DVD--Shrek Forever After

or: It's ogre...finally.

One word to sum it up: So-so.

Shrek was probably the best movie from my childhood. When we all first got a glimpse of it in 2001 it was a movie that we watched over and over. It was also probably the first movie I knew all the words to as well. Shrek 2 was pretty awesome too, seeing as it was made by the same director: New Zealander Andrew Adamson. Come 2007 when Shrek the Third came out, without Adamson directing, the series lost a lot of momentum. So when news was spread that there would be a Shrek Forever After, I couldn't help but feel a little skeptical about this project going ahead. While it was better than I expected, no one seems to be able to capture the magic like Adamson did, and the last two films in the series have nothing on the first two.

A bored and domesticated Shrek (Mike Myers) pacts with deal-maker Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn) to get back to feeling like a real ogre again, but when he's duped and sent to a twisted version of Far Far Away--where Rumpelstiltskin is king, ogres are hunted, and he and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) have never met--he sets out to restore his world and reclaim his true love.

Dreamworks is no Pixar. The studio can't seem to be able to capture the essence of what a child wants in their animated movie. They like to hire stars to sell their movie instead of getting more experienced voices who are better at doing the job. Also, their movies are a little too dark and violent, instead of being light entertainment which truly touches the heart. Shrek Forever After is trying way too hard to make up for the losses of Shrek the Third and strive for the excellence that was in the first two. In doing that, it tries to copy It's a Wonderful Life, a movie which the young ones have probably never heard of. It fails in trying to be heartwarming, and passes off as generic stuff which isn't easy to care about. Let's just say, this ain't no Toy Story 3.

On the flip side, Shrek Forever After is still pretty enjoyable. Shrek, Fiona and Donkey have been characters which I have grown up with, and despite the mishap during Shrek the Third, I'm still not ready to part with them. They still remain as charming as ever, and the fact that they don't know each other in this one allows the viewer to see some of the magic that we can remember from the first one. Dreamworks is also all about the funny, and Shrek Forever After delivers hilarity often that it's impossible not to like. It's a hard goodbye to our favourite ogre, but then again the series didn't really go out with a bang. However, the kids will love it, and that's all you could ask for.


THE VERDICT: So much better than the last one, but still not as good as the first two. Shrek Forever After is an adequate final chapter with plenty of laughs, but it really could have been better.

6/10

DVD--Knight and Day

or: Frivolous Fun.

One word to sum it up: Out-of-it.

I remember when I first saw the Knight and Day trailer at the cinemas. I think I could actually taste the popcorn becoming a lot more buttery when I saw it. To me, it's the epitome of a typical brainless popcorn blockbuster. My dad went to go see it while I watched Inception, and he hailed it as 'the best Cameron Diaz movie of all time'. Not that there are many great Cameron Diaz movies out there, but yes, Knight and Day ranks among the best. That's if you aren't opposed to plot holes big enough for King Kong to get through and the most silly action sequences ever.

June Havens (Cameron Diaz) is just a normal woman going about her day. She gets a flight back home, but on that flight she meets the mysterious Roy Miller (Tom Cruise), who happened to kill everyone aboard the plane. The next morning, June finds herself at home, with everything back to normal. But as the day progressses she is thrown into a mission with Miller, and has to work with him in order to keep herself safe. Things won't ever be the same for either of them.

Knight and Day has little substance, little style, but manages to be a bit better than the average blockbuster. Okay, so, some of the action sequences we see out lead characters in are a bit over the top and totally unrealistic, yes, but is it entertaining? It's amazingly entertaining. The movie has some of the best action sequences I have seen this year, and is nonetheless a film which is driven by it's star power. Don't let Tom Cruise put you off...he's actually quite good in this movie. Cameron Diaz shows us all that she has a good set of lungs and can scream louder than the usual damsel in distress. Surprisingly, Cruise and Diaz have a rather good on screen relationship, and the comedy comes out of their mismatched pairing.

The first half of Knight and Day sets off to be a comedy, and it does well at this. But the second half brings in the seriousness, which feels out of place when I felt I couldn't take the movie seriously. Unfortunately, things got a little tired as the movie progressed, and I started to see the cracks in this film. Sit back and enjoy the ride is my advice, because this is no doubt an enjoyable film. Hats off to the casting directors for getting Cruise and Diaz, and also my personal favourite Peter Sarsgaard in an action film. Knight and Day is no doubt just a blockbuster, but it can elevate itself past that status because of it's star power and out there action sequences, where we know that they aren't fighting 'just because they can' (ahem, I'm looking at you, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen).


THE VERDICT: Average blockbuster fun that offers few surprises, but is still as cool as Cameron Diaz.

6/10

DVD--The Box

or: Beware of boxes. They kill.

One word to sum it up: Puzzling.

After a while of deciding which of the week's movies I should choose to watch, I finally decided on The Box. Why? Because, back in early 2008, I was obsessed with James Marsden, and vowed to watch all of his films. I didn't, but I knew The Box would be one I'd watch in the future. But after months of delay and no cinema release here, I kinda gave up on that hope. Suddenly it turns up on DVD, and though I had lost interest in watching it, I chose this over like five others.

Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur Lewis (James Marsden), a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. A mysterious stranger delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. But pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world, someone they don't know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the cross-hairs of a startling moral dilemma and must face the true nature of their humanity.

I can't really say that I didn't enjoy this movie. Because I did, immensely, too. I was even prepared to give it a higher rating. But I gave it an hour to sink in and I found that this movie wasn't really that great. It has a fantastic premise and it is obviously well thought through. Perhaps too thought through...that's it's problems. You see all these problems arising and it's obvious that Richard Kelly knows what's going on, he just hasn't allowed the viewer to come to the party. It's a case of one's imagination getting the better of him...and the viewer, it would seem.

On one hand, The Box offers some thrills and definitely gets you thinking about humanity and fate. I mean, would you kill someone you don't know for $1 million? On the other hand, the film has gaping wide plot holes and feels messy. It's like an unfinished puzzle which is missing some pieces: it never feels complete. Cameron Diaz, James Marsden and Frank Langella offer some good performances, but they are trying to make use of some really weak dialogue. Which is a shame, coz this movie could go far, but it didn't quite have the recipe to do so. Richard Kelly has talent, as shown with Donnie Darko, but sometimes the talent isn't always a blessing.



THE VERDICT: Very intriguing and entertaining, but on a professional level this film doesn't quite come together as it should, and offers more questions than answers. However, it's still worth the watch for fans of thoughtful thrillers.

6/10