Lockout

A man wrongly convicted of being a traitor against the United States, is given an opportunity for a reprieve by taking on a suicide mission to a prison in space!

When the daughter of the President of the United States is kidnapped while on a visit to a maximum security prison in space, it is decided that only one man on earth can possibly save her. The problem is that he has no wish as all to take on the suicide mission, nor does he care much for the political views of the man running the country.

Once his mind is made up for him, he has to break into the most dangerous prison in the galaxy, make his way past 300 of the worst criminals in history and rescue the young woman, all before the dangerous men discover exactly who they have in their hands. If the unwilling hero is able to make it there and back intact, he may just have his wrongful death sentence overturned.

Australian actor Guy Pierce has done a number of very decent films in his career, especially in recent years, but this one, although decent, does not come anywhere do the sort of quality he usually delivers. His portrayal of the the rather familiar, "Snow", is fairly good, but one cannot help but compare him to the rather more famous character of "Snake Plissken".

Directors James Mather and Stephen St Leger, who also wrote the screenplay, did their very best to disguise the fact that this "original" script just happened to be a cross between "Escape from New York", "Con Air" and any random space film you can think of. Given these facts, they did do quite a decent job and if you had not seen these films, it would have been a very good stand alone project. The film is fast paced, action packed, and even has the odd good one liner thrown in for good measure.

Big screen newcomer Maggie Grace takes the leading female role in this film, playing the role of "Emilie Warnock" and gives a very decent showing, taking to action like a very attractive duck to water. Look out for more from this fairly talented actress. Joseph Gilgun, continues his vein of playing criminals, with a truly superb performance as the completely insane "Hydell". He is the true highlight of this movie, and could well have done with playing a far bigger role in this one. He is a character you will want to hate, but somehow end up feeling sympathy for.

This movie is nothing special, but is worth the cost of the ticket and the popcorn. It will certainly be better on the big screen, and the special effects are a joy to behold at times. This will keep the action fans happy and a number of sci-fi fans entertained too. It's not going to win any awards, but will help you kill two hours on a Sunday afternoon

5.5/10

TED

When 8 year old John Bennett wishes for his teddy-bear and best friend to be real one Christmas Eve he has no idea that his wish will come true, nor that his best friend will still be with him 25 years down the line and making his entire life, a nightmare.

When his long time girlfriend gives John an ultimatum of getting rid of "Ted" he asks his best friend to move out, but finds it very difficult to move on with his life.  When "Ted" is kidnapped by a lunatic stalker, its left up to "John" and girlfriend "Lori" to save the day and try to return to the "normal" life the three of them have enjoyed for so long.

Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis team up for the first time in a film, whose trailers promised filth and superb comedy from the start and delivered this in full. Throw in  a foul mouthed Teddy-bear played by Seth Mcfarlane (The voice of Peter Griffin in Family Guy) and you have the ingredients for a truly enjoyable comedy romp, which although frightfully funny, also delivers a very decent message.

The combination of Wahlberg as "John" and Kunis as "Lori" is a wonderful pairing, bringing some true romantic chemistry to the film, while, although some might think Seth Mcfarlane uses the exact same voice that made him face to portray "Ted", this character is different, and possibly quite a bit more enjoyable than his "Family Guy" delivery.

Mark Wahlberg, returns to the big screen for the first time since his very decent showing in "Contraband", bringing a more light-hearted character, which many male members of the audience could identify with. His portrayal of "John" is decent and convincing and you find yourself feeling rather sorry for him, despite him getting himself into a lot of his own messes.

Mila Kunis once again delivers a great showing as the largely ignored "Lori". She also comes back to the big screen after a short absence, with her first showing since "Friends with Benefits" alongside Justin Timberlake. Although her character is not particularly likeable, she still does a good job and continues to build a rather decent movie career. It should be interesting to see where she goes in the next few years as she seeks out more challenging roles.

Little known, Jessica Barth does well as "Tami-Lynn", the romantic interest for "Ted". This stunning actress has spent most of her time on TV, but hopefully this will be her stepping stone into films, as she shows good potential. Also keep an eye out for Patrick Stewart, Norah Jones and the one and only "Flash Gordon", acting legend, Sam J Jones.

Ted is an enjoyable comedic romp, with just the right amount of romantic good feeling thrown in. The humour is adult and most certainly not for those who are easily shocked, but this is a must for all of those who enjoy the likes of "Family Guy", "South Park" and "American Dad". It certainly is worth a go, and well worth the time you spend watching this one.

7/10