February's film viewing....

Having returned from Korea, and being quite sick for most of the month, February has given me a lot of time to catch a few films. Some good, some not so good.

But here's the list in order of viewing, i'll pick my top 3 at the bottom. If you guys have seen anything worth watching, let me know or feel free to comment on the films i've seen.

Piranha

Unfortunately, i didn't see the 3D version, but i bet Kelly Brooks boobs and the giant, bitten off penis that was hurtled towards the screen would have looked GREAT in eye popping 3D. lame script, lame acting, lame effects, but the film knows it and is a lot of fun. I liked it a whole more than i thought i was going to!

Nine

Not really for me, this one. Thought it was quite dull and was lacking that "pizazz" that 'Chicago' had. Plus, for a musical, the songs were pretty crap.

A Single Man

Loved it. Looked great but not as stylised as some made out, and i thought the acting was great. This was the film that Colin Firth should have won the Oscar for, not the "oh, it's his time..." bollocks that got him it for The Kings Speech. Which leads me on nicely to....

The Kings Speech

Good acting, yep, looks good, yep, it's about the monarchy, sure, but i really didn't see what all the fuss was about here. It's great for British cinema and all that, but when will we ever see a 'Nil by Mouth' esque British film doing well and not something based around the British elite. Having said that, this poster is a hoot, isn't it? Look how cheeky Geoffrey Rush looks. Yeeeah, look at you, ya' little scally wag. I wonder what cheeky chappy ideas he's got going on there? Probably thinking why have Miramax photoshopped a picture from 20 years ago to his body, that's what...

RED

I actually really enjoyed RED. Some good stunts. Some great chemistry between Willis, Freeman and Malkovich. A great plane ride film. Unlike...

Paranormal Activity 2

Crap. Utter crap. it wasn't as bad as the first one seeing as the annoying boyfriend was hardly in it, but Paranormal Activity has clearly become a cash cow which the industry fully intends to milk dry. Horror/Sci fi is probably my favourite genre of film, and i fully appreciate how great the first Paranormal Activity was at promoting itself and appreciate the stir it caused. But take all that away, you're left with nothing but hand held cam with two attempts at scares, and a trailer that tells you how scary it is, which, which makes you think you're scared even before you've seen the film, when the film isn't scary at all! Scariest film in years, my arse! Paranormal Activity 3 is scheduled for release later this year if you're interested.

Let Me In

Now, Let the Right One In was a horror film. One of the best films of the last 10 years if you ask me. I was worried about a remake and was reluctant to see it. Part of me thought right after seeing the original, that would i have liked it as much if it was in English? While i preferred the original a great deal, i still enjoyed this a lot and thought it did the original justice. Didn't quite capture the same feeling of unease and i think the final scene was poorly recreated, but on the whole a solid effort.

The Inside Job

If you're too lazy to read a paper, or look on the Internet for the causes of the global melt down, watch this. It was a good film. Informative and what not, but how this beat 'Exit through the Gift Shop' is beyond me. But let's be honest, like i said, this is a topic that a lot of people could have researched themselves whereas who really knew about underground street art except for underground street artists? Everyone has a bank account and knows how they were swindled, but not everyone has a Banksy.

Never Let Me Go

I'm sure it's a great book, but for me, it just didn't work as a film. Not as a story and not as a piece of Art. Not enough interesting shots to work as an Art film, and not enough character development to work as a story on screen.

Paul

Funny enough to satisfy Frost and Pegg fans, but falls way short of hitting the heights set by Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Full review is here.

Black Swan

Loved it. Absolutely loved it. There aren't enough words to describe how much i loved Black Swan. Oh wait, yes there are. Right here! If you haven't noticed yet, i liked this film...A LOT!

True Grit

I'm not usually a fan of Westerns, but this was directed by the Coen's so i thought i would give it a go and was pleasantly surprised. I couldn't quite put my finger on what i liked so much about it, but then i couldn't put my finger on what i didn't like, either. Good acting, good directing, good script...the film looks great!...overall it was just a solid film. Well worth a watch.

Rollin With the Nines

After having worked for the director last year on a project, i had a few hours spare and decided to see his first feature. While it is obviously very low-budget, it had some very good action sequences and it was nice seeing something different to the mockey "fackin' ell guvnor'" type gangsters that were coming out left right and centre at the time.

Bonnie and Clyde

I don't remember this film being so funny the first time i watched it and i'm sure this wasn't supposed to be the case. Watch as part of a film club, but i'd recommend watching it by yourself, as it's a classic and was one of the most controversial films in it's day.

Waiting for Superman

A harsh look at the education system in the United States. Heart breaking at times but interesting watch none the less. It also made me thank my lucky stars that i wasn't born a poor boy in America. Man that would suck.

Blue Valentine

I loved it. A heartbreaking and sometimes uncomfortable portrayal of a relationship when two people fall out of love. Really great stuff. Not much of a story here, more of an insight, but really great none the less. You can read a review from the Electric Fleapit here.

The Nutty Professor

Erm...maybe it was because i........erm........you see, Eddie Murphy used to be....erm........the make up effects at the time were.......oh whatever! SCREW YOU, OK! DON'T YOU FRICKIN' JUDGE ME! IT WAS LATE, IT CAME ON AND I COULDN'T STOP WATCHING IT, OK! I JUST COULDN'T STOOOOOOOOP!!!!

So, number 1 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis....

1. Black Swan

2. Blue Valentine

3. True Grit

If ay of you guys have any films that you watched last month that you'd like to share with me, please do. If you think i've got the wrong opinion about any of the films i've seen, let me know that too. But please don't bother if you're going to tell me i'm wrong about Paranormal Activity, as i'll just stick my fingers in my ears and go "LALALALALALALALALALA, I AM NOT LISTNING TO YOOOOOOU"!!!!

Movie Review - Paul

Shaun of the Dead was one of the few genuine surprises i've had in my years of going to the cinema. I didn't really think a rom-com-zom would be for me, but i loved it. it was hilarious, and the chemistry between Simon Pegg and Nick Frost was fantastic. Then came Hot Fuzz. It didn't quite hit the heights of it's predecessor, but i laughed a great deal none the less, and it was a cracking homage to action films everywhere. Now the third Frost and Pegg collaboration is Paul, which sees our duo accompanied by Seth Rogan as the Alien which the film is named after. After viewing a trailer, it didn't seem like a film i was dying to see, but with 2 hours to kill between Black Swan and True Grit, and seeing how i hadn't been let down by Frost and Pegg in the past, i decided to give it a go.

Paul tells the story of British comic book geeks, Graeme Willy (Simon Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Nick Frost) who, while on holiday in the US visiting famous UFO hot spots, encounter an alien named 'Paul'. As you might expect, Paul, is on a mission to get home and needs the help of Willy and Gollings. Unlike E.T, paul is a foul mouthed, chain smoking, beer drinking, R-rated Alien who likes boobs and eating birds. Their mission to get Paul home is made more difficult as they encounter not only CIA send agents, lead by special agent Lorenzo Zoil (Jason Bateman) but rednecks looking to kick some gay ass, and god-fearing folk looking to get back his daughter.

When i first saw that Seth Rogan was supplying the voice of Paul, i was a little bit skeptical as i feel i have suffered from Seth Rogan overload in recent years, and have become bored and diluted with him playing the same character and telling the same jokes in every film. However, Seth Rogen as Paul worked . Every time he spoke i laughed. It's the same drunk, foul mouthed stoner comedy you'd probably expect, but coming out of the mouth of a 3-foot tall alien, i found it hilarious. Sadly, this was the only thing that stood out about the film.

That's not to say there is nothing else to enjoy about Paul, it's just that while the film is a an enjoyable popcorn flick, it comes no way near to reaching the heights of Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz. The chemistry between Pegg and Frost was at time the funniest and most endearing thing about their previous films, but in Paul, this chemistry seems to have been substituted for foul mouthed toilet humour. Not that i find 'dick' jokes and swearing offensive in any way, i just expected more. The supporting cast are funny at times, but it all feels a little bit too try-hard and dare i say it; American! I can understand a desire for the film to be set in the US and to try and break an american audience, but i felt Pegg and Frost just looked a little alien (no pun intended) and lost in their surroundings.

Paul will be a hardcore science fiction fans dream in trying to count the number of references to other films, but i just felt like something was missing. Whether it be the the American setting, or the inferior supporting cast, it just never really got out of second gear and never quite captured the magic of Shaun of the Dead of Hot Fuzz. But hey, maybe that's my problem and my problem alone and you guys will love it, as it was still an enjoyable film with plenty of laughs throughout

Movie Review - Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky is fast becoming one of the most exciting directors of the 21st Century. From his frenetic debut, Pi, through to my favourite film of the last decade, The Wrestler, he is on par with The Coen Brothers and Christopher Nolan as someone whose films i will go to any lengths to see. During Black Swan's initial launch, i was in South Korea where it was deemed unfit for a theatrical release, (i guess murder and lesbian sex isn't everyones cup of tea. . . ) so i found myself having to "go out of my way" to watch it on a tiny screen with poor speakers. Definitely not the way Black Swan was intended to be seen. I enjoyed it enough, but jumped at the chance to see the film in the cinema once i returned to the UK. Hey, murder and lesbian sex ARE my cup of tea!

After entering the world of amateur wrestling with The Wrestler, Black Swan sees Aronofsky venturing into the high brow world of the New York ballet scene, in which we follow Natalie Portman's Nina, a shy, aspiring ballet dancer who lives with her mother who strives for her daughter to be the best. The company's director, Vincent Cassel's Thomas, is producing a new version of Swan Lake and Nina is selected to be the Swan Queen. Thomas has doubts however, that she can fully channel the role of the black swan and encourages her to "let go" both artistically and sexually to fully capture both swans. As Nina struggles with competition from the over sexed, Lily, her paranoias and fears come to the fore as she is lead down an Alice in Wonderland type spiral of self harm and hallucinations until we reach the final crescendo that is the final, brilliant performance of Swan Lake.

Black Swan is sexy, confusing, uncomfortable, exhausting and brilliant. I loved every second of it and much like Requiem for a Dream, i found it exhilarating and thought it showed ones person decline and descent into madness superbly. It had been a while since i had gotten to the end of a film and just sat through the entire credits to gather my thoughts about what i had just seen. (The last film to do so was Gasper Noe's 'Enter the Void')

But what makes it such a good film? In short, everything. Aronofsky has created such a claustrophobic, paranoid world, that you can't help but revel in Nina's sense of paranoia. The set design owes as much to this as does anything else. Everywhere you look there are subtle nods to Nina's transformation with black and white colours filling every room, similarly with the costumes. She is the pure white swan, always in virginal colours until she finally lets go in a club and is handed a sexy black outfit by Mila Kunis' Lily. In almost every scene, mirrors and reflections abound giving us indications to the split personality inside of Nina. In a nod to Lewis Carroll's 'Through the Looking glass', Nina falls down the metaphorical rabbit hole of perfection and madness, but only this fantasy Wonderland has grave consequences.

Much has been said about Natalie Portman's performance, and while i was initially only impressed by her physical transformation and dancing skills, upon second viewing, i found Natalie Portman captivating and thought she did an excellent job playing the shy, vulnerable Nina, which only made her transformation into the Black Swan even more impressive. She earns her spurs during the second act of Swan Lake where we see her whole persona and body language change as, in her mind, she literally becomes the black swan. The visual and sound effects add nice touches in transforming Portman into the swan queen. The subtle sound of a flapping wing here, or the scales of her skin rising there were great touches without taking us out of her performance. I don't know much about Ballet, but from I saw in the film, i can tell that Natalie Portman must have worked extremely hard as i thought the dancing scenes were fantastic. The way this was shot was also responsible for this, as much like the Wrestler, a lot of the "action" was shot hand-held with the camera running in and out of the performers as if the camera were dancing with them in these long takes.

The supporting cast all do their bit, with Mila Kunis particularly impressive as the laid back, sexy Lily. As does Vincent Cassel as stage director Thomas Leroy and Barbara Hershey is particularly frightening as the dominant mother who is now living her dreams through her daughter.

To give my reviews a air of credibility, when i clearly like a film, i usually like to pick up on something that might have been less than impressive to show that i am giving an unbiased account. However, I really couldn't fault Black Swan. I've seen Black Swan described as 'pretentious' 'predictable' with sketchy characters. I couldn't disagree with these comments more. If by pretentious, you mean "unconventional"? fine! Predictable? Sure! The first time we are told the story of Swan Lake, it was obvious that Nina's life would run parallel to this ballet's story, we would just be watching to see HOW events unfold, and unfold they do!

While Black Swan might not have as many Oscar nominations as The Kings Speech or The Social Network, i would still rank it as my favourite film of the year and i hope it does well at the Oscars and i look forward to seeing more of Aronofsky's work. Hell, i liked it so much that i might even go back and take another look at "The Fountain". Now if that doesn't tell you how much i liked Black Swan, nothing will!

Interview with Tyler Crawford - Aged 10 - after watching Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part I

(DC) What is your name?

(TC) Tyler Crawford.

How old are you?

I’m 10 and I’m in year 6.

What is your favourite Harry Potter film so far?

The Chamber of Secrets. I loved the end when he killed the book with that snake tooth.

So, what did you think of the film?

I thought it was 5 out of 5!

Why did you like it so much?

I liked it because it was a really adventurous film and because at some moments it was really scary!

Anything else?

I liked the bit where they told the story of the three brothers (the story explaining the existence of the Deathly Hallows). It was a good story. I don’t think it would have been that good if I had of read it but because I could actually see it, it made it a lot better. The animation was really cool!

What didn’t you like?

I didn’t think it was that funny. I laughed once or twice, but it wasn;t that funny. Other people might find it hilarious, but not me.

What was your favourite part of the film?

The part with the three brothers?

Really?!

Nah, nah, nah…my best part was the snake fight in the house. Because it was scary. One minute he was fighting Harry Potter and the next he was jumping out to the screen!

Any other bits you liked?

I liked the bit when Ron smashed the necklace (a horcrux) because it was really cool. It was scary and and came out to the screen. There was nothing I didn’t like! (Pause) Oh, hang on! I didn’t like it when Dobby died as that was sad. And I didn’t like the part where Bellatrix was torturing Hermione.

Who was your favourite character?

I think my favourite character was Dobby as he was funnier than all the others and I thought he was cool because he could teleport.

What do you think will happen in part 2?

I think they are going on a quest to find the hufflepuff cup?

The what?

The hufflepuff cup. You know, the things they have to find.

The horcruxes?

No, the hufflepuff cup!

They are looking for “horcruxes”!

Well you said that they we’re looking for the hufflepuff cup!

Oh sorry, my fault then?

Yep!

Are you looking forward to Part II?

Yes, very much. I think it’s going to be more adventurous and I’m looking forward to seeing how they escape the traps!

Would you recommend the film to your friends?

Probably not.

What? Why not?

Well, all my friends don’t like Harry Potter….they think it’s a bit geeky.

Really? So you wouldn’t tell them to go and see it?

Maybe. I mean, I really liked it, but I just want to fit in…like Meg in Family Guy! (said with irony) But if they liked Harry Potter I’d tell them it’s great!

Can you sum up the film in one word?

I can’t sum it up in one word can i???

Sure you can.

Alright then…supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Any last thoughts?

The film is number 1!

But you won’t tell your mates?

Nah, I’ll tell them that it was 5 or 6!

Anything else you won’t to say?

I will say I’m proud of my big brother…..and I don’t mean you Dean, ha ha!

Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I

As some of you will be aware, i spent well over a year of my life working at Hogwarts and the reward for that was an advanced ticket to the cast and crew screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I. Well, i say cast and crew, but i found out last year that it is mainly crew and friends of the crew that go, as the majority of the main cast tend to skip out on this screening and wait for the premiere. Suckers! This screening was a full 5 days before the world premiere so, ha! It made no odds to my little brother mind you, as i managed to convince him that Ron's stand in was actually Rupert Grint himself. So in his eyes, he was mixing with the stars! Right, enough of my babbling, onto the (hopefully, not too biased) review.

As we all know, Harry Potter is a global phenomenon. I have been to several parts of the globe where kids couldn't speak a word of english, but could happily tell you the four houses of Hogwarts! It's amazing. And the buzz of what would and wouldn't be included in the final parts of the franchaise caused intense speculation on the web. Debates had been raging since the films announcement.

In some ways, I feel this buzz and passion transcended onto the set, and you could tell there was definitely an attempt by director David Yates to do the last book justice and keep in mind the story that needed to be told. I mean, it seemed that everyone was well aware that you can have all the effects and action in the world, but if you lose sight of the story, you don't have a film. So how did all this hard work and effort turn out on screen?

In a nut shell, very well. (The following includes minor spoilers so please don't read on if you haven't read the book or are not interested in knowing what happens.) Deathly Hallows part one picks up with a warning that everything has changed. Voldemort's army are attacking both humans and wizards and are slowly taking control. Harry and Hermione have had to pack up their remaining belongings and leave their homes. It is particularly tough for Hermione who has to not only leave her parents, but to also erase herself from their memories and become an orphan herself like Harry. What follows in the next 2 and a half hours could essentially be described as a road movie with magic. Deathly Hallows Part One is the build up to the final showdown between good and evil. The horcruxes introduced inThe Half Blood Prince need to be found, and it is up to our three heroes to find and destroy them. This is no easy task mind you. Voldemorts army are out to find Harry Potter and nobody can be trusted. We watch as they scour the country high and low for clues, constantly putting themselves in danger and ultimately getting caught by Bellatrix's army.

The film definitely lives up to hype and it opens at such a pace that you are hooked from the start. I thought The Half Blood Princelost a little spark and strayed too far from the book, but that isn't the case here. The "seven potters" sequence is truly breathtaking and let's you know that you're not in hogwarts anymore. Within the first 15 minutes, George loses an ear and mad eye moody is killed. The polyjuice sequence in the Ministry of Magic is epic but also provides a few laughs.

At 2 and half hours long, i was never once bored and that is saying something considering that almost everything you have seen before is absent from this film. There is no hogwarts, no quidditch and no kids except for a few brief appearances from our supporting cast. This is all about Harry, Ron and Hermione and there quest for the horcruxes and their persuit to destroy Voldemort.

The acting again betters the previous years efforts as do the special effects. There are some real tense moments the 3 main cast have to deal with, but they did a great job and you really feel for them and i'll admit it, there were a few unexpected emotions flying about at the end. There were some great cameo appearances from the likes of Rhys Ifans who seemed like a top bloke, and Bill Nighy who was one of the nicest people i met on the set. Well, i say met. I think i just stared at him for a few days until he had no option but to say hello!

I did have a few issues with the film however, but these were the same issues i had with the book. I found the middle section seemed to drag on for far too long. This is where the bias of working on the film may come in, as i personally wasn't bored by these sequences as it was a trip down memory lane. But one might find it a little tedious watching 3 kids on the hunt for horcruxes and on the run from you know who. I understand that this was such an important section of the book in terms of storyline, character development and the fact that it sets up a large part of what is to come later on in the story, but if you are not a hardcore fan of the books and maybe only watch the films for the fantasy elements, it may leave you sitting waiting for the next big set piece.

I couldn't recall too many things missing from the book, except for a lack of explanation as to why the kids can be traced so easily. In the book it is because Voldemort can trace a person everytime they say his name, but there is no real reason given as to why they are being found so easily or why this suddenly stops. But they do start using "you know who" instead of Voldemort. Another thing that i found odd, but i believe to be the same as the book, was the lack of love for poor old Mad Eye Moody! There is a very sad moment towards the end of the film when a loveable character dies and you could tell most of the audience were welling up. Even big old Dean here got a bit emotional and had to be strong for his little brother's sake. But when poor Mad Eye Moody kicks it after trying to do everything he can to save Harry, it's like ". . . and we flew away from the deatheaters and they almost caught us but it's ok cos we're back. . . oh yeah, Mad Eye's dead. What's for dinner?". I also got this same vibe in the book.

These are only personal gripes and have more to do with the book than the actual film itself. If the things i didn't like about the film were not included, i'm sure the hardcore fans would have been more than upset because like i said before, you can have all the magic in the world, but without a good story you have no film.

So overall i felt The Deathly Hallows to be a success. It should be every Potter fans dream - It's adventurous, fantastical and is a real spectacle. And on a personal note, i couldn't tell you how proud i was to be associated with it and see my name come up in the closing credits. (About 6 minutes in if anyone stays that long!) The film definitely had a lot of story telling to do, but this sets up the Deathly Hallows Part 2 perfectly. And even though i'm not really a Potter fan, i can't wait to see it. There were some longs days and nights spent filming filming the finale and it's set pieces, and i'm positive it will be the perfect ending for most Potter fans!

"Sorry Dean, but i just don't see the resemblance so i'm afraid you can't be my new stunt double!"

Movie Review - Predators

"And i would have gotten away with it, if it hadn't of been for those pesky kids!!"

Having not been a fan of the original 1987 Predator film set in the deep depths of the jungle, I was reluctant to spend 8 of my unemployed British pounds going to see this updated remake/sequel. I don’t know what it is, but I find the predators very one dimensional and boring. When you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. It’s not like a slasher film where the killer can mix things up slightly and vary his kills. The Predator = hiding in the jungle and striping up some unlucky sucker! However, with this being a quiet period before the release of some bigger summer blockbusters, I decided to take a punt and indulge in a double bill of Predators and Street Dance. Yes my friends, times are hard.

The plot is very, very simple. 8 people awake in the jungle with no memory of how they got there and no knowledge of each other. All they know is each person is a killer in their own right (Black ops, Mexican mafia, Death Row inmate etc.) It slowly unravels that these killers have not been put in the jungle to hunt and kill, but rather something is hunting them. Yup, those pesky “ugly mutha fuckas!”. What follows is a predictable game of cat and mouse as both sets of killers, human or otherwise, try to figure out how best to destroy the other and survive.

After going into to the film with very low expectations, I have to say that I actually enjoyed it a great deal. From the opening 15 minutes, you get the impression that you are watching a Saw movie set in the jungle…but with Aliens…which instantly adds another dimension to the film. For me, the main reason it worked was down to Adrian Brody. When I first heard he was cast as some kind of action hero, I couldn’t really see it, but it turns out he was great in the part. He was cool, calm and in lesser actor’s shoes, his dialogue certainly would have come across as cheesy and unbelievable, but it worked. The supporting cast also had a big part to play in the success of the film. In particular, Walton Goggins from The Shield provided the comic relief but was never over the top. The Predators looked good as always and provided us with some really gory moments. And I’m sure learning how the Predators hone their skills and getting more of an understanding into their psyche will be a nice touch for hardcore fans of the Predator series. But for me, I much preferred the sequences with the human killers rather than any Predator action.

The film does have some pacing issues towards the end, with a scene designed to explain what is taking place seemingly lasting forever and slows things down a great deal. And even though Predators does at least try to be a little different from its predecessors with it’s premise, it’s also realizes that you can’t veer too much from a winning formula. Because of this some parts of the film, and in particular the finale, feel a little contrived. Some might call it paying homage. But wasn’t Bryan Singers Superman Returns supposed be some kind of homage, and look how that turned out?

However, the few grievances I had are far outweighed by the rest of the film and on the whole, I really enjoyed Predators and it was a hour and a half well spent.

Movie Review - StreetDance

Believe it or not, I had actually been itching to see Street Dance 3D for a while now. Yes, it’s true. Dean Crawford is a fan of generic Dance flicks. West Side Story aside, I used to abhor these types of movies, but I happened to stumble across the first Step Up movie some years back due to the lack of English Language films in South Korea, and came out a converted man. I mean, it wasn’t a particularly great film, but it was a lot of fun with some hilarious scenes to boot (wholly unintentional I’m sure). I also liked You Got Served which had an amazing dance off in the finale, and not to mention Roll Bounce which had a skate off in the end. Basically, anything with an “off” in the end I’m all for. So when I saw there was an English effort being made, I was up for supporting the film and seeing if our British compatriots could ‘Step Up’ to the plate and produce something to rival the Americans.

Before StreetDance actually started, the final preview was for Step Up 3D, which I thought was a little unfair, yet totally apt. I felt it unfair to show what would essentially be a glitzier, bigger budget version of the film we were about to see. Yet apt seeing that StreetDance clearly owes a great debt to the first Step Up. Both films follow a dancer with raw talent, struggling to make ends meet but with aspirations of a bigger and better future. And through a chance meeting, both end up taking part in a prestigious dance school/music college. Of course, at first the two contrasting styles fail to connect, with one side being either too posh or too common for the other. But after time, and several montages later, they both realize that their styles can compliment one another and they finally learn to blend street and ballet for the final performance. But no dance movie would be complete without an outside factor hindering one’s ability to make it to the final showdown. Whether it be the big game in High School Musical or an untimely scheduled audition for the best school in the country (Street Dance/Step Up – delete as appropriate). But never fear, Cinderella shall make it to the ball and the final performance shall be had!

If you take the film for what it is, which is a kids Dance movie, it is a lot of fun and some of the dance routines are pretty impressive. It’s not serious in any way and generally everybody is always happy and smiling, the people wear bright colours and I’m sure they will be BFF’s forever. It’s a feel good film that I’m sure young children who have seen an episode of Britains Got Talent in the last few years will revel in. I refer to BGT of course, due to the inclusion of Dance Acts such as Flawless and Diversity, which were a nice touch, and hopefully give these skillful groups more exposure if the film makes it overseas. Flawless, in particular, have a role as the main “villain” of the piece and their routines do switch flawlessly (no pun intended) from TV to Film. Some of their moves are outstanding and I could easily watch the film again and again. That, as I have mentioned, is if you take the film for what it is.

If you don’t take the film for what it is, however, and decide to judge it on it’s own merits as a piece of cinema, then you would have to say it was once of the most poorly acted and lazily written films you have seen in a long time. I had flashes of Alice In Wonderland all over again, with an incredibly annoying leading lady that if I wasn’t so stubborn…or cheap…I would have left the cinema. To be fair, Nichola Burley doesn’t have much to work with in terms of a script, but there’s just no emotion in her face and her lines are so poorly delivered it’s untrue. The same goes for all the supporting cast. The script reduces them to caricatures of either posh snobs, feisty London rude girls, horny leaches or dancing buffoons. And there is no hint of originality to the story in the slightest. It’s as if it’s straight out of a Step Up “how-to” guide book but the setting has been changed to London and the script has been made less sexy and ballsy to give it a PG rating.

BUT, and I repeat but, that’s if you don’t want to take the film for what it is. I on the other hand do! I am willing to ignore all of the films faults and can safely say that StreetDance is a thoroughly enjoyable film for anyone under the age of 12 (or in my case, 29!) and I am glad that I went to see it and did my part to help support the UK film industry. Now, excuse me while I go and limber up for the nearest Dance Battle I can find.

WHAT, WHAT!!!

Get LOST - The finale pre and post viewing event

I almost cannot believe it. 6 years of our lives have passed and our Lost adventure is almost over. It's been a long, hard, strenuous but ultimately enjoyable experience and one that i am very excited to see how it ends. However, did you notice one word that i didn't use to describe my lost experience? That was fulfilling.

As much as Lost has captivated and excited me, it has disappointed in equal measures. I distinctly remember thinking during Season 2, that if it didn't stop putting out filler episodes that go no where i would stop watching. Luckily the week after was the return of Michael where he shot not only Libby and Ana Lucia, but also himself. BANG! I was back.

Each season seemed to follow this trend of a huge opening followed by several slower (some would argue filler) episodes then a race towards an exciting finale. I had hoped that the final season would have changed this format slightly and packed every single episode with great reveals or exciting plot twists. I expected each flash to relate to on island actions or to tell us more about each character. Instead, we got sequences of Sayid fixing vases, or Jack watching his son playing the piano. With the power of hindsight, how has that helped the show? I wanted more episodes akin to Ben or Locke's flashes, where each scene was a reference to seasons past and had some kind of new reveal or corralation to another character.

In typical Lost fashion, i felt the pacing of the final season was off. There was too much of a void in the middle, but then a sprint towards the end and in doing getting some quick reveals to some extremely important questions. We found out what they whispers were in passing. We know why the island is so special - It is life itself and has to be protected. Wow. Great. Though i would have like more than a few passing lines in the last episode (which, in my opinion, was diabolical!) and explored these further.

We have two episodes left and i can't for the life of me see where they are going with it. I initially thought that the flash sideways were the creation of Fake Locke. I thought that they were his impressions of what he imagined the Losties' perfect lives to be. I thought as the season continued, both timelines would clash, forcing them to choose which timeline they want to stay in. But seeing as Locke definitely wants them dead and no such offer has been made, i have no idea how it will end. If anyone has any thoughts on this, please put them up. We could possibly have a sweep stake where each person makes five or so predictions about how Lost will end and the person who gets the most right wins the stash!

I could go on for hours about what i have like/disliked about the final season (or the show in general for that matter) but this is just the start and i'll open the forum up to the rest of you. No matter what you might think, this is a huge event in television and i wish i could make it to Vics for the showing, but internet chatter will have to suffice. There might only be two episodes left, but the finale will only be the beginning. For every person that is happy with the finale, another will be outraged. I just hope i'm not one of them!

**UPDATED**

Now we are only 24 hours away from finishing our last ever Lost episode. Vicky has arranged what looks like will be an excellent event. Let me know not only your thoughts on the episode, but on the night itself. Hopefully someone did decide to dress up as Hurley!