Piranha 3DD

It's not yet time to go back into the water....

Everybody thought that the outbreak of killer piranha's at Lake Victoria had been contained and they would never see the horde of pre-historic killer again, but when a new water park opens up ahead of Spring Break, the owners get more than they bargained for.

Between a mad scientist, a crooked cop, an amputee with a shotgun, a celebrity lifeguard and rather crooked park owner, it's difficult to see anybody getting out of this one alive.

The trailer for this film did not promise very much and that is exactly what it delivered. It had some big names (or at least formerly big names) as drawing cards, a fair amount of nudity, some decent special effects of the piranha's and a good few laughs, but there is nothing really concrete to hold this train smash together.

Danielle Panabaker (She of "The Crazies" and "Friday the 13th") fame takes the lead in this one as marine biology student and part owner of a water park, "Maddy". The role is not particularly challenging but she does better than most in this film to somewhat hold up the script. David Koechner brings one of the familiar faces to the screen in the role of "Chet" the corrupt and rather smarmy co-owner of the water park. He is a character you will truly learn to hate and applaud when he reaches his untimely end.

"Baywatch" and "Knightrider" legend David Hasselhoff is the glue which holds this film together and makes the audience wonder, just how much acting he is doing in this film, portraying an egotistical, womanizer who looks down on all of those around him. His one liners are superb and bring some really good comedy value to the film, but it still lacks substance. "Back to the Future" hero Christopher Lloyd almost reprises his role in the iconic trilogy, playing marine scientist "Mr Goodman", his wild eyes and broken speech bring a fair bit of comedy value to the role and his time on screen is enjoyable.

Ving Rhames  reprises his role of "Deputy Fallon" from the 2010 version of "Piranha", his one legged, shotgun wielding character is decent value for his five minutes on screen, adding even more gore to this fest of horror. Gary Bussy is on screen for less than a minute in this one, as "Clayton", but he gives a valuable showing and the director would have done really well to have him on for a lot longer than this short cameo.

If you are up for gore, blatant nudity, bad script and some decent underwater filming with good fishy special effects, then this is the film for you. This movie should be seen by all horror fans, but be warned there is not much to be scared of here. The wounds inflicted by the fish are almost comedic in their effect, but the final scene, despite being harsh, has to be the highlight of the movie, also keep and eye out for the DD's

3.5/10

The Lucky One

Sometimes you can't explain things, they just happen...

When Logan finds a keep safe picture of a beautiful blonde girl in Iraq and inadvertently misses out on being hit by a direct strike he takes this as a sign that the picture is something special and is determined that if he makes it out alive, he will track the woman down and thank her for saving his life.

Once freed from the rigors of war, he makes his way to a small town in Louisiana to track down the lovely blonde girl in the photo; somebody he knows absolutely nothing about, but knows that somehow keeping her image with him, has kept him alive.

Now if he can only find a way to tell the girl, who lost the man closest to her in her life, how much she means to him....

This is a deeply emotional film, dealing with some very heavy issues, but it does well to keep the audience engaged in a feel good story that was a lot better than the trailer suggested. I got the feeling that, like many of Zac Efron's films in the past, this one might be aimed at a mainly teenage female audience, but it surprises by actually being a damn decent watch.

Yes there are some fairly large holes in the script. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder does not just vanish overnight as it did in this one, but the emotions in this piece felt real and made the film very watchable.

Former "High School Musical" heart throb, Zac Efron, continues to prove that he is not just a pretty face, following his very decent outing in the 2011 "New Years Eve" with the lead as "Logan" in this one. His performance is believable and emotive and hopefully paves the way for more serious roles for this young Californian. He seems to get better with each movie that roles off the production line and may well shortly find that although he has kept his core audience, he is developing a new, slightly older following. I look forward to his next showing and hope that he will soon show more of his unmistakable acting talent.

Taylor Schilling makes another step from the world of TV to take a leading role in only her second big screen outing. Her portrayal of the troubled "Beth" is one of the highlights of the movie, bringing a face to the countless who are left behind from the horrors that is modern day war. Her grasp of the role as a single mother, coming to terms with the loss of her brother in conflict, a domineering and controlling ex husband and her undeniable feelings for "Logan", while still wanting the best for her young son, make this a very enjoyable performance. Look for this talented beauty to do more in the coming years as this is a very good introduction to the big screen.

Hollywood legend Blythe Danner, continues her run in romantic films, following her 2011 "What's Your Number?" with a truly joyous performance as the matriarchal "Ellie" in this one. She brings a lightness to this very serious topic, with some cracking one liners and a twinkle in her eye that made her the perfect one for this reflective role. She is delightful in this film and really does brighten the screen with her presence. The audience almost feels as a naughty chastised child would with some of her disproving looks and its hard to describe just how much she brings to this piece. 

Ten year old Riley Thomas Stewart gives a tremendous performance as "Ben", a confused young man in the middle of a troublesome custody battle, never knowing how to gain approval from his dominant father. This is his first major role in films, but he has graced some of the biggest TV shows in history, including "CSI and House MD", so is no stranger to the limelight. His performance in this one is excellent and shows this young man is a true talent.

The film is very enjoyable, and pays good tribute to the men and women of the armed forces who pay the ultimate price. It is a drama, but has a lightness to it, which will open it up to a far broader audience. Well worth the time you spend on it.

6/10

On the Road

How far do you have to travel in life to truly find yourself?

Dean and Sal are the best of friends, in a post World War II America, trying to find "IT", while also trying to find themselves. Sal, along with their friend Carlo and Dean, make their way from one end of the country to the other, always traveling by car and enduring some of the most vicious conditions which the US has to throw at them.

Dean has a wondering spirit, not only in life, but also with the ladies. His on again, off again 16 year old wife Marylou, gets dragged from pillar to post, one day in favour, the next day not, while the three friends smoke and drink their way through their young lives, always in search of something.

Through all the debauchery and living life to the fullest, the three young men, and those around them try to discover the truth about their fathers, the truth about themselves and also have as much fun as they possibly can before it kills them. When finally they start growing up, the group splits, children are produced and lessons are learned, but still the young men continue their search for that elusive something. Only once their time on the road has concluded, will they find the truth.

An intriguing and interesting, yet debauchery filled film which lays bare the lives of the leading characters and exposes a much missed time in American history, for what it really was. Set just four years after World War II, it shows the seeming futility which the young generation felt, not understanding their parents, but crying out for their own independence, even though they are not sure what it was.

A talented young cast in this one, 22 year old Englishman, Sam Riley taking the lead as "Sal Paridise" in a role that seemed almost written for him. He shows a decent amount of emotion which is needed in this part, and a maturity that could see him go far in this industry. In his first outing since "Woman in Love" in 2011, he impresses and keeps the film going at a decent pace, interacting very well with his fellow cast members. Look for more from this talented young man.

Garrett Hedlund plays a leading role in the part of "Dean Moriarty", a lost and confused young man, looking to take the most out of life, hoping experiences will somehow replace the father who has been missing from his life for the past decade. Hedlund makes his first showing on the big screen since the 2010 blockbuster, "Tron Legacy" and gives a far better performance this time out, showing some true depth and emotion with his portrayal of this troubled young man. He is impressive and should well go on to bigger things.

"Twilight" actress Kristen Stewart shows for the first time in her career, that she can actually act; with her portrayal of 16 year old "MaryLou". She gives a convincing showing, quite easily her best performance, illustrating that there is a fair bit of talent there. This is also the first time she has opted to go topless,  something which certainly fits into the story, which is filled with illicit sex and partner swapping, but I am not too sure if this is what her career needed. It is good to see that the talent is there and hopefully she can go onto bigger and better things.

British born Tom Sturridge continues his very decent run in major motion pictures with this outing as "Carlo Marx", a very confused young man who adores "Dean" and will get himself into a lot of trouble in order to impress his idol. His character is complex and he plays it brilliantly, but could have spent more time on screen, as he deserved to play a bigger part. Kirsten Dunst does very well indeed as the "older" woman in the love triangle, bringing the character of "Camille" to life with all its broody dissatisfaction that a woman scorned can have. Keep an eye out for Viggo Mortensen to have a lovely five minute cameo as the rather mental "Old Bull Lee".

The film is gripping and a very decent watch, a lot better than I expected of it. It has many adult themes and a fair bit of nudity, so not one for the family, but well worth the time you spend on it, even it if it is possibly 20 minutes too long.

5.5/10

Our Idiot Brother

A kind hearted brother is released from prison and descends on the lives of his three sisters, with comical results.

After selling marijuana to a uniformed policeman, simple minded "Ned Rochlin" is sent to prison for a while, but let out on good behaviour and descends on his family to wreak the havoc which only he can. He returns to his girlfriend and her organic farm where he used to happily work, but she has now moved onto one of his old friends, and, worst of all, she is holding onto his dog, "Willie Nelson"!

While plotting how to get his beloved dog back and befriending his parole officer, he spends time with all three of his sisters, bringing perceived misery to all of their lives, with his innocent and naive outlook on the world. His innocence, causes more problems than it solves and soon all of his family, except for his like minded mum, is upset with him and refusing to give him the time of day.

When he mistakenly ends up in prison again, his sisters bond together for the first time in years, to get their brother back on track. If only he would recognize they are trying to help him....

An all star cast in this film, makes it a delightful romp, but it was not really as funny as the trailer made the audience believe it would be. It certainly is very watchable film with some really good performances from the talented cast. The laughs are few and far between, but genuine when they do come and keep the film going along at good pace.

Talented comedy actor Paul Rudd takes on the role of "Ned Rochlin", and does really well to be able to pull off a character quite this dim. He delivers the laughs and plays a really decent caring and sensitive character, but also shows the serious side to his character which is good to see.

Elizabeth Banks continues with her meteoric rise on the big screen, delivering yet another stunning performance as Vanity Fair journalist "Miranda Rochlin". Her character is strong and driven, but also sensitive and needy at times and despite her best efforts, still very dependent on her family. As she chases the ultimate story, she falls foul of her brothers' honesty, but has to really look inside herself to find out what she truly wants. Adam Scott does really well as her love interest "Jeremy" and their characters share some really good chemistry, despite not being together. It also takes a long while to get used to Elizabeth Banks with dark hair.

Zooey Deschenal does rather well as the youngest of the sisters, "Natlie Rochlin". Her character probably goes through the most emotional time of the leading players, trying to hide the ultimate secret from her lesbian lover. English born actress Emily Mortimer does superbly as "Liz Rochlin", trying to keep her chin up while her marriage falls apart. She brings just the right amount of humour and emotion to the role, while trying hard not to kill her husband, played by fellow Brit Steve Coogan. Keep an eye out for a wonderful role from Hollywood veteran Shirley Knight, who does brilliantly as the simple minded matriarch.

TJ Miller is hilarious as the dim-witted "Billy", while Kathryn Hahn does a sterling job as "Janet", the dog-napping ex girlfriend of the lead character.

The film will have you leaving the cinema with a smile on your face, but also delivers a more serious message, touching on the heavier topics in life, but with a lighthearted slant. It is well worth the watch and will brighten the day of most audiences with its innocence.

6.5/10

Chernobyl Diaries

In a deserted town, nobody can hear you scream....

A group of American, British and Nordic students, bored with their travels in Europe, decide to stop in the Ukraine and while there take in some "Extreme tourism", by visiting the city of Chernobyl. Their guide "Uri", manages to bypass the guards at the entrance to the restricted areas, taking the six tourists into the neighbouring deserted town of Pripyat.

Once in the silent town their guide allows the tourists to walk around and take photos, also encountering a rather large and rampant hungry, brown bear, but also very aware that he should not keep them there after dark.

On returning to their van they discover that the starter motor leads have been gnawed away and they are forced to spend the night in the deserted town. When "Uri" is killed by an unknown life form it is up to the group of young tourists to survive against whatever or whoever is left in the town that is meant to contain no living souls. If they can survive the night, and can stay away from reactor four at Chernobyl, they might just make it out alive...

This film basically does what it sets out to do. It makes you jump in places and provides you with a slightly above average thriller. The story has the potential to be really gripping, and keeps the audience well occupied for the first 40 minutes of the film. Sadly it goes downhill after that and fizzles out, except for a nice surprise at the very end.

The film is described as a horror by the production house, but should be classed as a bit more of a soft thriller, with the audience never really feeling truly scared at any point during the film. I wish director Bradley Parker had done more with this script, it was so promising and started off as something really good.

Little known Dimitri Diatchenko moves away from the video games and tv series which have been his bread and butter and makes a very decent visit to the big screen as the "Extreme Tourist guide, Uri". He is convincing and keeps the story going along nicely until meeting an untimely end. It would have been good to have him on screen for a far longer time.

Singer/Songwriter and now actor Jesse McCarntney, does a reasonably good job as "Chris" and might look to take on more challenging roles as he looks to break into the acting world. He does a good job and I look forward to seeing more of this talented young man. Jonathan Sadowski, does fairly well as his wayward older brother "Paul", while Olivia Dudley and Devin Kelley, give decent showings as the rest of the party.

The film doesn't drag, but also doesn't excite, chugging along at a pace that won't keep you on the edge of your seat, but will keep you interested, if not enthralled. Worth a watch, but don't put it top of your list.

5/10

The Guard

A small town Irish policeman gets mixed up in an FBI Investigation and has to work side by side with one of its best agents...

A confrontational Irish policeman, who runs his small police force like he would his own kingdom, is forced to work with one of the best agents from the FBI. After a drug related murder in a small seaside town, the FBI drug agency sends one of their finest men to try and crack a smuggling ring which is trying to sneak a $500 million cache under the noses of the Irish police.

The Agent, "Wendell Everitt" has to come to terms with the locals not co-operating, or even speaking his language; the police, either not able or willing to help him and also a bunch of homicidal  maniacs trying to send him back to the US in a coffin.

The international criminals have no problem killing anybody who gets in their way. It's left up to "Sergeant Gerry Boyle" to put aside the fact that his elderly mother is on her deathbed, and half of the IRA wants to kill him; to make sure that the biggest drug deal in Irish history, doesn't happen.

A laugh out loud comedy that makes you try to stifle the giggles at things you really should not find funny, but also a serious story, with some very mature themes, but a true pleasure to watch. There are none of the bells and whistles or special effects that most films these days seem to rely on; just good old fashioned script writing and some very decent acting.

Irish actor Brenden Gleeson plays the lead role of "Sergeant Gerry Boyle", this superb actor giving one of his finest showings in a long time, as a pig headed, slightly racist and extremely opinionated small town policeman. Gleeson calls it as he sees it and has his own special way of policing, some might find it illegal, but it seems to work for him. He is sincere and genuine, but at the same time has some truly classic, comical lines that string scenes together, superbly.

Kansas City born Don Cheadle gives a fantastic performance as "FBI Agent Wendell Everett", a highly born and highly intelligent man who sees this case as a big stepping stone in his career. He works perfectly in conjunction with Gleeson and does a phenomenal job of keeping the film racing along.

Liam Cunningham does an awesome job in the role of "Francis Sheehy-Skelfington", a dastardly criminal, who is willing to go to ruthless ends to ensure that his enormous deal goes properly. Mark Strong gives yet another excellent performance as the ringleader "Clive Cornell", trying to make sense of all the things going wrong. Slovenian born Katarina Cas gives a decent performance as "Gabriela McBride" in her first big screen role. Keep an eye out for this talented beauty in the future.


The film is incredibly funny, yet moving and emotive at the same time, with an action packed and mystical ending. It may offend, in fact there is a good chance that it will, but the film works well, with good pace and enough blazing battles to keep most fans happy. I really enjoyed this film and it is well worth the time you spend watching it.

7/10

Moonrise Kingdom

Two twelve year old's run away from home and its left to the occupants of the small island to find them before Hurricane Mabel hits...

The story revolves around the love story between two twelve year old's, who decide to run away from their respective homes and go in search of adventure on the tiny island they call home. It's left up to the people of the small town to find the young love birds, before the worst storm of the century hits.

A group of boy scouts, their scoutmaster, two fighting lawyers, a police chief and a pilot who brings in the mail, face the difficult task of tracking down the pair before a tropical storm does its best to obliterate the town.

Throw into this mix, a fighting couple, an affair, an emotionally unstable orphan who is shunted from one home to the next, a church choir production and a scout Jamboree and you have the perfect combination for the ultimate adventure.

Without a doubt this is the finest film I have had the privilege to watch in 2012. This is a perfect combination of inspired casting, brilliant writing and one of the nicest stories I have seen on film in many years. The script is a serious one, touching on some fairly heavy topics, but with a lightness and sensitivity that often has the audience in stitches.

Bruce Willis was an inspired choice as "Captain Sharp", the sole member of the police force on the island, giving one of the best performances of his long and distinguished career, and reminded me so much at times of a rather famous "Officer John McClane", probably his best known character. Willis plays an emotionally tormented policeman who has lost the only love of his life, but finds a purpose in life in the most unlikely of places.

Bill Murray and Francis McDormand are truly superb as "Walt and Laura Bishop", an uncomfortably married couple, whose daughter is one of the missing children. Both give tremendous, comedic yet, strangely moving performances and are the true back-bone of the film. Edward Norton is sublime as the disorganized, yet caring "Scout Master Ward". He brings just the right amount of seriousness to the film, while at the same time being laugh out loud funny. This is one giant turn around from his 1 minute cameo in the recent hit "The Dictator".

Tilda Swinton is a great addition as the very convincing "Social Services", an inspired name which hits her role in the film, firmly on the head. She gives a droll and dramatic performance that is perfectly suited to the film, while Harvey Keitel makes his first showing since 2010 as Chief Scout, "Commander Pierce" in a truly special performance.

The true stars however of this tremendous film, are also ironically the youngest in the cast. Kara Hayward gives a truly great showing as the young "Suzy", showing a maturity far beyond her young years. Jared Gilman, gives a truly genius performance in his first motion picture in the lead role of the young orphan, "Sam". The on screen chemistry is very believable, while at the same time being touching and innocent.

The film, goes at an excellent pace for all of its 94 minutes, and has enough laughs to keep even the most hardened comedy fan happy. There are the odd uncomfortable moments, but these fit perfectly well in the awesome, Wes Anderson written script. This movie is inspiring, and moving, yet has an innocence about it that we don't see in movies anymore.

Bravo! I really do hope the members of the academy watch this one.

9/10

Cosmopolis

A billionaire decides to take a limo ride across Manhattan to get a haircut, as hour by hour his world unravels.

The film covers a day in the life of 28 year old billionaire "Eric Packer" and his journey from one side of Manhattan in order to have a haircut. During the course of the 24 hours his life undergoes a major number of changes, that ultimately lead to his demise.

He spends most of the day in his custom built limousine, the people who need to speak to him, come and go as he makes his way through the city towards his barber. On the way across town, they run foul of a presidential visit, a dangerous and destructive riot; Packer's estranged wife "Elise" and also some very strange people who seem obsessed with the need for the Rat to become the new unit of world currency.

Trades which began at the opening of the markets, betting against the Yuan, sees his personal fortune take a dive from the hundreds of billions of Dollars, to just a few hundred million in a few short hours, but the young man seems not too bothered by these developments. The only seeming constants in his world are his head of security "Torval", always keeping his boss up to speed with warnings coming from the "compound", worryingly of somebody who wants to kill the billionaire...Eventually destiny will play her own hand.

It has been a long, long time since I have watched such a steaming pile of self appreciating rubbish as this film. 90 percent of the film takes place in an ultra modern limousine, not the best place for shooting a big screen movie. The movie takes one hour and forty eight minutes to achieve absolutely nothing, other than annoying the audience and boring them to tears.

It did not surprise me at all that nearly 60% of the cinema audience walked out of this one, it was just that bad. There was no real point to the film, other than the cast patting themselves on the back for being so smart. Robert Pattison takes the lead role in this one, as "Eric Packer", a man who seems to live above the rest of the world, completely out of touch with society and seemingly happy to live in the little bubble that is his limo. I did hope that he had turned the corner with his superb portrayal of "Jacob" in "Water for Elephants", but he seems to have taken a few massive steps back in his career in this one. It is too early in his career to pull of this sort of "artistically experimental" role. The only person I could see doing any justice to this role would be Al Pacino.

Toronto born Sarah Gadon must be wishing she had never heard of this script after a horrendous showing as "Elise Shifrin". She is wooden and completely emotionless, with the charisma of a dead fish in this film and I am not even sure what purpose she had being in it. Fellow Canadian Kevin Durand is the only truly bright light in this movie in his role as head of security "Torval". He brings a bit of cheekiness to the story, adding the odd laugh and lighter side to the script, but still can to little to improve this snooze fest.

The story is massively disjointed, drags and is just downright strange, never really settling on any one fixed direction. The ending, which should have taken 5 minutes to complete; is dragged out to five times that and still makes no sense. At the climax you are truly begging for it to end.

Even if you have nothing else to do with your time, do not waste it on this one. You will never forgive yourself.

2/10

Prometheus

The crew of a space ship in search of the origins of man, land on a foreign planet, but what they find is not what they expected...

After various archaeological discoveries on earth, which they believe proves the existence of the human creators, a group of scientists persuades a company to invest in a mission to a distant galaxy. After two years of travel, having slept most of the time, the group of doctors, geologists, scientists, archaeologists, one robot and general flight crew find the planet they have been searching for, and it's time to go exploring.

One by one, the crew starts getting killed by weird occurrences on the planet. Unexplained happenings on the ship also seem rather weird and the only non human member of the crew "David" exploring the planet by himself, his motives, completely unclear.

Instead of finding the race which created the humans, they find the last surviving remnants of a culture that wanted to destroy us, and a little something extra. Beware of what you look for, you might just find it...

There were many rumors circulating that visionary director Ridley Scott was making a prequel to the legendary "Alien", and although they were strenuously denied, there were far too many references in the film, for the audience not to connect the two. The closing scene alone proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that although this film could certainly stand on its own, somewhere in the back of his mind, the director saw this as part of the series.

The film has some really good special effects, creating an entirely new virtual world and some wonderful work with lasers. The script is respectable, although it does drag in places and has none of the expected suspense or horror which the various trailers would have you believe it contains. This is a bit of a let down, as I went into the film expecting to at least jump a few times, but there was none of that.

Michael Fassbender makes amends for his horror showing in "Shame" and not terrific outing in "Haywire", with a memorable showing as the robot "David". His tranquil demeanor is somewhat disconcerting, the audience never too sure of his motives or intentions, but he gives a very good performance and provides a bit of comedic entertainment when his head gets removed from the rest of his body.

Charlize Theron once again gives a wonderful performance as the incredibly bitchy "Meredith Vikkers", her character summed up in the classic line "It's my job to make sure you do your jobs". It is hard to hate her hard assed attitude and you actually end up respecting her by the end of the movie. Her father "Peter Weyland" is masterfully played by the talented Aussie actor, Guy Pearce, who has to add 50 years to his age to master this difficult role. The make up for his character is incredible and he does very well to adopt the mannerisms of somebody who is at death's door.

Swedish actress Noomi Rapace makes her first outing since "Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows" to do a decent job as scientist "Elizabeth Shaw". I do however wish that she could have chosen one accent and stuck to it. At the start she is Scottish, then English and occasionally lapses into a French twang, so is hard to take seriously. Logan Marshall Green does well as her husband "Charlie Holloway", but does meet his end in rather a too normal a way for a sci-fi film.

For comedic value, look no further than English born actor Sean Harris, who delivers a good few ironic laughs as geologist "Fifield". He seemed to have met his maker far too early in the proceedings and I think the film would have been a lot better, had he survived. Countryman Idris Elba does a find job as captain of the ship "Janek", looking after his crew to the very last. It would be good to see more of this talented actor on the big screen.

The 3D was well used in this film, especially on the surface of the planet, in fact the special effects were probably the highlight. The script does drag in places, but the ending will have people who saw "Alien" squirming in their seats with delight. It also leaves it wide open for a sequel....Maybe this time with Predators?

This is worth the watch, but don't expect an Oscar winning script

6.5/10

Snow White and the Huntsman

An Evil Queen, with a passion for eternal youth, hunts her step daughter in order to obtain immortality.

The classic story of Snow White and the Evil Queen with a few new twists and turns. An evil Queen, takes control over a kingdom, after murdering her husband on their wedding night and taking over his castle with her own army.

Her vanity for beauty makes her destroy the country and demoralize the people, always searching for pretty girls to feed the magic which keeps her young and beautiful. With the aide of her magic mirror the Queen keeps tabs on the "Fairest of them all", erradicating all who would wish to claim that role. When her step daughter, "Snow White" comes of age and threatens to usurp her place as the most beautiful in the land, the Queen, knows that she must kill her and, by doing this, give herself everlasting youth.

When "Snow White" escapes to the dark forest, where the Queen's magic does not work, she sends a huntsman after her, ordered to remove her heart and bring it back to the ruler. In end, "Snow White" is the only one who can save her evil step mother, but also the only one who can end her tyrannous life.

For months we have been bombarded by the impressive previews that were put out about this film, and in a way they delivered. The special effects are some of the best I have ever seen; and the animation was something to behold.

Unfortunately a film, cannot depend wholeheartedly on these factors, the cast needs to hold up their end of the the bargain, and for the most part they did. Sadly, the title role of "Snow White" was given to Kristen Stewart, she of "Twilight" fame and, as much as the casting director would like to believe it; an actress of this caliber cannot hold up the business end of what in effect, was a mini epic. The 21 year old, truly did let herself down in this opportunity for her to shine, showing that she is not quite ready to take on these sorts of roles just yet. Her emotions and facial expressions were minimal and her acting talents, seem to have been put in a cupboard somewhere. Unlike fellow "Twilight" actress Anna Kendrick, this one still has a lot to learn about entertaining a discerning adult audience. Hopefully, with experience will come wisdom, but this performance was painful in places and average at best.

Oscar winner Charlize Theron is sublime as the "Evil Queen Ravenna", giving one of the finest performances of her career as this truly evil and demented character. Her performance made you want to stand up and applaud at times, her mood swings and outbursts, something to be treasured. A lot of the special effects in this film centered around her character, but combined with her acting prowess, made her role the true backbone of this film.

Australian born Chris Hemsworth's career seems to be on fire at the moment, with films literally rolling off the production line. He follows up his decent showings in "Thor" and "The Avengers" with a good outing as "The Huntsman", a grieving  and tortured alcoholic soul, who is tasked with hunting down the heroine and also propping up most of the film. He is not aided at all by the fact that he uses a Scottish accent throughout, which keeps slipping, but does cause for the odd comedic moment. His character is strong and powerful and gives the audience somebody to root for.

The audience is spared the pitiful efforts of Stewart with the introduction of the Seven Dwarfs, in this film, played by some of the best known faces in British cinema, with Hollywood veteran Bob Hoskins giving a truly admirable performance as the sightless "Muir". Ian McShane also weighs in with an impressive showing as "Beith", while other "dwarfs", Ray Winstone, Nick Frost, Eddie Marsdone, Toby Jones, Johnny Harris and the wonderfully lovable Brian Gleeson in the role of "Gus", brighten this film dramatically with their presence. The effects director should be praised highly for making these regular sized gentlemen, just three feet tall.

Sam Spruell does very decently as the downtrodden brother of the Evil Queen, but does struggle to garner any sympathy from the audience, coming across as a vile, demented and somewhat perverted toad. Keep an eye out for a decent cameo from model/actress Lily Cole as the victim, "Gretta", while although we don't his face, Christopher Obi, is rather scary as "The Man in the Mirror", using some amazing special effects.

The script is decent, slow in places, and not helped by Kristen Stewart, but manages to keep itself plodding along. It taught me a few new things, about the well known classic story, with the script writer taking a good few liberties. There is the odd laugh and not too much gratuitous violence, the story flows slowly, but is worth a watch in the end.

My only question goes to the casting director, as to in which fantasy world, is Kristen Stewart, fairer than former model Charlize Theron?

Worth the go and prepare to be astounded by both the special effects, and also Charlize Theron.

5.5/10