little more culture into my life, I decided to go and see a film nominated for five Academy Awards, 'The Reader'.

The Reader is based upon the 1995 German novel 'Der Vorleser', that funnily enough translates to 'The Reader'. The novel was written by German law professor and judge Bernhard Schlink. Like the film, the novel also won quite a few awards, but perhaps it's greatest honour was being a selection for Oprah's Book Club.

The film adaptation tells the story of German lawyer, Michael Berg, and the impact his first real 'adult' relationship has had on his life. Michael's story is told through a series of flashbacks. The film opens in Berlin, in 1995, as Michael (played by Ralph Fiennes) prepares breakfast for a woman that has obviously spent the night. On her way out the door, the woman laments Michael's inability to allow her to get close to him, wondering if he was like that with all the women in his life. As Michael watches a train go by, we are taken back to 1958. (more...)