The Shawshank Redemption

Based on the Stephen King novel the Shawshank Redemption tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) a young and successful banker who is given a double life sentence for the murder of his young wife and her lover. At Shawshank prison he gains the respect of Red (Morgan Freeman) the prison 'fixer' and together they embark on a life changing journey.

In essence the secret of a good movie is simple. It isn't the cinematography, it isn't the direction, the lighting, the music. It isn't even the cast. It is quite simply the story. A good story has you enthralled from beginning to end. It makes you care so much for the protagonist that you hope and pray that somehow everything will turn out all right. A good story makes you hate the corrupt and feel for the broken. The Shawshank Redemption is such a story. If there is a list of movies you want to see before you die. This movie should be on it...no, it must be on it.

5 elephants

Seven Pound

Two years ago Tim Thomas (Will Smith) caused the death of seven people. In an effort to redeem himself he set about donating bits of his body. A lung lobe to his brother, a piece of his liver to a child services officer, a kidney to a hockey coach, bone marrow to a young boy. For his final donations he steals his brothers IRS ID and searches for worthy recipients. Ezra Turner, a blind meat sales person is to receive his eyes. Connie Tepos, a young woman, his heart. But to donate these final pieces he has to commit suicide and in such a way that his vital organs are preserved.

This movie should come with a health warning. Watching it will make you seriously depressed. It's basically Will Smith, with a strange, tortured look on his face, fumbling about, tears dribbling down his cheeks as he sets about fulfilling his quest. It was as if he was trying to get an Oscar by crying a lot. Never before have we watched a film that has left us so utterly depressed. It was pointless and unrealistic. One of the least enjoyable films we have ever watched and enough to turn anyone to drink to blot out the depression it yielded on any viewer.

0 elephants

Year One

When Zed (Jack Black) a pre-historic hunter eats from the forbidden tree and gets banished from his tribe, he takes with him his shy, awkward friend, Oh (Michael Cera). On their travels they encounter Cain and Abel, Isaac and Abraham, become slaves and end up in the city of Sodom. Here they find the rest of the tribe, including the women they love, Maya and Eema. Their goal is to rescue them, but first they have to deal with Sodom's High Priest, the King and Cain, who seems to pop up everywhere causing chaos in their lives.

Actors: Jack Black, Michael Cera, David Cross, Paul Rudd, Oliver Platt, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Hank Azaria, Vinnie Jones, Kyle Glass. Director: Harold Ramis. Writers: Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupnitsky. All this talent and you make this very unfunny, uneven comedy? This film is littered with stupid, puerile jokes and weak humour. It was as if they were relying on Jack Black to make it funny. Well, give him half a decent script and maybe could have. We'd like to say this film was rubbish, but at least you can recycle rubbish. This film was just pure, unadulterated crap. AVOID!

0 elephants

The Sentinel

Peter Garrison (Michael Douglas) is a secret service agent and personal bodyguard to the First Lady of the United States, Sarah Ballentine (Kim Basinger) with whom he is having an affair. He finds himself embroiled in an investigation to an assassin plot against the President. Each agent is ordered to take a polygraph test and, because he has to hide his affair with the First Lady, he fails. Thus finding himself an unwitting suspect for providing information to the would-be assassins.

Rotten Tomatoes reviews this as a film as boring as watching ink dry on a U.N Treaty. Well stuff them. This actually wasn't that bad. Although it was slightly worrying that when looking at the DVD and seeing that the film starred Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland and Eva Longoria...but somehow we'd never heard of it. Nevertheless, it was a good story, kept our attention and watching an OAP (Michael Douglas) beat up half of the U.S Secret Service was entertaining if not a little amusing. Watch but don't expect a classic.

3 elephants

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Rebecca Bloomwood has a major shopping addiction but she's in debt up to her Gucci neckline and she's just lost her job. As a result of a letter mailing mix-up she unintentionally lands a job with a financial paper where she unwittingly becomes a star when she writes an article about how to handle money - something she clearly cannot do. Living a huge lie and with a very persistent debt collector on her tail, Rebecca finds herself in big trouble.

A disappointing film from a really, really good book. Why do they always do this? The same thing happened with 'In Her Shoes' - nothing more to say. Don't bother with this movie.


1 elephant

Flightplan

Kyle Pratt (Jodie Foster), an aviation engineer, is flying back to the USA from Berlin bringing with her a coffin containing her husband's body, and her six year old daughter. Three hours into the flight, Kyle wakes up to discover her daughter is missing. The crew tell her she did not board with a child and must be suffering from psychological trauma caused by the tragic death of her husband. But Kyle knows otherwise and on a double-decker plane that she helped to design she finds she has to take matters into her own hands to find her child.

Edge of the seat thriller that held our attention from start to finish. We spent most of movie second guessing only to discover we were wrong. Jodie was brilliant but we were particularly impressed by Peter Sarsgaard who played the understanding air marshall. A really good movie that we highly recommend.

4 elephants

Half Nelson

Inner City high school teacher Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is a brilliant teacher, yet he spends his time outside school in a drug induced haze. He also coaches the girls basketball team and one of his young players - Drey - inadvertently catches him getting high after practice. As the story unfolds we delve into the lives of both Dan and Drey as they try to save each other from the consequences of their troubled lives.

Ryan Gosling's performance in this 2006 movie earned him an academy nomination. A slow burner, this movie has the feel of an Oscar winner (or something they would like, anyway.) It's emotionally moving in an understated way and you feel as if you've watched a really good movie at the end of it -- which you have!

4 elephants

Role Models

Danny (Paul Rudd) and Wheeler (Seann Williams Scott), two guys in their 30s, work for an energy drink company. But Danny feels stuck -- as if his life is going nowhere. Desperate to do something he proposes to his girlfriend who promptly turns him down and then breaks up with him. Danny snaps and gets into a fight with a tow trucker, dragging Wheeler into the melee, and both guys end up in court. It's either jail or community service. They opt for the latter which means that they have to join a Big Brother programme. Can these two guys ever become role models?

After a slow and somewhat disjointed start, this movie actually turns out pretty good. It's not ground breaking and it follows the typical Hollywood formula but it's fun and has a damn good ending.

3 elephants

The Happening

Suddenly and inexplicably people in Central Park, New York, stop what they are doing and start committing suicide. This strange phenomena spreads all along the north east of America and no one knows what is causing it? Is it terrorism? Is it the plants? The wind?

Disappointing movie from the master of "twist in the tale" endings M.Night. Shyamalan. Intended to be a B movie but ended up being a box office hit. Why?? Watching this movie is like sitting down to a gourmet meal. You get a delicious appetizer, a pretty good entree and you have left lots of room for a delicious desert, but oh, the restaurant has run out. You don't even get a coffee. It leaves you feeling totally unsatisfied. The story went no where. Desperately hoping for that oh so familiar "I wasn't expecting that" ending, the film finished with almost no explanation. In the end we discover that the reason all these things happened was actually explained in the first ten minutes of the movie, which basically was that the plants were giving off a chemical that affected people's brains causing them to kill themselves. But why the plants were doing that no one knows. This script has more holes than Swiss cheese. The only reason it was a hit was because Mr M has an amazing track record and surely he couldn't do a duff movie? Oh, yes he can.

1 elephant

The Day the Earth Stood Still

A remake of a 1951 Sci-Fi movie. A sphere lands in Central Park in New York and Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) a representative of a group of aliens has come to assess whether humans can reverse the damage it has inflicted on planet earth.

This is a perfect role for Keanu Reeves as he has to play someone who does not have any emotion. Our favourite line in the movie is when Klaatu is asked by the Secretary of Defence (Kathy Bates) why he has come to their planet. Klaatu replies "Your planet?" Keanu Reeves says it with such detachment it's actually funny. An okay movie. But no wow factor.

2 elephants

Yes Man

Life for Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) is going nowhere until he enrolls on a personal development programme based on a simple idea "say yes to everything." Suddenly life becomes perfect -- for awhile, anyway.

We liked it but we didn't love it. It's a ton better than a lot of other movies we've watched and there are moments that are really hilarious. Sometimes Jim Carrey's gurning gets a bit old, but then who else could possibly do that as good as him? The very best character in this movie is Norman (Rhys Darby) Carl's nerdy boss. He steals every scene he's in. Come to think of it this isn't a bad movie at all, the story line was just not strong enough. However, we'd watch it again.

3 elephants

Jackie Chan's First Strike

Jackie Chan takes part in a sting operation on an international spy ring. But when one of them gets away he is chases him, and a missing nuclear warhead, to Australia.

We had this 1990's Jackie Chan movie sitting on our shelves gathering dust and had never watched it. So this weekend we decided to give it a view. It's only 88 minutes long but it's packed lots of action and the obligatory fight scenes Jackie is so famous for. In these depressing times when all everyone talks about is the economy and swine flu you can always reply on Jackie Chan to entertain and make you forget your problems.

3 elephants.

Wall-E

The future. Earth has been abandoned by mankind because it's just one great big rubbish tip due mostly to the waste from products sold by a multi-national company called Buy N Large. WALL -E is a garbage collecting robot who has been left to clean up the mess. He is all alone except for a little cockroach, until a reconnaissance robot called Eve is sent to earth to see if life is once again sustainable. WALL-E falls in love with Eve and shows her a little plant he has found amongst the rubbish. As she is programmed to do so Eve takes the plant and shuts down except for a bleep while she awaits collection. When the space ship returns, WALL-E follows Eve on board because he can't bear to be apart from her. For the first time he sees humans. Discovering the plant, the ship's captain announces to his passengers that they can go back to earth, but the ships computers have other ideas.

A delightful, magical movie of high quality that all the family will love. Little dialogue at first but it doesn't matter because we are skillfully drawn into the story and before we know it WALL-E has captured our hearts.
4 elephants.

Ghost Town

Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais) isn't a people person - at all. After he "dies" for seven minutes during a routine colonoscopy he discovers he has the ability to see dead people. Dead people, chiefly Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear), who need his help. Frank thinks he is still on earth because he needs to protect his wife, Gwen (Tea Leoni) from her new fiance Richard (Billy Campbell) and pesters Pincus until he helps him break them up.

We thought it was going to be an out and out comedy, with one gag after the other, but it turned out to be a sweet and gentle story about three people coming to terms with who they are in life - and death. We adored it. It was funny, moving and beautifully put together.

4 elephants.

Quantum of Solace

Bond and "M" discover an international network of power and corruption. After an assassination attempt on "M" all roads appear to lead to a shady character called Dominic Greene(Mathieu Amalric). Greene, a developer of Eco friendly technology, is helping General Medrano stage a coup in exchange for a piece of barren Bolivian land. Only Bond assisted by his latest beautiful side-kick Camille(Olga Kurylenko), stand in Greene's way.

Daniel Craig reprises his role in this latest of the James Bond franchise. This James Bond seems hard and callous. He wouldn't take candy from a baby he'd shoot it in the head. We understand where his bitterness has come from (the death of Vesper in Casino Royale) but sometimes this Bond just seems a bit too nasty. But having said that it is a great movie and in many ways perhaps this edgier Bond is more appropriate for the times we live in.

3 elephants.

Eagle Eye

Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBouef) is a loser with a super successful twin brother. When his twin dies, strange things start to happen to Jerry at a dizzying pace. Soon Jerry and a complete stranger, Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan) receive mysterious phone calls which throws them both together and pushes them both into ever increasing dangerous situations as they are chased across American by FBI Agent Thomas Morgan ( "musician" Billy Bob Thornton).

Eagle Eye was not on our list of must-see movies, but we are very glad we decided to watch it. This is an edge-of-your-seat thriller with an original script that holds your attention right to the end. The kind of movie that is so fast paced you are in danger of going into cardiac arrest. We loved it! A stampede of elephants could have raced across the room and we wouldn't have noticed.

We give it 4 elephants

Jet Li's Fearless (Huo Yuan Jia)

The true story of the Chinese martial arts master, Huo Yuan Jia. The founder of the Jin Wu Sports Federation.

Yeah, we know. Another Jet Li film. But we like him, okay?? Jet Li stars in this true story of the most famous fighter in all of China at the turn of the 20th century. Spectacular fight scenes and an absorbing story that highlights how the West affected the Chinese culture when it ploughed into China. Brilliantly acted with some very emotional scenes and amazing set pieces. This is a great film, despite the horrible haircuts! Humour aside, we highly recommend this film.

4 elephants

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

A British writer, Sidney Young (Simon Pegg) struggles to fit into life at a top notch magazine in New York.

Do we really need another movie that tells us that all people in showbiz and the media are transparent, shallow, youth-obsessed slimeballs? We think not. As per usual with this kind of movie, all the best bits are in the trailer. We giggled - twice. It really wasn't that funny and just turned out to be a run of the mill romcom with a cliche ending. The movie is based on Toby Young's memoirs and to be honest it made us embarrassed to be Brits. And other thing. In our opinion Simon Pegg (of Run Fat Boy Run fame) cannot hold his own in a movie without his hilarious sidekick Nick Frost. See Hot Fuzz and Shaun Of The Dead if you don't believe us.

1 elephant

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Alex O'Connell (Luke Ford) the son of mummy fighters Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evy (Maria Bello) O'Connell unearth the first Emperor of Qin with disasterous results.

You can't take a film like this seriously and you can't compare it to any other, because this is not what the film is about. It is simply a good 'ol family movie with great stunts. But we have to take issue with two things. Firstly, Rachel Weisz isn't in it and we missed her quirky take on the character. Maria Bello didn't bring anything to the movie. Secondly, c'mon now you casting people, are you serious? You cast Luke Ford as Brendan Fraser's son when in real life Luke is only thirteen years younger. The first thing we said when the movie started was that he looked way too old to play the son and that was a little distracting.

2 elephants

The Forbidden Kingdom

After getting knocked out during a fight, a Kung Fu obsessed American teenager Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano) wakes up in ancient China where he meets Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) and sets about freeing the Monkey King (Jet Li).

The Forbidden Kingdom unites two of the most well known Kung Fu masters in an epic trip across China. More Hollywood family fun than martial arts masterpiece this movie knew wanted it wanted to be. But it's a shame it didn't go down the Crouching Tiger or House of Flying Daggers route because it would have been amazing. Oh, and by the way, after spending five minutes in China, Jason miraculously grew a ponytail...how?

2 elephants.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Famed archaeologist Dr Henry "Indiana" Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind the Crystal Skulls.

Rewind to 1981 when Indiana Jones burst onto the cinema screens and blew the cobwebs out of the movie business. Fast forward to 2008 and "Indy" is back. The movie business has moved on but Indiana Jones hasn't. BUT that isn't a bad thing because Indiana Jones has everything we've come to know and love from this movie franchise. Creepy crawlies, plunging waterfalls, death defying action scenes that are so ludicrous and yet so much fun to watch we don't care. Okay, there's perhaps too much CGI and the storyline is flimsy but we can't help but marvel at the intricate openings to doors and caves and the way Indiana drops over monumental waterfalls and still manages to keep his hat on. This movie is fast paced action and good, clean family fun. And when Indy's fedora blows to the feet of his son "Mutt" (played by Shia LeBeouf) we wonder if he will take up the mantle. We hope so.

3 elephants

Get Smart

Analyst Maxwell Smart dreams of becoming an agent for top secret organization CONTROL. When CONTROL is attacked by its nemesis KAOS and some of its agents are compromised, Smart is promoted to Agent 86 with a reluctant partner Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) and they set out to thwart KAOS plans for world domination.

We expect Steve Carell's 'Maxwell Smart' to be a hapless character. A loser who get's everything wrong. But he isn't. He's smart. Really smart. And, apart from a really good storyline, that is what makes this film so good. We laughed out loud and we want to see it again and that means for Saturday Night Bright - it's a great movie.

4 elephants

Burn After Reading (Watching!)

Osbourne Cox is fired at the CIA. His wife wants a divorce and expects her lover, Harry, to leave his wife. A diskette of Osbourne's falls out of a gym bag at a Georgetown fitness center. Two employees there try to turn it into cash: Linda, who wants money for cosmetic surgery, and Chad a nice, but dumb, guy. They try to sell the disc back to Osbourne, then the Russian embassy. But it all goes stupidly wrong.

Burn After Reading - huh! Burn after watching would be our advice. Our opinion is that this is rubbish. It said side splitting funny on the dvd box - whoever wrote that surely didn't watch the movie. The only remotely funny thing about this movie was Brad Pitts character 'Chad' and they killed him off well before the movie ends. This movie leaves with you a 'what was that all about' feeling. The shame of it is some of the characters are good and it is undoubtedly well acted by its all star cast, but the story is weak and stupid and makes little sense. We don't do this often but Saturday Night Bright are going to give this a great big fat 0 elephant.

Open Season

A happily domesticated grizzly bear named Boog, has his world turned upside down after he meets Elliot, a scrawny, fast-talking one-horned deer. They both end up in the woods during hunting season and it's up to them to rally all the other forest animals and turn the tables on the hunters.

We at Saturday Night Bright love animated movies, but this one is decidedly average. The story is weak, it's only 1 hour 23 mins (including credits) but hey! the kids will like it.

We give it 1 elephant.

Step Brothers

Brennan and Dale, two middle-age layabouts that act like ten year olds, are forced to live together when their respective parents get married. As reluctant step-siblings their immature antics cause chaos.

If you want to watch a film that takes you out of yourself, a film that for one hour and thirty-four minutes makes you forget all your problems then watch this movie - not once but twice, three times. Listen to the dialogue - it's hilarious.

Anchorman, Talladega Nights and now Stepbrothers. Will Ferrell, Adam McKay - you guys rock!

We give it Five elephants.

Tropic Thunder

Action Comedy Movie

Plot:

A movie is being made in South-east Asia based on the memoirs of a Vietnam war hero. Over budget and behind schedule, the novice director decides to take the actors -- who are behaving like prima donnas -- into the jungle to get the movie shot and to make it more realistic. However, the cast are attacked by local drug dealers, but they are unaware that these are not actors and still think they're filming.

We love an all star cast and this movie has got them by the bucket load, from Ben Stiller to Tom Cruise. At last an original story and even better, one that pokes fun at Hollywood actors. We love the way it opens with a series of hilarious trailers that introduce the main cast members. Laugh out loud funny on occasions. Kudos to a barely recognisable Tom Cruise who provides some of the funniest moments in the film. And if we hadn't have seen him at the start, we would never have guessed that it was Robert Downey Jr playing Sgt. Osiris -- well deserving of that Oscar nomination. Love this movie. It's brilliant.

We give it Four elephants.

Saturday Night Bright Blog

Every Saturday night, occupied by vast amounts of drinks, junk food and the odd glass of wine -- or three, the Bright family watch a movie. Knowing a bit about how a screenplay works we usually end up talking about it and we thought, what the heck, we might as well as write a blog.

So from here on, this is our opinion of what we think is good or maybe not so good. We will give a movie a rating from one elephant to five. (Five being a perfect score) Why elephants? Well, it's because sometimes we say 'that movie was so good, an elephant could have walked across the room and we wouldn't have noticed.'