'The Eagle' Movie Review

Director Kevin Macdonald (State of Play, Last King of Scotland) brings Rosemary Sutcliff's The Eagle of the Ninth to life with The Eagle starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell. An action adventure film set in 140 A.D., The Eagle explores what may have happened to the Roman soldiers who made up the Ninth Legion. The film's set-up to be a historic tale of epic proportions, but falls short by relying on stilted dialogue and is hampered by a PG-13 rating that makes the beautifully choreographed battle scenes less intense than expected. In fact, they often look like beautifully choreographed battle scenes rather than fights to the death.

'Country Strong' Movie Review

What a horrible way to kick off 2011. Country Strong, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, and Leighton Meester, is a complete and utter mess - and that's putting it gently. Harsher words are called for, however in order to accurately describe why I'm unleashing them, I'd have to give away major spoilers. I'm tempted...so very, very tempted...to do so, but that's not fair to those of you who will disregard this (and nearly every other review of the film) and go see Country Strong in theaters. And if you're patient enough to stick with the film once you've opted to waste two hours of your life, know in advance the ending's a huge, huge misstep. If you have any popcorn or soda left by the time the film winds down, it'll take all your self-control to not hurl it at the screen (not that I'd ever suggest anyone do so, no matter how terrible the film).
Paltrow has picked the wrong material to tackle as her return to major starring roles (not 'supporting' as she was in the Iron Man 2 films), although she's fine as a country singer. With the exception of a few cleverly written passages, I can't see anything in the material that would have caught Paltrow's eye other than the chance to play a country singer. But if it was the opportunity to sing in front of audiences again (as she did in Duets and Infamous), Country Strong's not the project to do so with.

'Battle: Los Angeles' Movie Review

Battle: Los Angeles is a war movie that just happens to have aliens from outer space as the antagonists. It's a love letter to the U.S. military - the Marines in particular - disguised as a sci-fi action film. And when the characters aren't spouting ridiculously cliched dialogue, it's not half-bad.

Unfortunately, while great attention was paid to getting the military aspects of the story right, very little attention seems to have been paid to giving the actors anything to say that doesn't sound as though it's lifted from classic war films.

Director Jonathan Liebesman shot the film documentary style, with hand-held cameras giving us an up close and personal look at the horrors of battle. It's an effective way to tell the story and it does in fact make us feel like we're running alongside these men (and one woman) as they try to save civilians trapped in a police station in a Santa Monica,

The Adjustment Bureau

First time feature film director George Nolfi scores big with his rookie effort, The Adjustment Bureau. Nolfi, screenwriter of Ocean's Twelve and The Bourne Ultimatum, must have made quite a connection with Matt Damon on the set of those two films as their collaboration on The Adjustment Bureau has brought out something special and solid in the 40 year old two-time Oscar nominated actor (and Oscar-winning screenwriter of Good Will Hunting). Nolfi's edgy script (adapted from the Philip K Dick story) and smooth direction get the best out of Damon who's never been this good as the romantic lead before. And as the woman Damon can not get out of his mind, Emily Blunt is just terrific.
The Adjustment Bureau's a refreshing hybrid, mixing action, thrills, science fiction, romance and comedy together in a fast-paced format that never fails to engage the audience. It's a bizarre yet romantic tale that should appeal to both sexes equally, a pleasantly refreshing twisted take on what's actually a very simple love story. Sure, the plot doesn't make a lot of sense upon close examination, but it's so entertaining you won't care.
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