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Toy Story 3
Anthony Macali
Woody, Buzz, and the rest of their toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care centre after their owner, Andy, departs for college.
You might have reservations going back to play with old toys, but don't be afraid, as "Toy Story 3" is still fantastically creative and charming. A fresh assortment of characters come out of the box, each equally entertaining and unique. The film is a perfect example of pure genius story-telling and craft. The visuals invariably impress, but the 3D glasses are better served to hide away the tears of nostalgia. It's hard to let go of the story behind one of the best animated features of all-time.
Tower Heist
Anthony Macali
A group of hard working guys conspire to rob a wealthy business man's high-rise residence.
"Tower Heist" might not be the most complex of capers, but it does produce plenty of laughs along the way. The high calibre cast is fun to watch, the only drawback being their inability to share the screen time in satisfying amounts. Much of the entertainment comes from the ordinary hotel crew and the birth of their criminality. Clearly out of their depth, they embark on hilarious exercises to plan and prepare. It's a shame that when our heroes and villain do confront, the exchange is pretty tame, sharing metaphors to be ignored. Few surprises but gets the job done.
Tooth Fairy
Luke Bartter
A bad deed on the part of a tough minor-league hockey player results in an unusual sentence: He must serve one week as a real-life tooth fairy.
Despite relying on the visual of a grown man dressed as a fairy to hook you in, this family comedy provides plenty of enjoyment, mainly due to the charisma of its leads. Several of the story-lines run parallel to create a feel similar to a series of sketches, and while there are no surprises to be found, "Tooth Fairy" is never boring and occasionally quite funny. Far more likeable and charming than expected, it's recommended for children, inner and actual.
TMNT
Anthony Macali
Four turtle brothers, mutated from toxic ooze and master ninjas, must work together and battle an ancient mysterious evil to save the world.
When you're young, turtles are the ultimate pets, ninja is cool and pizza is your favourite food. I still enjoy pizza, but I also enjoyed the rubber suits from the old "TMNT" movies. Replaced with CGI, the new "TMNT" is targeted at a much younger audience. The story is a bit silly, but sweet nun-chuck skills and a happy ending will be a lot of fun for kids. It needs to make more funny's to be totally bodacious.
This Must Be the Place
Anne Murphy
A bored and retired rock star sets out to find his father's executioner, an ex-Nazi war criminal.
This is a beguiling character study, thanks to the disarming performance of the lead actor. The central role is a captivating mix of unsophisticated naivety and world weariness played with sincerity. This movie, which is one man's search for self-discovery, could be plumbed meaning, and while many messages might be discovered it is better appreciated as adventurous film-making that delights with its originality. "This Must Be the Place" takes audiences to some-place else... if someone asks, this is where I'll be.
This Means War
Anthony Macali
Two operatives wage a battle against one another after they discover they are dating the same girl.
Two hardened men might front this stunt but don't be fooled. "This Means War" is a romantic comedy with a different take. Outlandish circumstances persuade two of the CIA's finest to exploit their resources to court a girl. This would never happen in the real world, but it's a funny scenario to watch unfold nonetheless. The jokes are snappy and everybody is beautiful and bright, with all the right characteristics to suit the plot. In the end it comes down to the trio at the centre of this triangle, and there's a lot to love about their conflict.
The Women on the 6th Floor
Anne Murphy
In 1960s Paris, a conservative couple's lives are turned upside down by two Spanish maids.
The character roles are straight jacketed by class stereotypes, both the salt-of-the-earth maids and their fuss-pot employers. The movie comes close to being patronising and mightn't have worked in a current day setting, however audiences can smile nostalgically at what is a charming and humorous class-comedy set in a previous century. "Women on the 6th Floor" is best not viewed from a social political perspective, but rather enjoyed for its gentle humour and captivating plot. Hope that the women upstairs never come down to earth.
The Wackness
Andrew O'Dea
A lonely teenager spends his last summer before university selling marijuana throughout New York City, trading it with his unorthodox psychotherapist for treatment.
"The Wackness" follows the empathetic character of social outcast and drug dealer Luke Shapiro, centering on the unlikely friendship he develops with his eccentric therapist, Dr. Squires. In each other they find a solace of sorts, sharing their parallel frustrations with life. This movie is entertaining in its strangeness, as it paints an almost sardonic humour through the juxtaposition of adolescent anxiety and middle-aged depression.
The Trotsky
Anne Murphy
Leon Bronstein is not your average Montreal West high school student.
"The Trotsky" delivers everything we love from the best Canadian films, an indie tone, clever adolescent characters and a quirky story-line. The movie asks if it is apathy or boredom that leaves high-schoolers without motivation or political interest. A likeable revolutionary geek awakens students from their indifference. He battles family issues and perceived fascism. The action is funny as the players rally to their socialist causes and budding romances with passion. Chuckling audiences might be encouraged to come out of the political Siberia and join a movement.
The Trip
Stefan Bugryn
Steve Coogan and fellow comedian Rob Brydon eat and drink their way through a restaurant tour.
It's quite difficult to categorise this film. It's part travel show, part culinary diary, part documentary, part comedy! In this respect it is truly unique, but the lack of any discernable events or conflict also make it a little uninteresting. It's almost like you're just waiting until the actors start doing their own comedic character impressions again, which are actually hilarious. Had they ingrained some sort of incident, drama, anything... it would have been a lot more engaging. Instead, we're literally just dished up two mates dining at restaurants and cracking jokes.
The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
Anne Murphy
A profile of the world's only comedic, singing, dancing, lesbian twin sisters.
"Topp Twins" evokes the '100% Pure New Zealand' tourist campaign that showcases the pure hearts and honest lifestyles that are recognisably typical of our imaginings of life in nuclear-free New Zealand. This documentary chronicles the careers of two remarkable characters that are both subversively and overtly political, and the tone is musical and humorous. The movie is threaded with a cabaret performance, recent and archival footage cleverly edited to tell this down to earth, and at times quite moving, story. Topp viewing.
- Genre » Documentary Comedy Music
- Release » Limited 26 Nov 2009
- Festival » MIFF 2009
The Tale of Despereaux
Wendy Slevison
The tale of three unlikely heroes - a misfit mouse, an unhappy rat, and a bumbling servant girl with cauliflower ears - whose fates are intertwined with that of a castle's young princess.
This movie, while looking like a beautiful old edition of a German Fairytale, has a bewildered storyline and crudely realised characters. While the nobility are given elegant equine faces, the servant girl and her father look like cabbage patch dolls - clichés that are disappointing given the potential of the animation genre. This film has no warmth or heart, and is a lacklustre contribution to the holiday movie releases for children.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Anthony Macali
Master sorcerer Balthazar Blake recruits a seemingly everyday guy in his mission to defend New York City from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath.
"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is a modern take on the world of wizardry, competing in the popular genre with more money and less imagination. The ingredients are familiar: boy meets girl, the journey of the 'chosen' one, love is more important than the end of world... such unoriginality is cleverly cloaked in wiz-bang special effects and the charisma of the cast. Despite its bewitchery, the film is ultimately entertaining and destined for a future of more 'life' lessons from sorcerers.
The Smurfs
Anthony Macali
The evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their magical village.
If you watched the original cartoon, then this 3D reanimation of "The Smurfs" marks a nostalgic return, with young newcomers also sharing in the wonder of these cute-little-blue guys. They enter the real world, and it's funny watching them run amok, in particular Clumsy Smurf, who loves to cause trouble with satisfying results. Beyond these initial encounters, the story lacks imagination and is best suited to the tiniest of toddlers. Let's hope any further arrivals are reserved to once in a blue moon.
The Simpsons Movie
Anthony Macali
When Homer mistakenly pollutes the river with toxic waste from his "Pig Crap" silo, he causes the EPA to encase Springfield in a glass dome.
Cheeky and mischievous, "The Simpsons Movie" starts well with the jokes fast and funny. It's when we pass the usual episode length of time the movie stumbles and bores. The revamped animation and widescreen transfer do add value, but there is nothing new or surprising in this film that warrants the cartoon to reach for the cinema. We should all listen to the wisdom of Homer, and watch this on TV for free.