darrell-19

First of all, I am so pleased that I went to see Prometheus having avoided almost all reviews and spoilers. I had no preconceptions about the storyline whatsoever. I am not setting out to spoil the film for anyone by this review, but I won't hold back from discussing what I have just seen so if you want to appreciate the film the way I did then stop reading now.

One of the only things I did hear before seeing it was that this is NOT an Alien sequel or prequel. What a load of rubbish! Anyone who says this isn't part of the Alien series must have watched a different film to me. From start to finish Prometheus references, homages, and develops the story of Ridley Scott's Alien original. In fact I would go as far as to say this is the film that ALIENS should have been... it is where the original director would have taken the sequel instead of the brainless follow ups that other directors and writers churned out.

The film's flaws lie in how much it borrows from Cameron's ALIENS, with the crew waking from stasis, the mission briefing being given only when they are already light years from home (who would sign up to such a mission?). When the film actually develops new legend for itself it is a credible and quality sci-fi film.

It also feels like there are few surprises because of its adherence to ALIEN continuity... such as the synthetic human. But there is an original story and some decent character development (some ropey too, but I'll let that go).

On the whole, if you accept it for what it is, Prometheus delivers a good storyline, impressive visuals, and a few genuine jumpy moments.

Really disappointing for fans of Simon Pegg's previous work. All the small-town charm and British humour has been ironed out and replaced with the tired, American 'stoner' gags. Imagine trying to enjoy 'Shaun Of The Dead' but the whole time Seth Rogan is burping smelly pot burps in your face, and you are pretty much getting the picture. The only time the film attempts to be anywhere near highbrow is with a thread about evolution vs creationism. The boys meet a girl who is a stereotypical bible-belt American Christian; and meeting an alien opens up a debate about her belief in creation. It is neither funny enough to be a joke nor balanced enough to be taken as a serious point. I hope the ill-thought out points get both Christians and atheists alike hopping mad, as neither are represented very well. One of the things that Simon Pegg is known for and has done well in the past is 'in-jokes'; usually quotes or mis-quotes from other movies, comics or TV shows. In 'Paul' the amount of quotes goes beyond affectionate nods to other films in the same genre and into the world of parody. By the time Sigourney Weaver is told "get away from her you bitch!" I was too bored of leaning over to explain to my wife why people were sniggering. That is sniggering, not laughing. Sorry Si - you messed up this time.

I believe this is one of those films you have to watch yourself to know if you like it or not. No amount of reviews will be able to help you decide.

The reason I say this is because it comes so close to fitting into several different genres, but somehow manages to stand out on its own.

At its core, 'Monsters' is a sci-fi movie. After all, it is about alien creatures. Yet it might not appeal to all sci-fi fans because there really isn't that much sci-fi or special effects in it! However, what there is looks beautiful and strangely well done. It has some elements in common with other "lo-fi" films such as Cloverfield, but again does not compare completely or fit in with that genre.

Really, give it a try. You might just love it as I did. It is by no means a perfect film, but shows what you can do on a tight budget. In my opinion this kicks many other larger-budget movies of 2010 into touch!

I know that so many reviews on IMDb are extreme, with reviewers either praising a film to the hilt or inarticulately tearing it to pieces. I find neither of these kind of reviews helpful, and so I do not give this film the awful review I am about to, lightly. The film is art-house science-fiction of the worst kind dressed up as a Hollywood blockbuster. The trailers draw you in by showing you what appears to be a cohesive plot, but is actually just a tiny part of a wilfully baffling series of events which are never properly resolved. I like films which challenge the viewer and I do not need to be spoon-fed a plot, and so my complaint against this film is not that it is too highbrow. No - the film is just terrible. As the credits roll you will feel genuine anger at having wasted your time on Cameron Diaz's wooden acting and a faltering plot-line. Avoid.

I know that is a harsh title for my comment, but I felt hugely let down by The League of Gentlemen. After a hilarious, and frankly genius first series, the show went quickly downhill with a messy second series that was neither comedy nor horror, and a third that relied on a format change as a rescue attempt. As for the movie - don't get me started.

If you felt like me, then even the title of 'Psychoville' may have conjured up the idea of a desperate attempt to be funny and scary at the same time.

Thankfully, 'Psychoville' IS funny. The weirdness is there, and it still makes you feel uncomfortable, but it is always played for laughs, and after 30 minutes you feel like you actually watched a comedy show. Yes I DO understand the concept of black comedy - but the balance has to be right, and so far (2 episodes in) this show is getting it right. Where 'League' struggled to decide what kind of show it was going to be, it's successor looks set to be the kind of show the writers always wanted.

This is my wife's favourite movie of all time. I watched it with trepidation, but to my surprise I enjoyed it and actually consider it to be a well-made movie. I should keep my comments about this movie, but I think it is worthy of note that this title has led to many copycat movies which all seem to have the same story... girl meets boy, girl and boy both have problems but overcome them through their love of dancing. You could view this genre very cynically for that reason, but I genuinely think that 'Save The Last Dance' was at least original at the time. The characters are real, the acting is solid and the music is well chosen. You can enjoy this film even if you don't enjoy hip-hop.

If you haven't yet seen this film but want to - I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "surely it isn't as bad as all these reviews make out!" or "I like M.Night's other films - I'm sure I'll enjoy this one". My personal reasoning for seeing this movie against advice from friends and fellow IMDb reviewers was "now that my expectations are so low, perhaps it will surprise me".

Let me assure you - ALL of the above are faulty reasoning. This film is terrible in EVERY way a film can be. The concept should be scary but is just ridiculous. The premise is revealed right from the start and there are NO surprises beyond this point. The dialogue is beyond Night's usual cheesy scripting and has crossed into the realm of amateur dramatics, and the lines are delivered by some of the worst actors on the C-list (Marky Mark minus his funky bunch, and the guy who played Luigi in Super Mario Bros).

Here is my spoiler - the film just ends without any resolution. You know how 'War Of The Worlds' ends.... when all hope is lost, the aliens just die from the common cold? I think M.Night has tried the same thing here and failed. Sci-Fi fans can still enjoy Spielbergs recent remake of the aforementioned because even when you know the ending, you are assured of a great ride there. The Happening is just a series of dull scenes with a reset button at the end.

Really... even if you are a fan of his work, you will leave this film hating M.Night for wasting 1 hour 28 minutes of your life that you will never get back. Send him a message - don't watch this movie.

This movie continues where the TV series left off.... "informing" women all over the world how things 'really are'.

Are women who inhabit the inner cities of the Western world really so much more enlightened about relationships and sex than everyone else? The entire SATC franchise proves not.

The original series is responsible for many women believing that 99% of the male population are b***ards. And circumcised.

Anyone who thinks SATC is enlightening or "tells it like it is" must be brain dead from the ankles up. It's script must read like a self-help book written by a reality TV star.

Anyone that rates this movie highly shames themself and should prepare themself for a soulless life of broken relationships and spinsterhood.

I thought this was a very poor film in every aspect. The director that turned the original Batman series into a vacuous fashion show has once again made a film that is all hype and no substance. The premise sounds interesting: a number that has some spooky significance. But this is badly executed from the start when the opening title sequence shows the number 23 occurring throughout history in important names and dates, contradicting the plot in which the number is a curse upon a single person. The effect is that by the time Carrey's character starts reeling off how the number has occurred through his life we have already seen how easy it is to contrive the number from almost anything, and any surprise or intrigue is lost. Carrey is capable of serious acting as proved in the excellent Truman Show and the underrated The Majestic, but here he detracts from the mood by making the character-building quips seem much funnier than they should be. This is not a terrible film, but it does not live up to any of the expectations it sets for itself. It is neither a credible horror, nor a vehicle for Jim Carrey's talents.

British films are often criticised for low budgets and their focus on small-town misery. Actually, the latter is probably a necessity of the former, but none of this is the case with 'Hot Fuzz'. Comedies don't need to rely on expensive production values, but Simon Pegg & co. have a brilliant knack of fusing a series of mismatching styles and on Hot Fuzz they intersperse the rural village storyline with all the high-octane thrills and gore of big budget action flicks. Fans of Pegg's brilliant nineties TV comedy 'Spaced' won't be surprised when they are spontaneously jerked out of a scene in a sleepy village police station and thrown into a montage of psychedelic imagery coupled with a drum and bass soundtrack.

But this film is far from 'cult' only, and will not disappoint anyone looking for laughs. It's not just a 'spoof' of cop films; it is more of a pastiche. Think more 'Scream' and less 'Scary Movie' (thank the maker) in that it references other cop/buddy movies as part of its plot line. 'Shaun of The Dead' fans will also be pleased with the movies moments of gore. Aside from one dodgy CGI moment involving some garden shears, the special effects are spot on and make you proud to be British.

Get over any fears you have of seeing British films at the cinema, and go see this movie. It is a work of genius. Encore, Mr Pegg!!

I originally saw this pilot on British TV some time during the 1980's. It was billed as a movie, but was actually made for TV as a potential action series which was never made. As such, it suffers from all the usual corny plot devices you expect from an 80's action show. That aside, Northstar is the most enjoyable piece of trash you can imagine. The plot is terrible - an astronaut looks at the sun during a spacewalk, and a solar flare hits him in the face. Instead of being fried or at least blinded for life, he gains super powers which only kick in when he looks directly at the sun! Of course this is a terrible example for children to follow, but we didn't worry about stuff like that in the 80's, and TV was better for it! Look out for the female doctor that treats the hero and tells him all about his special new powers - no doubt intended to be a romantic interest were it to be made into a series. This is also my favourite scene, where the doctor explains to Major North (yes - his name is 'North', he gets his powers from a star and the series is called 'Northstar' - genius!) how his powers work. Of course, she just happens to have a life-size replica of the Major behind a glass screen. She warns him not to use his powers for too long, and he watches in horror as his dummy's foam brain catches fire! Its a great film, a true cult-classic. Grab it if you can, and never let it go.

You may think that it would be nearly impossible for a fan of the band to write an objective review of this documentary, but I am going to try. Yes, this movie contains a lot of rare footage, live performances, and interviews with people who may not be familiar to anyone not utterly obsessed with They Might Be Giants; but it also contains Mark Hoppus and Frank Black. It is a documentary about They Might Be Giants; but it is also a unique story of a band breaking into the independent music scene. I only have one other friend that likes They Might Be Giants. Everyone else who has watched this movie had either (a)never heard of them, or (b)decided they didn't care for them too much. EVERYONE who has seen this movie with me has enjoyed it. It's funny, sad, and informative. By the end of the film you may not like TMBG but you WILL have an awesome respect for them and acknowledge their importance to the independent music scene.

Hey, I noticed everyone spotted the spoof of Knight Rider, but did anyone pick up on this - the plot line about getting super powers from the sun after coming close to it in space is lifted straight from another doomed pilot show 'Northstar' - in which a NASA astronaut got hit in the face by a solar flare and then got super powers every time he looked at the sun! The original show I'm talking about was pretty bad... I remember the guy being shown a model of himself to explain what would happen if he stared at the sun for too long... and the model's brain caught fire... Oh, it was quite shocking. Check it out, trivia fans.