What happens when humanity leaves earth and forgets to turn off the last robot? you get WALL.E the new animated feature from PIXAR or as I like to call it “The little robot that could” which is directed by Andrew Stanton who also wrote and directed Finding Nemo. Take the 80’s classic’s ‘Short Circuit’ and ‘Batteries not included’, throw in a love conquers all story and mix throughly with lashings of PIXAR magic and you get WALL.E. I have to admit I was intrigued from the trailers and the film itself doesn’t disappoint, WALL.E is for lack of a better word adorable.

WALL.E is a little rubbish disposal robot who has lived pretty much alone on earth for the past 700 years, his only friend is a dog like cockroach (you see they were right the bugs will survive anything) humans left earth due to the pollution crisis and are now living in space on huge cruise ship like space stations. One day while WALL.E is doing his own thing tidying and curiously playing with the various discarded objects he finds (often with hilarious results) a strange visiting robot arrives called EVE, she is a probe sent down by the humans to see if the earth is inhabitable. WALL.E’s curiosity gets the better of him, he is intrigued by this new visitor and gradually this curiosity develops into something more.

This really is an amazing film and PIXAR have gone the extra mile this time, I really felt for WALL.E it’s just amazing how they managed to convey so many human emotions in a little robot who to be honest barely speaks besides saying his name. The dialogue in this film is pretty sparse with almost all the emotion pouring through the movements and eyes of the two main characters. PIXAR have proved they truly are a cut above the rest in telling simple stories with HEART and trust me this film has a heart so huge even the coldest person will fall in love with little WALL.E as he tries his hardest to make EVE realise his true feelings. I won’t give away too much but I will say this film is a MUST SEE. I absolutely adored it and the mix of laugh out loud jokes and pure emotion made this a viewing treat. The animation is beautiful as always with PIXAR, with the added great messages regarding pollution and that even a robot has the ability to love. This is a film I will happily go see again and I couldn’t recommend it more highly if I tried.

Whilst the dvd finally reached UK a fair while ago after much delay, I’ve finally got round to watching it last night and reviewing it. The story is based on the novel by Futaro Yamada called the Kouga Ninja Scrolls. During the Tokugawa Shogunate, two rival ninja clans, Kouga and Iga have been rivals for 400 years. Gennosuke (Joe Odagiri) is in love with Oboro (Yukie Nakama) but each of them are from the two different ninja clans and their love for each other is forbidden. Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes worried at the possibility that these ninjas proclaimed as instruments of war will pose a threat throughout the peace of Japan and thus calls both rivals to call up 5 of their best warriors to fight each other with only one clan to claim supremacy.

 Overall the visual and cinematography of the film is brilliant with a clean and pure look. The imagery in moments is simply stunning showing Japan’s gorgeous surroundings from forestry to sunset skies. The fight scenes were impressive with nice touches of choreography. There is good and careful use of wire-fu to enhance the ninjas’ attributes of agility and skill.  The use of special abilities the ninja’s possessed and raw fighting skills were used exceptionally and well balanced, with fantastic use of CGI. The CGI was added exceptionally well and it’s refreshing to see an action film not rely too much on the use of CGI but subtle additions to enhance actions scenes such as the glowing eyes of Oboro. By end of the film however, it left me thinking that there wasn’t really a long sequence and epic climactic duel or battle between any of the ninjas, which was rather disappointing. Had there been such a fight or battle, I think it could have blended perfectly to the overall premise of the film.

 The acting does its job well and overall is solid with each character fitting their personality well; however Joe Odagiri is outstanding with the best performance of the film by far. His character although devastated and tormented by the events occurring, still seems to have a peaceful and determined spirit and his acting style to accommodate this was simply brilliant.

Alright well there are a few other parts of the film which in fairness I was slightly disappointed in.  I didn’t particularly feel too attached to any of the ninjas emotionally, however I wish I was as each character looked very interesting in their own distinguished way with excellent character designs (especially the stunning female ninjas may I add…) . With the exception of Oboro and Gennosuke, the characterisation of the other 8 ninjas was not fully brought into the story, rather highlighted. The love between Oboro and Gennosuke although very apparent and affectionate, the story didn’t seem to blossom too much on this even though it was one of the main progressions of the plot. I guess however if the story focused more on the relationship between Oboro and Gennosuke that would mean fewer stories on the other characters soooo I guess if the film was longer, the depth of character and relationships between the ninjas could have been shown more. There was an equal balance in drama and action however I think if there was some emphasis on character and confrontations then it could have brought out more emotional impact.

Apart from its flaws, I highly recommend Shinobi, at the end of the movie even though I thought there were parts that could have been better, it was very good viewing with an end credits song by Ayumi Hamasaki that is fantastic and fits the atmosphere perfectly.

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep is a fantasy family adventure based on the book by Dick King-Smith , Directed by Jay Russell (My Dog Skip) and staring Alex Etel, possibly better known for his shining turn in Danny Boyle’s Millions , Emily Watson and Ben Chaplin.

Angus MacMarrow is a lonely boy living in Scotland during World War II. With his father having gone away to war Angus fills his days playing alone around the local Loch, His life is changed forever upon finding a strange egg which he decides to take home. This is no ordinary egg as Angus discovers when it hatches and the only living ‘Water Horse’ is born, or to use the more common name the mythical Scottish Creature a Nessie. Angus name’s the creature Crusoe and decides to keep him as a pet, but as Crusoe grows Angus discovers he can’t keep him hidden forever.

A heart warming film about friendship and family which all ages will enjoy. I know I read the book as a child but sadly I don’t remember much of it to compare with the film, it never stuck in my mind as much as ’The Sheep-Pig’ , ’The Queen’s Nose’ or ’Magnus Powermouse’. I was surprised at how much I liked this film, the acting by Alex Etal was top notch yet again and I can see him as a child actor to watch. The special effects and Creature creation by Weta Digital and the Weta Workshop were great and brought a living breathing Nessie to life on the big screen. I personally really liked Crusoe’s creature design, you can really see the real animal references they used in creating his expressions shining through from dogs to whales and dolphins, The effects at times are flawlessly merged with the live action cinematography. By the end of the film I was left wanting a pet ‘water horse’ of my very own. A touching, heart warming film for all ages and a possible future family favourite.

The Eye is a remake of the Hong Kong Psychological Horror Jian Gui but of course with the added Hollywood gloss of Jessica Alba. This time around the story is directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud.

Sydney Wells was blinded in an accident at 5 years of age, after having one failed cornea transplant at the age of 12 she managed to build quite a successful life for herself as an accomplished violinist. The tale of horror begins after she finally has a cornea transplant after what seems to be her persistent sister begging her to. All is not well with these new eyes as Sydney quickly realises what she’s seeing isn’t what every one else does. Just who did these eyes belong to before her?, why does the world keep changing around her? And why do spectral entities keep appearing?

I can’t say I was overly excited about seeing this film, after having seen Jian Gui several years ago and jumping out of my skin on several occasions I couldn’t see a need for a remake. Sadly this film seems to go down the same murky and disappointing road as every other Asian Horror Hollywood remake. The story just don’t translate as well within American culture. The acting was at times very wooden and the story wasn’t handled at all well, being full of cheap glossed over thrills which I can only see being enjoyable on DVD if there happened to be alcoholic beverages involved. If you want to see a genuinely scary, psychological horror then rent Jian Gui and leave this mess in the bargain bucket. This film was only made for those who are unwilling to watch a by far superior version due to it being subtitled. My advice go see the Orphanage instead.

Lars and The Real Girl is a odd but touching black comedy directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Six Feet Under writer Nancy Oliver. Ryan Gosling is Lars an eccentric, shy recluse who lives in his elder brothers garage in a small town.

One day Lars has a surprise visitor whom he met over the internet, he excitedly introduces Bianca to his bewildered brother and his brothers wife played by Paul Schneider and Emily Mortimer. At first hearing the news they are all overwhelmed with joy that Lars may finally have found a nice girl, of course Bianca is no ordinary girl she is in fact a sex doll that Lars ordered over the internet. Lars appears to have developed a mental condition where he believes Bianca is actually a living breathing person, who he just happens to be in love with. After initially panicking his family rush Lars to see the local doctor who explains to them the only possible cure of Lars’ delusion is for them to all just play along with it and make Bianca feel as welcome as possible. As you can only guess an interesting and often at times comical series of events unfolds as the town welcomes Bianca their unconventional guest with open arms.

I will definitely say this film is different and often refreshingly so. I do enjoy unconventional relationships, this pretty much being as unconventional as you could possibly get. The acting is superb and at times the script is pure genius, I did feel that what initially started off as an extremely interesting idea did run out of steam towards the end. Sadly the final moments of the film weren’t as memorable or inventive as I hoped they would be. I would recommend this film if you want to see a film that’s heart warming, comical and makes you consider what it is to be human but I do think the film could have been more ground breaking. A very enjoyable if not strange viewing delight.

The Other Boleyn Girl is a historical romp directed by Justin Chadwick and based on the best selling novel by Philippa Gregory. The film stars Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn and Scarlett Johansson as her sister Mary Boleyn with Eric Banna as Henry VIII.

As you can guess by the title the film it’s about The other Boleyn girl i.e. Mary, who was a one time mistress to Henry VIII prior to his marriage to her elder (or according to some historical evidence younger) sister Anne. I always loved Tudor history and given Anne’s renowned feisty nature I though this could indeed be a very interesting film. The film is extensively about sibling rivalry with Anne the feisty, precocious schemer and Mary the quiet, homely and beautiful even though she is unaware sister. When the Boleyn family find out Henry is unhappy in his marriage to Catherine, the family sets about a scheme to raise the families power within the court. This involves using the Boleyn sisters to woo and eventually bed the unhappy king.

Given this is a historical film we all know what eventually happens, Anne marries Henry and sets about the establishment of the protestant church within England. She also causes uproar within the country as a whole, is accused of incest and eventually loses her head. The film looks great as most historical epics do but I can’t help but find the meat of the story really lacking. I have heard a lot of the book was cut out due to the wish of the films makers to keep the piece closer to the historical truth. I’m unsure who you are indeed meant to sympathise with as I personally prefer Anne to Mary even though she is difficult and egocentric not to mention very cunning. I was hoping for more from this film but it left me not feeling much apart from when Anne took to the scaffold at the end of the film, where I did feel for her and how misguided she was even though she did indeed cause her troubles herself.

I would say wait for the DVD with this one unless you want to just see Natalie or Scarlett on the huge screen in corsets, as I can’t exactly say this film was bodice rippingly good.

The Orphanage (El Orfanato) is a Mexican psychological Horror/ Thriller Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona. Let me begin by saying I personally adore Spanish/Mexican Horror, I believe they do the whole psychological aspect as well as the best Asian cinema, but with a little fairy tale flare added to the mix. So when I heard about this film at Fright Fest I was literally chomping at the bit to see it. I know there have been a lot of comparisons with Pan’s Labyrinth due to Guillermo del Toro’s name being tied in with this film but I must say this is all together a different beast but as thrilling a ride as the other title.

Laura once an orphan is delighted to find her childhood home for sale, she instantly decides to embark on running the orphanage but this time for handicapped children. Upon moving into the old house her son Simon begins to communicate with an invisible friend. When Simon goes missing without a trace, Laura goes on a frantic search to find him, but is he indeed missing or are children just playing games.

I really loved this film, anything that can have me jumping in my seat and close to tears the next minute is a winner in my book. There are so many twists and turns in the plot, the film looks sumptuous and there are many thrills and jumps on the way to the films dramatic conclusion. I will say I did guess the end about half way in but I won’t reveal any details. If you want a thoroughly good psychological horror this is the film for you.

Visit The Orphanage they are all waiting to play with you.

Thanks to its clever viral marketing on MySpace and countless other websites devoting to the movie, J.J. Abrams’ ambitions homage to monster flicks takes a new step further by providing an unique viewpoint on a giant creature destroying Manhattan.

The film begins as if someone is watching a videotape that has been found after a mysterious incident in New York City, codenamed ‘Cloverfield’. We briefly see images of a young good-looking couple, Robert Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) and Elizabeth “Beth” McIntyre (Odette Yustman) before we realise that someone has taped over their day at Coney Island with footage of Rob’s leaving party, before he heads off to Japan.

However, during the party there’s an attack on New York by an initially unseen monster and everyone runs for the streets, just in time to witness the head of the Statue of Liberty come crashing to the ground. With one of his friends still filming – Hudson “Hud” Platt (T. J. Miller) – in the same style of the Blair Witch Project, Rob and his friends risk their lives to rescue Beth before attempting to flee the city.

The action sequences in Cloverfield are pretty intense with echoes to the chaotic moments that followed 9/11, with buildings crumbling to rubble and panic in the city streets. The use of a video camera shot from the victim perspective is a distinctive step of documentary events as it unfolds. Sure, the camerawork might cause some viewers to become ill with the constant shaking and movement but in the age of Web 2.0 and YouTube, the director – Matt Reeves – handles the central concept extremely well, perfectly capturing the sense of fear and mayhem, while maintaining exactly the sort of breathless pace that you’d expect if you were fleeing a giant monster.

Cloverfield is certainly frightening that you left thinking that this attack could happen… The only criticism is all that running and screaming doesn’t provide enough characterisation or dialogue. In addition, we don’t get any back-story on why this monster is here in New York City stomping, eating and causing as much damage as possible.

Despite that, the film is superbly directed with some skilful use of editing – from the happier times of Rob and Beth to the horror of his close friends dying one by one… Cloverfield is an enjoyable thriller that adds a modern twist to the Godzilla-style monster movie, though it’s slightly let down by its characters and plot.

Based on the stage musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street stars Johnny Depp as Benjamin Baker, who returns to 19th century London after fifteen years in exile, seeking revenge against Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), who imprisoned Barker and stole his wife (Laura Michelle Kelly) and infant daughter.

Renaming himself as Sweeney Todd, Benjamin sets himself up as a barber, above a grotesque pie shop run by Mrs Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who has always secretly loved him.

When Todd kills a blackmailing rival barber (Sacha Baron Cohen), he finds himself with a body on his bloody hands, until Mrs Lovett hits upon an innovative solution that soon sees her pie shop transformed into a roaring success. Meanwhile, as Todd plots his vengeance against Turpin, a young sailor (Jamie Campbell Bower) falls in love with Todd’s imprisoned daughter (Jayne Wisener) and vows to rescue her.

This sixth collaboration with director Tim Burton, Johnny Depp delivers an exceptional performance in the leading role that combines the gothic horror, black comedy and heartache similar to his previous hit in Edward Scissorhands.

As for his singing, Depp’s vocal performance was full of passion with a nod to David Bowie. He may not be a great singer, but his voice was both distinctive and perfectly suited to the part as the demon barber.

Helena Bonham Carter was terrific as Mrs Lovett providing some laughs thanks to her sharp wit. She can also sing well with the dreamy summer sequence the highlight.

As for the supporting cast, Alan Rickman brings a crafty charisma to Judge Turpin alongside the creepy Timothy Spall as Beadle Bamford. As for Sacha Baron Cohen – better known as Ali G and Borat – his short appearance was memorable thanks to his humour as Signor Adolfo Pirelli.

Despite the gory factor, Sweeney Todd is a beautifully directed, superbly designed and suitably bloodthirsty musical. Entertaining with a sense of dark comical moments make this a movie to remember.

Based on the popular manga by Yoshiki Takaya, Guyver: The Biosboosted Armour is about two high school students, Sho Fukumachi and Tetsuro Segawa who accidentally find a Guyver Unit, a strange device which can fuse with a host to give them immense power and abilities. Three Guyver units have been taken and are being searched for by the Chronos Coropration. The Guyver unit reacts and fuses with Sho and becoming the Guyver. As the Chronos search team come across Sho to disengage the Guyver Unit they are eradicated easily unknowing to Sho who could not control his new found power. Following this, the Chronos Corporation will do anything they can to retrieve the Guyver Units. As the guyver unit is now a physical part of Sho he must come to accept his enw power and fight for the ones he loves to evade and thwart the Chronos Corporation.

At first the plot is simple bringing in the key characters and what is to be expected throughout the series. As the series progresses there is a continuous theme to Sho gaining new abilities each episode and fighting a tougher opponent much like levelling up. During the middle and end, the story delves deeper looking at the existence of mankind and how the Guyver units were created which brings in a whole side to the series making it more engaging.

Having not seen the previous OVA series or read the manga, I don’t know how this one compares but it did feel nostalgic and retro from its theme and dialogue, especially the characters from Sho being the one who cares for his friends and family and always find strength from them to Tetsuro being Sho’s best friend and always concerned.

The visuals to me were solid at best, but it lacked flair and intricacy especially in the character designs, however some of the Guyver units just looked plain awesome. I thought the action scenes whilst were decent enough and had a sense of being retrospective, it could have had more style and persona added to it. Guyver: the Bioboosted Armor certainly isn’t one of the best out there right now but it is certainly very good and definitely worth watching right to the end.