Looking forward to in 2009...

Directed By: Michael Mann
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Billy Crudup, Channing Tatum, Leelee Sobieski, Emilie de Ravin, Stephen Dorff, Marion Cotillard, Giovanni Ribisi, David Wenham.

Plot: The Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.

Release Date (in Australia): July 30th

My thoughts...: Stunning cast. Great director. Great story. From the clips I've seen so far, this looks like a fantastic gangster crime/drama. Miami Vice notwithstanding, Michael Mann knows how to handle great action, and he always gets top-notch performances out of every cast member. This will be EPIC!

Excitement Meter: 10/10


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Afterthoughts: Perhaps this isn't the perfect masterpiece I had anticipated, but Public Enemies is nonetheless an excellent movie. It's stylish, gripping, mature and entertaining.

Review here

Directed By: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel Moore.

Plot: A band of humans are pitted in a battle against a distant planet's indigenous population.

Release Date (in Australia): December 17th

My thoughts...: James Cameron's first theatrical release since 1997! Avatar promises to be an utterly groundbreaking visual tour de force. Its post-production period will be about 18 months, hence the special effects promise to be absolutely seamless. I am totally stoked.

Excitement Meter: 10/10

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Afterthoughts...: Oh yes, I enjoyed this film. Absolutely mind-blowing cinematic experience...

Review here

This city is afraid of me. I've seen its true face.



Directed By: Zack Snyder
Starring: Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson.

Plot: When an ex-superhero is murdered, a vigilante named Rorschach begins an investigation into the murder, which begins to lead to a much more terrifying conclusion.

Release Date (in Australia): March 5th

My thoughts...: This film looks monumental. The trailers promise a visual masterpiece containing action and drama, not to mention a very compelling plot. I may not be familiar with the source material, but the trailers have sold me.

Excitement Meter: 9/10

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Afterthoughts: Stylish, hard-hitting and brutal, Zack Snyder has brought to life the most celebrated graphic novel of all time with superb results. Not perfect by any standard, but a fine piece of filmmaking.

Review here

Directed By: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, Verne Troyer, Carrie Genzel.

Plot: A traveling theater company gives its audience much more than they were expecting.

Release Date (in Australia): October 29th

My thoughts...: Ah, Terry Gilliam. What a wonderful and gifted filmmaker this guy is. His productions are generally beset with problems, and this is no exception. Cursed this director may be, but the final products are generally excellent (or at least watchable). A shame not too much is known about the film at this time.

Excitement Meter: 9/10


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Afterthoughts...: Great Gilliam effort. Far better than The Brothers Grimm. Frequently exhilarating and visually sumptuous... a comeback for the filmmaker. Here's hoping more gems are to come.

Review here

Directed By: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Scott Eastwood, Bonnie Henna, Langley Kirkwood, Robert Hobbs, Grant Roberts

Plot: A look at life for Nelson Mandela after the fall of apartheid in South Africa during his first term as president when campaigned to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup event as an opportunity to unite his countrymen.

Release Date (in Australia): January 21st, 2010

My thoughts...: Yahoo! Another Clint Eastwood picture! The director managed to score two masterpieces in 2008 - Changeling and Gran Torino - so his career is cleary just going to get better and better. A new Eastwood movie is always an event to cherish, and this particular story sounds extremely interesting. Can't wait for this one!

Excitement Meter: 9/10

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Afterthoughts: Sublime movie. Eastwood has again proven himself to be the master of old-school filmmaking.

Review here

Directed By: Woody Allen
Starring: Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Carolyn McCormick

Plot: Attempting to impress his ideologies on religion, relationships, and the randomness (and worthlessness) of existence, lifelong New York resident Boris Yellnikoff rants to anyone who will listen, including the audience. But when he begrudgingly allows naive Mississippi runaway Melodie St. Ann Celestine to live in his apartment, his reclusive rages give way to an unlikely friendship and Boris begins to mold the impressionable young girl's worldly views to match his own. When it comes to love, "whatever works" is his motto, but his already perplexed life complicates itself further when Melodie's parents eventually track her down.

Release Date (in Australia): October 15th

My thoughts...: Hell yes! Another Woody Allen gem in the making! The trailer is hilarious, the cast is top-notch...everything here is promising.

Excitement Meter: 9/10



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Afterthoughts...: Loved it. Got exactly what I wanted and expected.

Review here

Directed By: Sam Raimi
Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, David Paymer, Dileep Rao, Reggie Lee.

Plot: A loan officer (Lohman) ordered to evict an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse, who turns her life into a living hell. Desperate, she turns to a seer to try and save her soul, while evil forces work to push her to a breaking point.

Release Date (in Australia): July 23rd

My thoughts...: Wowww! Sam Raimi returns to the horror genre? Raimi returns to his roots by making a campy gory horror movie mixed with comedy? I must be dreaming... Mr. Evil Dead probably wanted a straightforward, easy film to make after those exhausting Spider-Man movies. According to the trailer, this is the "Return of True Horror". *squee* I simply cannot wait for Drag Me to Hell!

Excitement Meter: 9/10



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Afterthoughts...: Oh hell yes! I enjoyed the hell out of this flick! It's everything I wanted and more. The PG-13 rating doesn't prevent Raimi from amping up the noise and adding hilarious gross-out moments. This is an effective slasher, the likes of which we haven't seen since the golden age of horror.

Review here

Directed By: John Hillcoat
Starring: Charlize Theron, Viggo Mortensen, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall, Garret Dillahunt, Michael K. Williams

Plot: A post-apocalyptic tale of a man and his son trying to survive by any means possible.

Release Date (in Australia): January 28th, 2010

My thoughts...: Hell to the yes! John Hillcoat is back behind the camera after the brilliant Australian film The Proposition, and the cast for this one is incredibly promising. Trailer is amazing. Concept is enthralling. It's even based on a novel by the same author who wrote No Country For Old Men. I smell a masterpiece that'll be recognised by the Oscars...

Excitement Meter: 9/10



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Afterthoughts...: I cannot lie to myself. This film was strictly average, despite how much I wanted to love it.

Review here

Directed By: Peter Jackson
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Saorise Ronan, Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli, Jake Abel.

Plot: Centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family - and her killer - from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.

Release Date (in Australia): December 26th

My thoughts...: Peter Jackson makes his return to the cinema screen with this adaptation of the Alice Sebold novel of the same name. Jackson has nailed blockbusters, thus he would know how to handle a drama/horror/thriller such as this. I simply cannot wait!

Excitement Meter: 9/10



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Afterthoughts...: The critics made this out to be a piece of crap, but I found it better than the reviews made it out to be. Still, it's no masterpiece.

Review here

Directed By: Troy Duffy
Starring: Julie Benz, Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Judd Nelson, Billy Connolly, Peter Fonda, David Della Rocco.

Release Date (in Australia): TBA

My thoughts...: The original Boondock Saints is among my favourite action movies. It's a Tarantino-style mix of fun humour and great, violent action. This sequel promises to be the same kind of thing. Most of the original cast has returned and the original director has returned. I have very high hopes for this one!

Excitement Meter: 9/10



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Afterthoughts: YAY! It was good. I can't defend it much as a movie, but it certainly works as a guilty pleasure. Very funny, rousing and entertaining. Fans of the original should enjoy it.

Review here

Directed By: Neill Blomkamp
Starring: Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope, Mandla Gaduka, Vanessa Haywood, Kenneth Nkosi, Louis Minnaar

Plot: An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly find a kindred spirit in a government agent that is exposed to their biotechnology.

Release Date (in Australia): August 13th

My thoughts...: Trailer is jaw-droppingly amazing. Concept is incredible. It's being produced by Peter Jackson. This film will rock my world!

Excitement Meter: 9/10



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Afterthoughts...: An excellent, original take on an alien flick. District 9 is a highlight of 2009. It just rocked my world.

Review here

Danny and Wheeler were just sentenced to 150 hours mentoring kids. Worst idea ever.



Directed By: David Wain
Starring: Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Elizabeth Banks, Jane Lynch.

Plot: Wild behavior forces a pair of energy drink reps to enroll in a Big Brother program.

Release Date (in Australia): January 15th

My thoughts...: The R-rated comedy! What a great beast these things are. The trailer reeled me in immediately, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing this film now.

Excitement Meter: 8/10

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Afterthoughts...: Alright, I enjoyed this film quite a lot. A few good laughs here and there, a superb cast and it's plenty of fun. Perhaps not as funny as I expected, and it's painfully formulaic, but it's a delightful night out at the movies.

Review here

Directed By: Russell Mulcahy
Starring: Thomas Jane, Ving Rhames, Leland Orser, Doug Hutchison, French Stewart, Elsa Pataky, William Abadie, Gregory Harrison

Plot: A tough as nails private investigator (Malone) squares off with gangsters and their thugs to protect a valuable secret. Malone goes through hell to protect the information but he dishes some hell as well...

Release Date (in Australia): TBA

My thoughts...: R-rated action movies are few and far between these days. This film looks like an unapologetically violent, hardcore action film that will rock my world. Thomas Jane is a badass! Bring it on.

Excitement Meter: 8/10



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Afterthoughts: Oh crikey. What a let-down. The first 10 minutes were badass, and there are a few good moments sprinkled throughout, but on the whole... Just underwhelming.

Review here

Australian Release Date: November 19th



Review here

Rock N' Load



Directed By: Dolph Lundgren
Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Dave Legeno, Melissa Smith, Hristo Shopov, Hristo Shopov, Zahary Baharov.

Plot: When the Russian Premier is taken hostage at a rock concert in Moscow, it's up to a drummer, an ex-biker, to save him.

Release Date (in Australia): TBA

My thoughts...: I hold this as no secret - I really enjoy the hell out of Dolph Lundgren's recent output. Sometimes one needs to switch off their brain in order to enjoy a nourishing dose of manly ultra-violence, and Dolph always delivers. The trailer promises plenty of ultra-violence and production values higher than we've becomed accustomed to seeing for a Dolph action vehicle. I really cannot wait!

Excitement Meter: 8/10



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Afterthoughts: FUCK YES! Dolph didn't disappoint here. I enjoyed the living hell out of this awesome flick. It just rocked...

Review here

They wouldn't let him quit.



Directed By: Dolph Lundgren
Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Stefanie von Pfetten, Lindsay Maxwell, Marian Koprada, John Tench, David Lewis, Samantha Ferris.

Plot: A Soviet-trained assassin is determined to escape his double life as a hitman and as a husband-father.

Release Date (in Australia): November 17th, 2010 (Heh...)

My thoughts...: Dolph Lundgren has proved himself competent as an actor and as a director. This looks like a lot of fun - just some awesome action and violence aplenty. I'll check this one out first chance I get!

Excitement Meter: 8/10



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Afterthoughts: I liked it. Very cool, stylish and enjoyable action-thriller.

Review here

He was dead...But he got better



Directed By: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor.
Starring: Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Reno Wilson, Dwight Yoakam, Corey Haim.

Plot: Chelios faces a Chinese mobster who has stolen his nearly indestructible heart and replaced it with a battery-powered ticker that requires regular jolts of electricity to keep working.

Release Date (in Australia): August 20th

My thoughts...: Let's face it: every once in a while, an R-rated action flick really itches a scratch. I'm not overly keen on the original film, but I'll still see this sequel.

Excitement Meter: 7/10


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Afterthoughts: I got exactly what I wanted - and exactly what I'd expected. Fun action, good comedy...one hell of a ride from start to finish. Recommended!

Review here

Review here

Outwit. Outspy. Outsmart. Outplay. Then get out.



Directed By: Tony Gilroy.
Starring: Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti, Tom Wilkinson, Ulrich Thomsen, Thomas McCarthy, Carrie Preston, Wayne Duvall.

Plot: A pair of corporate spies who share a steamy past hook up to pull off the ultimate con job on their respective bosses.

Release Date (in Australia): March 19th

My thoughts...: Tony Gilroy is undoubtedly one of the best screenwriters of this generation, and every film he pens I await eagerly. According to Clive Owen, this film contains some of the best dialogue ever written for a film! Hope it's good. Expecting decent results.

Excitement Meter: 7/10


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Afterthoughts: Alright, not as good as it had the potential to be, but this star vehicle is mature and smart. It emanates wit and appeal. Definitely only for a more adult audience.

Review here

Nothing Is Off The Record



Directed By: Kevin Macdonald.
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Russell Crowe, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Katy Mixon.

Plot: Based on the BBC mini-series of the same title, a team of investigative reporters work alongside a police detective to try to solve the murder of a congressman's mistress.

Release Date (in Australia): May 28th

My thoughts...: Tony Gilroy writing a crime/thriller? Great cast? Count me in. I'm hoping for great results.

Excitement Meter: 7/10


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Afterthoughts: WOW this movie didn't disappoint. It suffered from truncation, but that's only a minor flaw of an otherwise entertaining, riveting thriller. Highly recommended!

Review here

Directed By: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson.
Starring: Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Delroy Lindo, Edward Asner, Paul Eiding, Jordan Nagai.

Plot: By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn’t alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.

Release Date (in Australia): June 4th

My thoughts...: The 2009 entry to Pixar's always-extending body of work! Although this looks kinda uninteresting, Pixar are renowned for creating heart, plot and pure entertainment when it comes to filmmaking. I guess I'll catch this one when it rolls around.

Excitement Meter: 7/10


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Afterthoughts: Pixar just doesn't know how to disappoint. Up is pleasant, well-written and enjoyable. It's even more impressive in 3D.

Review here

Directed By: Larry Charles.
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alice Evans, Trishelle Cannatella, Sandra Seeling, Candice Cunningham, Ben Youcef.

Plot: Flamboyant Austrian fashionista Brüno takes his show to America.

Release Date (in Australia): July 9th

My thoughts...: We all had a good laugh during Borat, right? Sure, Sacha Baren Cohen is getting a bit irritaing with all his different personalities, but at least he's hilarious. I'm sure this one will entertain me. Count me in.



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Afterthoughts...: It delivered what I expected, although the meaty belly laughs are few and far between. I had a fun, entertaining time, but I couldn't help but feel just a little disappointed.

Review here

Directed By: Jonathan Mostow
Starring: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Ving Rhames, Michael Cudlitz, Helena Mattsson

Plot: Set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a cop (Willis) is forced to leave his home for the first time in years in order to investigate the murders of others’ surrogates.

Release Date (in Australia): October 8th

My thoughts...: Bruce Willis is back in action! An aging badass in a sci-fi actioner! The trailer is awesome, the concept is promising. Nuff said.

Excitement Meter: 7/10



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Afterthoughts: Look, this film wasn't great. It wasn't groundbreaking or thought-provoking. It should've been, but it wasn't. What it is, though, is a fun popcorn sci-fi actioner. More fun than Blade Runner, that's for sure!

Full review here

Directed By: Danny Lerner.
Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Gina May, Michael Paré, Bashar Rahal, James Chalke, Vladimir Vladimirov, Raicho Vasilev, Nikolay Stanoev.

Plot: An American prisoner in a Russian jail is given a chance at freedom if he can rescue a kidnapped American woman.

Release Date (in Australia): TBA

My thoughts...: According a few recent reviews, this film is pretty bad. But you know what? I've endured many Dolph Lundgren flicks, ranging from mediocre to pretty bad. As long as it has Dolph killing people and it's violent, count me in. Shall be watching this one as soon as possible!

Excitement Meter: 7/10

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Afterthoughts...: Alrighty, well Lundgren kicked some ass and there was a helluva lot of blood and action. But it's just generic, and the filmmaking isn't that great. Disappointing.

Review here

Directed By: Tony Scott.
Starring: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzmán, Victor Gojcaj, Gbenga Akinnagbe.

Plot: Armed men hijack a New York City subway train, holding the passengers hostage in return for a ransom, and turning an ordinary day's work for dispatcher Walter Garbe (Washington) into a face-off with the mastermind behind the crime (Travolta).

Release Date (in Australia): July 23rd

My thoughts...: I personally love the 1974 original film, but this remake actually has potential. It's rated R, it has a good cast, a good director, and a good writer behind it. I'm not dead excited about the film, but I'll certainly see it sometime during the theatrical run (although it depends on reviews).

Excitement Meter: 7/10


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Afterthoughts: Yeahhhh I had higher hopes for this film. Really, it's pedestrian and predictable. Why couldn't the screenwriter pack the film with a few more surprises?

Review here

Directed By: Guy Ritchie
Starring:Robert Downey Jr., Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Jude Law, Kelly Reilly, Eddie Marsan.

Plot: Detective Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.

Release Date (in Australia): December 26th

My thoughts...: Okay, I admit I'm not totally stoked about this movie but I like the stories, the characters, the cast and the director. Whether this team is right for the source material remains to be seen.

Excitement Meter: 6/10



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Afterthoughts: Crikey, what a bona fide disappointment. Even with low expectations, I left the theatre underwhelmed. It was too disposable, average and blah.

Review here

Directed By: Henry Selick.
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgman, Robert Bailey Jr., Ian McShane.

Plot: A young girl walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life - only much better. But when her adventure turns dangerous, and her counterfeit parents (including Other Mother) try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home - and save her family.

Release Date (in Australia): May 7th

My thoughts...: I'm only semi-keen on this one due to Dakota Fanning and Henry Selick. Oh, and reviews are pretty positive so far. Nevertheless, I'm in no rush to see it.

Excitement Meter: 6/10


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Afterthoughts...: Better than I expected, but still a bit disappointing in terms of storytelling. It's a visually enthralling film, but it's also just a bit...blah.

Review here

Directed By: Judd Apatow
Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Aubrey Plaza, Maude Apatow.

Plot: When seasoned comedian George Simmons learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship cause him to take a relatively green performer under his wing as his opening act.

Release Date (in Australia): July 30th

My thoughts...: Judd Apatow behind the camera again? Does this guy ever sleep or does coffee keep him awake 24/7? Anyway, the writer-director has achived consecutive hits more or less since he broke out with The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Hope this new film will be of that standard.

Excitement Meter: 6/10


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Afterthoughts: Good lord, what a disappointment. This could be the start of Apatow's downfall...the only decent comedies of 2009 didn't come from the tired old Apatow factory. This film isn't funny and it's only ever-so-mildly entertaining.

Review here

Directed By: John Hamburg.
Starring: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Jon Favreau, Lou Ferrigno, J.K. Simmons, Andy Samberg.

Plot: Friendless Peter Klaven (Rudd) goes on a series of man-dates to find a Best Man for his wedding. But when his insta-bond his new B.F.F.(Segel) puts a strain on his relationship with his fiancée (Jones) can the trio learn to live happily ever after?

Release Date (in Australia): April 23rd

My thoughts...: Not overly keen on this one, not overly unkeen on it. It's an R-rated comedy and it has a decent cast, so I'll definitely see it at one point...just not sure when.

Excitement Meter: 6/10


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Afterthoughts: Not one of the best or funniest movies I've seen during 2009, but still a fun bromance. I'd certainly watch it again.

Review here

Review here

Directed By: Kyle Newman.
Starring: Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell, David Denman, Christopher McDonald.

Plot: "Star Wars" fans travel to Skywalker Ranch to steal an early copy of "Episode I: The Phantom Menace"

Release Date (in Australia): TBA

My thoughts...: Hmm...isn't this film like 9 years too late? Regardless, I'm sure this will be a reasonably fun romp even if its timely-ness no longer exists.

Excitement Meter: 6/10



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Afterthougts...: I got what I expected. What an enjoyable little gem!! It had laughs, male bonding and Star Wars references. What else could you want? Okay, maybe a little less cliches...but hey, it only really falls apart in retrospect.

Review here

Directed By: Mike Judge.
Starring: Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck, Dustin Milligan, Kristen Wiig, Matt Schulze.

Plot: A comedy that follows the personal and professional problems endured by the owner of a flower-extract plant.

Release Date (in Australia): TBA

My thoughts...: Hooray for the return of Mike Judge! Mr. Beavis and Butthead has had a very on and off career, making a movie once every 5 years or so. Trailer looks amusing, I like most of the cast, and the writer-director is one of the best workers in Hollywood. Expecting good results.

Excitement Meter: 7/10



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Afterthoughts: Yahoo! It was good. Another home run for Mike Judge.

Review here

Review here

Directed By: McG
Starring: Christian Bale, Anton Yelchin, Sam Worthington, Bryce Dallas Howard, Moon Bloodgood, Common, Helena Bonham Carter.

Plot: After Skynet has destroyed much of humanity in a nuclear holocaust, a group of survivors led by John Connor (Bale) struggles to keep the machines from finishing the job.

Release Date (in Australia): June 4th

My thoughts...: Okay, so the trailers look pretty piss poor and there's a very high chance we'll be looking at a PG-13 Terminator. But will I still see it? Yeah, sure.

Excitement Meter: 6/10

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Afterthoughts...: Boy did this suck...

Review here

Directed By: Shawn Levy.
Starring: Amy Adams, Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Jonah Hill, Owen Wilson, Bill Hader, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Hank Azaria.

Plot: Security guard Larry Daley infiltrates the Smithsonian Institute in order to rescue Jedediah and Octavius, who have been shipped to the museum by mistake.

Release Date (in Australia): May 21st

My thoughts...: The first film was an enjoyable litte childrens' movie, why should this be any different? I don't have any expectations for this film, and I probably won't see it on opening night, but I'll see it eventually.

Excitement Meter: 6/10

Directed By: Carlos Saldanha.
Starring: Seann William Scott, Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Josh Peck, Queen Latifah, Chris Wedge, Atticus Shaffer.

Plot: After the events of "Ice Age: The Meltdown", life begins to change for Manny and his friends: Scrat is still on the hunt to hold onto his beloved acorn, while finding a possible romance in a female sabre-toothed squirrel named Scratte. Manny and Ellie, having since become an item, are expecting a baby, which leaves Manny anxious to ensure that everything is perfect for when his baby arrives. Diego is fed up with being treated like a house-cat and ponders the notion that he is becoming too laid-back. Sid begins to wish for a family of his own, and so steals some dinosaur eggs which leads to Sid ending up in a strange underground world where his herd must rescue him, while dodging dinosaurs and facing danger left and right, and meeting up with a one-eyed weasel known as Buck who hunts dinosaurs intently.

Release Date (in Australia): July 2nd

My thoughts...: Okay, this is more of a case of liking the series and liking the characters, so I'll see this film on that basis alone. I've seen the first two films in the cinema, and shall not break that tradition. Sure...bring it on.

Excitement Meter: 6/10

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Afterthoughts: I enjoyed this film more than I did the previous sequel, and I admit it's a charming little kids flick, but it still underwhelmed. This series is just losing its cleverness.

Review here

The holiest event of our time. Perfect for their return.



Directed By: Ron Howard.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Ayelet Zurer, Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgård, David Pasquesi, Victor Alfieri, Cosimo Fusco.

Plot: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon works to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican.

Release Date (in Australia): May 14th

My thoughts...: I kinda liked The Da Vinci Code and will be seeing this sequel purely out of curiousity. The cast is great, director is great, writer is great...this should be decent.

Excitement Meter: 5/10

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Afterthoughts...: Better than I expected. Nice pace, some good action, and some all-round good filmmaking. There are some problems, but on the whole it's pretty solid.

Review here

Directed By: Spike Jonze.
Starring: Lauren Ambrose, Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Angus Sampson.

Plot: An adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler

Release Date (in Australia): December 10th

My thoughts...: Spike Jonze is an excellent director for a surrealistic family-adventure-fantasy flick such as this. Although I have no real knowledge of the source material, I'm sorta looking forward to this movie. Should be good. Hope it's good.

Excitement Meter: 5/10

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Afterthoughts...: Yes, this film was indeed good. Surpassed my expectations with flying colours. Jonze nailed it.

Review here

Right place. Wrong time.



Directed By: Brad Silberling.
Starring: Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Anna Friel, Jorma Taccone, Eve Mauro.

Plot: On his latest expedition, Dr. Rick Marshall (Ferrell) is sucked into a space-time vortex alongside his research assistant (Friel) and a redneck survivalist (McBride). In this alternate universe, the trio make friends with a primate named Chaka (Taccone), their only ally in a world full of dinosaurs and other fantastic creatures. Can they all make it back to our world alive, and if so: Will Dr. Marshall can go from zero to hero with his discoveries?

Release Date (in Australia): July 2nd

My thoughts...: Hehe, this film looks just okay...nothing further. It will be a mediocre, run-of-the-mill family flick that will be forgotten by the time the year is out. I probably won't catch it during its theatrical run, but I'll watch it I guess.

Excitement Meter: 5/10

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Afterthoughts: Yeah, I pretty much got what I expected. Nothing great. Nothing unwatchable. Fairly fun.

Review here

Directed By: J.J. Abrams.
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Simon Pegg, Winona Ryder, Karl Urban, John Cho, Zoe Saldana.

Plot: A chronicle of the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members.

Release Date (in Australia): May 7th

My thoughts...: I'm sure this new Star Trek flick will have great special effects and everything...and the cast is good...but I'm just not a Trekker, and therefore I'm in no rush to go see this film. Heh, I might eventually...depends on reviews.

Excitement Meter: 5/10

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Afterthoughts...: Better than expected, but still a tad underwhelming. It needed a bit more oomph to really amp everything up. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the flick...it's well written and well acted.

Review here

Directed By: Paul McGuigan.
Starring: Colin Ford, Joel Gretsch, Djimon Hounsou, Dakota Fanning, Robert Tsonos, Brandon Rhea.

Plot: Two young Americans with special abilities must race to find a girl in Hong Kong before a shadowy government organization called Division does.

Release Date (in Australia): TBA

My thoughts...: The Jumper of 2009? Perhaps. But hey - I like Dakota Fanning, so count me in regardless.

Excitement Meter: 3/10

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Afterthoughts...: The critics were a bit too harsh on this surprisingly entertaining sci-fi tosh. I enjoyed it, and want to see it generate into a franchise in the future.

Review here

Directed By: Quentin Tarantino.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Mélanie Laurent, Eli Roth, Samm Levine, Til Schweiger, Samuel L. Jackson, Mike Myers.

Plot: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.

Release Date (in Australia): August 20th

My thoughts...: Oh boy. Alright, I'm SORTA looking forward to this movie purely on the basis that it's a Tarantino flick. But I'm only watching it for QT, nothing else. The trailer looks absolutely awful; a cheap, badly directed succession of shots containing stupid action and cartoonish humour (instead of dark, sophisticated humour). We're looking at about 150 minutes in length with a subplot going off-tangent, so this film will probably take itself far, far too seriously. Stallone will do it better in 2010's The Expendables.

Excitement Meter: 2/10

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Afterthoughts: Not as dreadful as it looked, in fact it kinda exceeded my expectations, but this ain't no masterpiece. It's just a mediocre Tarantino movie filled with superfluous, self-indulgent, boring dialogue.

Review here

Directed By: Michael Bay.
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, America Olivo, Rainn Wilson, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Tyrese Gibson.

Plot: Decepticon forces return to Earth on a mission to take Sam Witwicky prisoner, after the young hero learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers. Joining the mission to protect humankind is Optimus Prime, who forms an alliance with international armies for a second epic battle.

Release Date (in Australia): June 25th

My thoughts...: It's become the stereotypical thing to do but I hate Michael Bay simply because he never steps out of his comfort zone to try something new. He sticks with action. Okay, he delivers action. However he delivers it with juvenile humour on the side. I have no problem with humour, but this form of humour is out of place. Masturbation jokes in the first Transformers movie? A transformer "lubricating" on a human? Laugh-worthy, yes. But I'm laughing for all the wrong reasons.
Now, onto the flick in question...
Hate to burst everyone's bubble, but this looks quite terrible. I'm drawing judgements from the trailers, yes, and I shouldn't judge a whole movie from the trailer. But it stands to reason that the trailer is supposed to entice one to see the movie... didn't do that for me. Trailer generated zero suspense and zero atmosphere. All I saw was a bunch of money shots strung together. Bay's camera never shies away from capturing every single intricacy of a robot. Less is more would be a more effective approach, but no - Bay opts for money shots. Even worse, the drama presented in the trailer didn't grab me at all. The trailer for this flick rates an appalling 1/5, but I'll still see it....either for cheap or on DVD.

Excitement Meter: 2/10

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Afterthoughts...: Fucking SHIT! Awful in every respect.

Review here