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Film Reviews

Shatner's never felt better

Captain James T Kirk, T J Hooker and Denny Crane. William Shatner has certainly created some memorable characters during a film and television career spanning more than 60 years.

Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Hobbit will satisfy fans, but won't win new ones

OPINION: It was always going to be a hard act to follow.

Twilight: more whimper than bang

REVIEW: The final Twilight film opened at midnight in Christchurch to more of a whimper than a bang.

Once upon a time in Otago

Charlie Gates checks out the premiere of the world's first 'pavlova western'.

The Hunger Games: the next big thing

REVIEW: The Hunger Games has been hyped as the next big film franchise. Thankfully, the book this film is based on is actually bloody good.

Offbeat and engaging

The Press movie reviewer James Croot gives Headhunters four stars.

Sione's 2: 'A love letter to women'

REVIEW: Sione's 2: Unfinished Business rejoins the action years after the original.

Hugo is sparkling cinema

REVIEW: Martin Scorsese, the creative genius behind Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas directing a children's fantasy?

Shipwreck movie a bit of a disaster

Mike Mitchell directs a ship wreck writes James Croot.

Getting jiggy

James Croot ventures into an arena filled with peasant dresses, curly wigs and flying feet.

Choosing between necrophilia and bestiality

REVIEW: For the die-hard Twilighters, this slice of sparkly vampire cake will have them craving the final piece - due out next year.

Drive is a triumph for the big screen

From the electric pink opening credits to Cliff Martinez's (Traffic) unsettling, understated electronica-heavy score, Drive harks back to the stylish action-thrillers of the early 1980s.

Bloodier but not full-bore gore

A remake of Fright Night "smoulders in more ways than one".

THE TRIP (M) Directed by Michael Winterbottom

The Trip: middle-age-angst-filled humour

Britain has developed something of a reputation for producing cracking comedy duos.

Story of young chimp brings another slice of 1970s eccentricity

JAMES CROOT - © Fairfax NZ News

With its compelling true-life story, eccentric characters and dramatic tension, James Marsh's Man on Wire documentary was one of the hits of the 2009 Film Festival.

BRIDESMAIDS (R16)

Directed by Paul Feig

REVIEWED BY MARGARET AGNEW - © Fairfax NZ News

Having been a bridesmaid and a bride this millennium, I feel qualified to watch this film with an insider's view to the foibles of these fabulous yet fearfully fraught feminine functions.

THE HANGOVER PART II (R16)

Directed by Todd Phillips

REVIEWED BY MARGARET AGNEW - © Fairfax NZ News

There's a clue in the opening song's lyrics to how this flick's going to play out: "It's a bad man's world." But if you've seen The Hangover, you know exactly what you're in for with The Hangover Part II.

CARS 2 (G)

Directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis

REVIEWED BY MARGARET AGNEW (WITH HELP/HINDRANCE FROM THEO AGNEW-WALSHE) - © Fairfax NZ News

Yes, Pixar has come back for another lap.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: The First Avenger (M)

Directed by Joe Johnston

REVIEWED BY MARGARET AGNEW - © Fairfax NZ News

I've been trying to put my finger on what annoyed me so much about Captain America.

Film review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

MARGARET AGNEW - © Fairfax NZ News

REVIEW: Whatever you think of J K Rowling's wizard creation, there's no doubt her stories have helped shape Generation Hex - the children who have grown up captivated by each instalment of the adventures of her school-age wizards and witches.

Kung Fu Panda 2

The Return of the Furious Five

REVIEWED BY JAMES CROOT - © Fairfax NZ News

Black keeps Po-faced sequel from being too dark

Russian Snark

Directed by Stephen Sinclair

REVIEWED BY JAMES CROOT - © Fairfax NZ News

Tired of being unappreciated and misunderstood, veteran Russian filmmaker Misha (Stephen Papps) casts himself adrift from his homeland and set sail for pastures new.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Directed by Michael Bay

REVIEWED BY JAMES CROOT - © Fairfax NZ News

Visual incoherence, clunky dialogue, racist robots and Deception Balls. 2008 Transformers sequel Revenge of the Fallen truly was a sequelus horribilus.

Super 8

Super tale for the young and not so young

REVIEWED BY JAMES CROOT - © Fairfax NZ News

Gremlin-free tale as JJ Abrams takes us back for the future of cinema's sake.

In A Better World

Directed by Suzannah Bier

REVIEWED BY JAMES CROOT - © Fairfax NZ News

Cancer has caused more than just Christian’s (William Jøhnk Juels Nielsen) mother’s death. It has also forced the pre-teen and his father back from London to their native Denmark.

Hoodwinked Too

Directed by Mike Disa

REVIEWED BY JAMES CROOT - © Fairfax NZ News

Defeating the dangerous Boingo Bunny should have been a cause for celebration but it only lead to chaos for the members of the Happily Ever After Agency.

Barney's Version

Directed by Richard J Lewis

REVIEWED BY JAMES CROOT - © Fairfax NZ News

Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti) is convinced the third time will be the charm.

Burke and Hare

Directed by John Landis

REVIEWED BY JAMES CROOT - © Fairfax NZ News

Thirty years ago John Landis reinvigorated the near moribund comedy horror genre with the hilarious An American Werewolf in London.

The Conspirator

Directed by Robert Redford

REVIEWED BY JAMES CROOT - © Fairfax NZ News

Having fought for the Union for four long years, Captain Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) is looking forward to some time away from the battlefield.

Water for Elephants

Thumbs up for Francis Lawrence film

Water For Elephants is your typical love triangle (or quadrangle), but this swoony, dramatic, high-stakes romance has an old-timey twist.

Sanctum

Lots of 3D, but no depth

REVIEWED BY MARGARET AGNEW - © Fairfax NZ News

Schlock horror and bad dialogue mar 3D caving drama, says our reviewer

True Grit

True Grit is truly great, says our reviewer

REVIEWED BY MARGARET AGNEW - © Fairfax NZ News

The Coen brothers are back in the saddle with an old school, straight-shooting western.

Black Swan

A load of old cobblers?

REVIEWED BY MARGARET AGNEW - © Fairfax NZ News

Is Black Swan a sharp-edged psychological thriller or pseudo-intellectual cobblers?

The Dilemma

Directed by Ron Howard

REVIEWED BY JAMES CROOT - © Fairfax NZ News

A tepid, tedious brom-com.

The Fighter

Directed by David O Russell

REVIEWED BY MARGARET AGNEW - © Fairfax NZ News

A damn good movie

The King's Speech

Acclaimed movie worth the accolades

The King's Speech wins out with vivid dialogue and great cast

Burlesque

Christina Aguilera and Cher in dance movie

REVIEWED BY JAMES CROOT - © Fairfax NZ News

An entertaining movie, but perhaps not always for the right reasons

Desert Flower

Directed by Sherry Horman

REVIEWED BY JAMES CROOT - © Fairfax NZ News

A fascinating but slightly flawed take on a remarkable woman’s life

Yogi Bear

Directed by Eric Brevig

REVIEWED BY JAMES CROOT - © Fairfax NZ News

Lazily plotted and tiredly predictable.

Unstoppable

Unstoppable is basic, fun popcorn fodder

Denzel Washington and Chris Pine try to stop a runaway train.

The Top 10 Films of 2010

Ten of this year's best movies

A New Zealand boy with a Michael Jackson fixation was one of 2010's film hits, but what was the best?

Little Fookers

Directed by Paul Weitz

He might have gained a promotion since we last saw him six years ago, but life hasn't gotten any easier for Greg Focker (Ben Stiller).

Gulliver's Travels

Jack Black is so huge right now

Our reviewer finds Gulliver's Travels tolerable but disposable holiday entertainment, more enjoyable for the younger set, but instantly forgettable.

The kids are all right

Directed by Lisa Cholodenko

It's the birthday 15-year-old Laser (Josh Hutcherson) has been most looking forward to.

Somewhere

Directed by Sofia Coppola

After the mixed reception to her time-bending, New Romantic take on Marie Antoinettenf, Sofia Coppola returns, after a four-year hiatus, with a film that takes her very much back to ifLost in Translationnf territory.