Tomato |
Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2009) |
"A truly uplifting 80 minutes of film, you owe it to yourselves to check out The Story of Anvil, and you then owe it to the band to buy their albums and help put them back where they belong - at the summit of mount metal." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 4.5/5 |
Avatar (2009) |
"One of the most exhilarating, barmy and eye-wateringly gorgeous movies of the decade." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 4/5 |
Bruno (2009) |
"May be the funniest film of the year thus far, but it doesn't come close to reaching the comedic heights of his previous effort, Borat." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 3/5 |
Cass (2008) |
"A mature take on this most contentious of issues, and quite possibly the best film on the subject in 20 years." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 4.5/5 |
Cloverfield (2008) |
"Feels like one big, masterfully executed experiment in upping the ante in audience manipulation, and it works brilliantly." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 3.5/5 |
Crank High Voltage (2009) |
"The Stath is pretty much the most bankable name in action movies today, and his unhinged work in High Voltage, indulging in an explosion of murder and mayhem with gusto and glee, should certainly see him retain that title." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 3.5/5 |
The Damned United (2009) |
"An incredibly entertaining 95 minutes spent in the company of one of the game's most interesting characters, and a testament to the way in which friendship can save us in our darkest hour." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 5/5 |
The Dark Knight (2008) |
"The Dark Knight is so thrillingly-executed, primeval and exhilarating, it will forever sear itself into your consciousness. It might also be the most intelligent blockbuster movie ever made." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 3.5/5 |
Daybreakers (2010) |
"A gripping feature that is just as likely to provoke thought as it is fear." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 3/5 |
Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009) |
"Zemeckis has succeeded is transforming a staid and over-familiar story into a rip-roaring and viscerally powerful special effects chase-movie." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 4/5 |
District 9 (2009) |
"A highly admirable sci-fi flick that crackles with wit, invention, imagination and ingenuity." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 4.5/5 |
Drag Me To Hell (2009) |
"It's a visceral assault on the senses and will have you gasping for breath as the laughs and scares mount. Raimi directs with the confidence and flair of a genre master." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 4/5 |
Franklyn (2009) |
"Marks McMorrow as a director to watch, one unafraid of taking risks and going against the grain of the British film industry. It's not for everyone, but surrender to the limitless ambition and off-kilter tone and it's an engaging 100 minutes." |
Joe Utichi |
Tomato 3/5 |
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) |
"In spite of many misgivings, including ropey CGI, convoluted storytelling and a smattering of horribly over-the-top performances, G.I. Joe is a blast from start-to-finish." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 4/5 |
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) |
"It doesn't reach the magical heights of Alfonso Cuaron's truly spellbinding Prisoner of Azkaban, but Yates is fast approaching that territory, which bodes well for his helming of the final instalments." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 4/5 |
Heavy Metal In Baghdad (2008) |
"Heavy Metal in Baghdad is one of those sneaky documentaries that starts out a light-hearted look at a semi-serious subject, and then suddenly turns into something far more moving and profound." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato |
In Search of a Midnight Kiss (2008) |
"Obviously heavily influenced by the likes of Swingers and Before Sunrise, it nevertheless manages to find its own voice, combining sentiment with cynicism to create a very modern romantic comedy." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 3/5 |
The Incredible Hulk (2008) |
"Marvel has managed to shape yet another fine piece of slick, if somewhat disposable action-entertainment. The Incredible Hulk is a less ambitious but more wholly realised and coherent vision of the character than previous versions." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 3.5/5 |
Inglourious Basterds (2009) |
"An entertaining yet uneven movie that provides comedy, drama and some interesting psychological twists and turns, but never quite delivers on that 'men on a mission' promise." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 3/5 |
Iron Man (2008) |
"In place is a talented cast, an interesting director, an established lead character, and a wealth of plots from the comics ready to be mined for future storylines. Despite Iron Man's problems, it will definitely leave you wanting more." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 3.5/5 |
Juno (2007) |
"Heart-warming, thought-provoking and beautifully played, it that tackles a serious subject with sensitivity and grace while providing more than a few laughs along the way." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 3.5/5 |
The Killing Gene (2008) |
"The most unusual and original horror film to be made on these isles in many a year." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 4.5/5 |
Man On Wire (2008) |
"It's an incredible story, and in Man on Wire, Marsh has made a documentary that's worthy of his walk." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 3/5 |
Michael Jackson's This Is It (2009) |
"Die-hard supporters of Jackson will find much to admire in This Is It, however non MJ fans may find the movie's inability to reach beneath the surface of the singer unsatisfying, as well as troubled by the slightly grubby genesis of the movie." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 3.5/5 |
Outlander (2009) |
"An excellent creature feature. A B movie in the best sense of the word, Outlander could teach many of the so-called summer blockbusters a thing or two about character, story and performance." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 4/5 |
Persepolis (2007) |
"Persepolis makes this most difficult of subjects at once watchable, accesible, and ultimately unforgettable." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 4.5/5 |
Public Enemies (2009) |
"It’s refreshing to see some grown-up mainstream filmmaking during the summer months. The film shows you can have star-driven action films that also deliver an emotional and visceral punch in the heart of blockbuster season." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 3.5 |
Quantum of Solace (2008) |
"A cracking action film, but nothing more. The emotional power, intelligence and sheer stylishness of Casino Royale has been lost amidst the noisy blur of sub-Bourne action sequences." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 4/5 |
Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation (1989) |
"Given that copyright wrangles mean it may never get released, Adaptation is a covetable, Indy-worthy treasure in its own right." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 4/5 |
RocknRolla (2008) |
"He's hardly re-inventing the wheel with this movie, but RocknRolla is nonetheless a comedy thriller that is every bit as accomplished as his early work, and without doubt an witty, adrenalin-fuelled blast from start to finish." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 3.5/5 |
Sherlock Holmes (2009) |
"Sherlock Holmes is never less than entertaining throughout however, and the marvellous chemistry between the leads practically demands a sequel." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 4.5/5 |
Son of Rambow (2008) |
"You'd have to be a bigger cynic than Richard Dawkins not to have your cockles warmed by this gem." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 4/5 |
Speed Racer (2008) |
"The directors have been outrageously successful in creating one of the most trippy, visually astonishing mainstream movies ever made, and have even thrown in some good-old-fashioned story-telling and morality into this kaleidoscopic brew for good measure." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 3.5/5 |
Star Trek (2009) |
"J.J. Abrams gives Kirk and Spock a new lease of life, but the plot is a mess." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 3.5/5 |
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) |
"Deserves kudos for attempting to bring a cerebral and extremely violent story, told almost entirely in song, to the multiplex masses. It's just a shame that, ironically, there's little humanity beneath Sweeney Todd's sumptuous outer pastry." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 4/5 |
Taking Woodstock (2009) |
"It may not be on a par with Brokeback, nor as powerful as Lust, Caution, but Taking Woodstock is another triumph for Ang Lee, a director whose resume gets more and more diverse with every project he tackles." |
Joe Utichi |
Tomato 5/5 |
There Will Be Blood (2007) |
"A towering, tour-de-force display in cinematic virtuosity; and an incredibly ambitious, deliberate stab at greatness by the director. Only time will tell if he's pulled it off." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 3.5/5 |
Thirst (2009) |
"Thirst may not be the greatest vampire movie ever made, but Park's willingness to try something different makes it a decidedly fresh take on the genre." |
Joe Utichi |
Tomato 3/5 |
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) |
"It was clearly the director's intention to paint Revenge of the Fallen on an epic canvas. It's more of the same - a lot more." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 3/5 |
Tropic Thunder (2008) |
"The first hour of the film has an energy and wit that makes it a joy to behold, but as Stiller tries to tie it all together into a cohesive hole, the humour drains from the piece, and it all becomes a little tiresome." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 3.5 |
Twilight (2008) |
"We've never read the books, we're not a 13-year old girl, and yet we actually quite enjoyed it..." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Tomato 5/5 |
Up (2009) |
"A near perfect feature, a thrilling combination of humour, pathos, action and drama. Utterly original, endlessly inventive, and brilliantly crafted to appeal to old and young alike, it may well be Pixar's finest feature yet." |
Chris Tilly |
Tomato 3/5 |
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) |
"Wolverine is fun, enjoyable and occasionally exciting, but 24 hours after you've left the cinema, you might remember as little about the events of the movie as Wolverine himself." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Splat 2/5 |
2012 (2009) |
"It feels about 2012 minutes too long, a bloated epic that outstays its welcome long before the credits have rolled." |
Chris Tilly |
Splat 2/5 |
Angels & Demons (2009) |
"With such guiltily enjoyable hokum as a Dan Brown page-turner, you wonder what would have happened if someone actually had fun with it and, maybe, let us have some too. By treating trash as art, they've really taken the thrill out of this thriller." |
Tom Hawker |
Splat 1/5 |
Babylon A.D. (2008) |
"When your source material is as derivative and silly as this film's to begin with, you a have the perfect recipe for an all-mighty turkey. No wonder Kassovitz is hiding on the beach." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Splat 2.5/5 |
Be Kind Rewind (2008) |
"The director has attempted to construct quite a complex little film here, but only parts of this delicate concoction work effectively. The movie feels like a strange, lightweight piece of ephemeral fluff." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Splat 1.5/5 |
Dragonball: Evolution (2009) |
"A charmless, somewhat cynical attempt to cash in on one of the most beloved anime franchises of all time." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Splat 1/5 |
The Eye (2008) |
"It's all based on the creepy little Chinese film Gin gwai, an atmospheric spine-tingler that, we're sad to say, is considerably more frightening than this tame effort." |
Orlando Parfitt |
Splat 2.5 |
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) |
"Dahl aficionados will be disappointed at the Americanisation of it all, while Anderson fans will doubtless grow tired of the predictable nature of proceedings." |
Chris Tilly |
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