Magic Review: Law Abiding Citizen

I have come across one of the best thrillers I have seen since Memento (2000) and that would be called Law Abiding Citizen. The movie stars Academy Award Winner Jamie Foxx and the Spartan King, Gerard Butler (300). The movie's premise surrounds Butler as engineer Clyde Shelton who encounters brutal tragedy first hand with the murder of his family before his eyes. Foxx plays Philadelphia district attorney with a 97% conviction rate as a result of sometimes taking deals to ensure someone goes down, whether or not the person is 100% guilty is a question which is not wholly addressed. After years pass on from the trial and convictions, Shelton comes back with the intent of killing not only the criminals who took his family but all of the parties involved including state officials and the district attorney. Without delving into to much detail and forfeiting your right to watch a decent film, I must point out that this movie, although extremely gruesome and course, had me literally cover my eyes and even though at times you know something big is about to happen, you still jump a foot off your seat. That too me is what a real thriller does. I recommend all to see this as it will be both intellectually stimulating and highly entertaining.

This is what a real thriller should be like!!

Magic rating: 8.4/10

Magic Review: Bustin' Down The Door

In the current age, there is no shortage of sport documentaries however Bustin' Down The Door has qualities which are becoming hard to find. Firstly, it has a story line which focuses on the North Shore Hawaiian island of Oahu where surfing was taking off. During the 1970's a group of Australian and a South African came and displayed there cocky yet brilliant style of surfing which had an amazing ripple effect on what is now the sport of surfing. The effect however on the relations with the Hawaiians' became almost fatal. Secondly, it has character development which focuses on surfing legends Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholemew, Shaun Tomson, Michael Tomson, Mark Richards (MR), Peter Townend and Ian Cairns. The documentary chronicles the way the young surfers exploded onto the surfing circuit however some of the crew displayed a lack of respect for the Hawaiian culture, appreciation of the cultures ties to surfing and continuos taunts through Australian surfing journalism caused the locals to form a protection outfit called the Black Shorts who carried out the message of disapproval of the Australians' which went as far as beatings and death threats forcing some of the surfers to move into exile. Enter surfing Hawaiian legend Eddie Aikau who helped broker a truce between the Australian surfers and the outraged Hawaiians. Peace was made however no guarantees were given for their safety if they were to surf on the island. The documentary then moves on from the indifference's to focus on how the young and brash group of surfers go on to develop the pro surfing circuity turn and develop the sport into a multi billion dollar industry. One thing which particularly stood out for me is the honest and open way that Rabbit Bartholemew and Ian Cairns look back and are so honest and open to the way in which they were insensitive to the Hawaiian culture and how they learnt from that mistake which leads them to become the sports global ambassadors with a handful of other surfers. I would recommend this to any person who enjoys good documentaries and especially good surfing. Personally, I would like to have heard a little more about Eddie Aikau, as growing up I heard a lot about him and his untimely death and its effect on the culture (See"Eddie Would Go") which I felt other people would be interested in. The film is also narrated by Edward Norton (American History X).

Magic Review: 8.1/10

The Best 6 since 86 - Part Two of Six

This is the second part of a six part series I am running outlining the Best 6 Films since 1986. In this edition I look at 1990 to 1993 which in my opinion, produced some of the best films since my introduction to this world! Lets have a look...

1990:

1. Dances with Wolves
2. Goodfellas

3. Ghost
4. Pretty Woman

5. Home Alone

6. Millers Crossing

1991:

1. JFK

2. Silence of the Lambs
3. Cape Fear

4. Terminator 2 - Judgment Day

5. The Price of Tides

6. New Jack City

1992:

1. Scent of a Woman
2. Malcolm X
3. Reservoir Dogs
4. A Few Good Men

5. The Bodyguard

6. Hoffa

1993:

1. Schindler's List

2. In the Name of the Father
3. The Fugitive
4. Philadelphia

5. True Romance
6. In the Line of Fire

Magic Review: Balibo

I am always very skeptical of watching Australian movies as going on past experience there has been a tremendous amount of well intentioned attempts at giving the audience an Australiana style experience however, the overall majority have failed. There have been the rare few which have risen above the rest such as Romper Stomper (1992), Strictly Ballroom (1993), The Piano (1993), Shine (1996), Chopper (2000), The Proposition (2005), Candy (2006) and my personal favourite Two Hands (1999). With all of those landmark movies outlined, I follow with the statement that Balibo is probably in the top 3 movies to be produced by Australia. Yes that sounds like a bold statement however when watching a movie I walk out of it and think to myself, did that film tick the three boxes. Those boxes are (a) Good Casting and Direction, (b) Good Story line and adaptation, (c) The Ability to extract emotion from the viewer. In my opinion, Balibo was one of the most balanced and entertaining pictures I have seen in recent years and its ability to extract emotion was moving. The story surrounds the lead up to the invasion by Indonesian forces of East Timor after it succeeded from Portugese rule in 1975. 5 Australian Journalists went to East Timor to report on the invasion however were murdered by Indonesian forces. This led to a young Jose Ramos Horta (Later winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and current President) traveling to Austrlia to recruit war correspondent Roger East (Anthony La'Paglia) to come and report on the condition of the country and look for the missing "Balibo 5" as they are today refered to as. This movie is told through an interview with a lady who was a child at the time of the invasion and worked at the hotel which Roger East was working from. This story will get under the skin of ever Australian who watches it and will make you angry at the manner in which humans can treat each other. The brutal way in which the reporters from the 7 and 9 network and Roger East were killed will appeal to your sense of patriotic emotion and leaves you angry with how the Indonesians acted. There is a point where you must remember that this is a cinematic depiction however the fact remains that 6 Australians went over and none came back. The cast and line up of this movie is superb and I hope the American film industry embraces this instant classic however I have a feeling it will not.

Magic Rating:10/10

Magic Review: Inglorious Basterds

Up until I saw this movie, I was of the opinion that Quentin Tarantino had lost his touch and was not going to make a movie worth sitting through again. I thought that Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Jackie Brown, Natural Born Killers and my personal favorite True Romance were but distant memories never to seen again throughout Tarantino's career. After seeing this new instant classic Inglorious Basters, my opinion became over rated much like Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2. This new film is cinematic brilliance much like Pulp Fiction but with a touch of Platoon. The story revolves around the Basterds, a group of Jewish- American soldiers who are specifically given the task to strike fear into the Nazi's who are occupying France during the War. They are notorious for scalping and beating Nazi's to oblivion. The story's focal point is the upcoming German Film Festival to be held in Paris at a Jewish-American girl's cinema featuring the likes of Joseph Goebbles, Hermann Gorring and the Fuhrer himself. This film is classic Tarantino and has his trademarks such as long scenes of Dialogue between actors which has reference to the story line but is not imperative to its development but is oh so intriguing. This was evident in Pulp Fiction's "Royal with cheese" scene and Reservior Dogs' "Like a Virgin" scene. As usual, the casting is the make and break of a movie and Tarantino's cast of Samuel L Jackson (Jackie Brown), Brad Pitt (Se7en), Christopher Waltz (Best Actor -2009 Cannes Film Festival), Eli Roth (Cabin Fever), Til Schwieger (The Replacement Killers) make this movie worth watching. The performance by Waltz as the 'Jew Hunter' makes this movie what it is and is the driving force behind its success. I dont want to go into to much detail about this movie as I dont want to ruin the surprise but my advice to you is buy your ticket today as this is one of the best movies of 2009 if not one of the best movies in the last 9 years.

Magic Rating: 9.4/10

Magic Review: Public Enemies

How Cool does this movie look? 1930's Mobsters, Bank robbers, Women, Tommy Guns.....I would love to have been the marketing guy at Universal Studio's whose job it was to market this to the general public. On that topic, this movie was simply posterised around my city as a picture of Depp with a small smirk on his face, that my friends is wasted potential and the irony is, so was this movie. This has what one would refer to as a stellar cast and under the direction of one of my 1990's favourites, Michael Mann (Heat (1995), The Insider(1997) & Last of the Mohicans(1991) it could have been award winning. The story surrounds FBI Agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) tracking down Notorious Depression Era Bank Robbers John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham - Lock Stock) and Pretty Boy Flyod ( Channing Tatum). Purvis comes under the direction of FBI Director J Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup -Almost Famous) who plays a great part and shows the rise in power of the FBI not long after its inception. Dillinger is a modern day Robin Hood, loved by the public but hated by the authorities. He is followed by his merry band of men including Homer Van Meter (Stephen Dorff), Pete Pierpont (Australian Dave Wenham) and one of my favourite actors Jason Clarke who plays his loyal right hand Red Hamilton. All of these charachters were big names in that era and took many banks for many dollars. The reason I point out this cast in almost full is to highlight that even when you have a great cast, the script must follow suit. This failed to occur in this instance. As much as I would love to higly rate this movie, I cant as I felt it was wasted potential. The opening scene of the movie has Purvis (Bale) shoot down and kill Pretty Boy Floyd portayed by Channing Tatum. This to me was ironic as Tatum is a great actor and to kill him in the opening scenes only highlighted to me that the movie was dead before it started. There were enjoyable moments such as the old cars being used to depcit the 1930's Chicago and its culture and Depp is always amazing and from what I hear he studied Dillinger's every known fact however like Miami Vice (2006) , Ali (2001) and Collateral (2004), Michael Mann has done mediocre attempts at trying to outweigh a bad script with a good cast. Balance is the key!
Magic Rating: 6.6/10

Magic Review: Bruno

I am always amazed how Sasha Baron Cohen gets away with the stuff he does both on Television and the Big Screen. Bruno has again amazed me. Before I saw this I knew it was going to be raw but you know it is red raw when Russia decide to ban it from their cinemas. I always try not to go off what the critics say before I see a movie but could not help from hearing the same tune "guys wont' handle this well" ringing all the way to my cinema seat. From the get go, Bruno was as outlandish and "uber" gay as predicted although I swear there was 15 minutes before the audience struck a laugh, a stark contrast from Borat. The story, like Borat surrounds Bruno, the gay Austrian Fashonista getting dumped from the Austrlian fashion tv scene and deciding to take refuge in America where he plans to make it 'big'. Some of the encounters Bruno has are absolutely hilarious such as trying to get Paula Abdul to eat sushi off a naked Mexican's body and going on a live talk show with a black adopted african baby to taunt the audience. On a darker note there are scenes in it where you actually get angry at what is going on for example when Bruno tries to trick 2008 Presidential Candidate Ron Paul into being part of a home made porno movie. That was not cool. The film has it's high's and low's and is more of a stab at outlandishly gay shock moments and situations rather than Borat's witty and shock filled adventure! I must give it some credit as there were moments that I laughed so hard it made me feel ill however there were moments when I felt just plainly ill and I can tell you if I had been a church goer in my previous life, I would feel very violated. In my opinion, only in America will people fall for the stuff that Baron Cohen tries on, if he tried it on in Australia or other countries, the outcome would be a stark contrast. Nevertheless this guy makes me laugh and I will embrace his charachters with open arms. Check it out if curiousity gets the better of you.
Magic Rating: 6.9/10

Magic Review: The Hangover

Not since Knocked Up (2007) have I laughed so hard in a movie! Only a couple of times a year does a film come out that makes you laugh out loud on numerous occassions. This movie is one of those. Todd Phillips the director of Road Trip, Old School and Starksy & Hutch (I almost gave it no mention) brings us the tale of Doug and his marry band of men - Phil (Bradley Cooper) , Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis). The men have a wild night in Vegas and wake up in there 7 star hotel room at Caesars Palace with no recollection of what occured and a tiger in their bathrom and unknown baby in there laundry basket. Then begins the journey of back tracking there steps and finding Doug who has been missing in action. Along the way the trio encounter some seriously funny episodes,which include encounters with Japanese Mobsters, Mike Tyson and Strippers with whom one of them has unintentionally married! I think this movie is a great addition to the work Todd Phillips has directed and I will be sure to get it on DVD upon release. I recommend it for all who want a good laugh.

Magic Rating: 7.2/10

The Best 6 since 86 - Part One of Six

For a long time now, I have wanted to create a list of movies which I have enjoyed and marvelled at. I thought about a Top 50 List or a Top 100 List but that has been done more times than Lady GaGa. I have made my own sort of list and it is, in my opinion, the best 6 movies each year since the year 1986. 6 is a good number as Top 10's are always a stretch especially in years like 1999 (save Magnolia) and 2001 (No offence Denzel Washington). I am going to run Six issues over the next few months starting with...........


1986:

1. The Colour of Money


2. Platoon


3. Top Gun


4. Ferris Buellers Day off


5. 9.5 Weeks


6. Crocodile Dundee

1987:

1. Wall Street

2. Good Morning Vietnam

3. Tin Men

4. Lethal Weapon

5. Full Metal Jacket

6. Dirty Dancing

1988:

1. Rain Man

2. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

3. Mississippi Burning

4. Die Hard

5. Coming to America

6. Bloodsport

1989:

1. Glory

2. Batman

3. Dead Poets Society

4. Lean on Me

5. Do the Right Thing

6. Uncle Buck

More to come ....................

Magic Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

There is a line in the Wolverine in which Victor Creed/Sabretooth (Liev Schriber) whilst in the act of killing John Wraith (Played by Black Eyed Peas Will.I.Am) states "I can feel your spine, but its the first time I realised you had one". That is how I felt about this new comic book adaptation. When hearing of the production I was expecting another fantastic addition to the X-Men box office dynasty but left feeling like 20th Century Fox and Hugh Jackman's production company have been involved in little more than a cash grab with little consideration for the fans, how unheard of!!! One of the reasons for its failure to launch was the cast, with the exception of Victor Creed who's charachter I truly enjoyed. To cast Ryan Reynolds A.K.A Van Wilder as Deadpool was just bad judgement. To top that off one of my favourite charachters from the comic book and cartoon series, Gambit who is a Cajun from New Orleans was played by Taylor "who?" Kitsch from Friday Night Lights!!! This guy looks like a one of the guys from the Endless Summer not an X-Men star! At moments throughout the film, I began to wonder if Stan Lee (Creator of Marvel Comics) has any say in the production process or if he is just happy to recieve his paycheck and keep to himself. I will lose my cynicism for 8 seconds and admit there were rare moments were Wolverine was suspensful and fun however they were negated by the cliches and script defects which seem to be rampant throughout this movie. In my opinion, this could have gone straight to DVD.
Magic Rating: 5.0/10

Magic Review: Appaloosa

Ed Harris has been around the film industry a long time and as a result he is one of the finest actors in Hollywood. Like may actors, Harris has tried his hand at directing which does not always work in your favour however this western which he both starred in and directed is splendid. The film is based in the west, Americas favourite heart land and revolves around two "law men" being Virgil Cole (Harris) and Everet Hitch played by A Grade Actor Viggo Mortensen. The two are an unlikely duo however there chemistry is well mixed. Virgil is an older, vetran hard man with a deadly quick draw and even shorter temper. Hitch is his voice of reason who on numerous occasion must attempt to neutralise his hot headedness yet at the same time is his loyal sidekick. On taking the role as town Sherrif and Deputy respectivley, the men come across Allison French (Renee Zellwegger) who Virgil falls head over heals for although some would call her morals questionable. Enter Jeremy Irons (Die Hard 3) who plays Randall Bragg, the overly rich town mob leader who is as ruthless as he is murderous. Cole and Hitch go after Bragg for the murder of previous town deputies and put him on trial. The trial causes many outlaws to comwe out of the wood work to try and spree Bragg. The result of this is the movies crux and is as entertaining as it is violent.

In my opinion, Harris has done a great job at bringing back to life old westerns which seem to have been shunned aside (or at least the quality of has) in the past few years, with the exeption of 3:10 to Yuma (2007), Open Range (2004) and Serraphim Falls( 2006). I would recommend this film for all western fans as well as anyone who wans to see three and a half hollywood heavyweights in full blown action. One is probably thinking why i say three and a half, well I believe that Irons, Harris and Mortensen are all A grade however Zellewegger is a sad miscast who I think should continue to pursue her career in British Romance Comedies and soppy love stories. I think Natalie Portman could have been better suited to the role. Overall I rate this movie highly and think Harris should pursue his directing ambitions.

Magic Review: 7.7

Magic Review: The Reader

Straight off the bat I can tell you that Kate Winslet deserved an Academy Award for this role more than any other actress this year. The movie surrounds an affair that is engaged in by a train inspector Hanna Schmidt (Winslet) and Michael Berg (Ralph Fiennes). The affair begins when Michael is ages 14 and the relationbship is based purely on lust and Scmidts desire to be read to. This lasts for one summer when Schmidt leaves unexpectly. This leaves the young German left unfullfilled and lost as to what has occured. Michael begins to get on with his life and enters law school where he is to attend the trials of a group of women who are bring tried for killing jews during the holocaust. One of whom is Hanna Scmidt. This has a profound effect on Michael and he becomes infatuated with the trial, which is noticable to the other students. The trial is an emotional rollercoaster and gives insight into how some of the woman were treated at the Nazi camps. Scmidt is painted as the squad leader who ordered the killings which she is tried for and the outcome is fascinating. Enter Ralph Fiennes as the older Michael who is now a lawyer and cannot let the thought of Schmidt go which is eventually acts on and begins to rebuild the relationship with her in a very unorthodoxed fashion. The end result of the relationship is astounding. I urge any real movie buff to get this movie as it is one of the best released in th last year.

Magic Rating: 8.6

Magic Review: NOTORIOUS

I remember when Christopher Wallace A.K.A Notorious B.I.G A.K.A Biggie Smalls A.K.A Big Poppa was murdered in 1997. It made headlines all over the world. To be completly honest, I actually think it was a bigger deal when Tupac was murdered but hey thats no disrespect to the guys legacy as I think Tupac was greater recognised due to his acting. The new film about the rise and rise and eventual demise of Biggie is a great story and I thought it was probably the best rap/hip hop movie I have seen......I am trying to think of a comparision but nothing really compares. The lead by Jamal Woolard who is actually a rapper in his own right is sensational. He gets across to the audience the early days of Wallace becoming B.I.G and shows how anyone can make it to the big time if they have the drive to do it. Some of the supporting roles of Lil Kim (Naturi Naughton), Sean Combs A.K.A Puff Daddy (Derek Luke) and Faith Evans (Antonique Smith) were sensational. I think that the casting Tupac Shakur (Anthony Mackie) was not well thought out and they went for more of a look a like than an actor. He plays the role ok however when he enters certain scenes I was thinking Oh I wonder who this guy is playing, clearly having little effect on me. The story shows Biggies rise under the guidance and genius of Combs and the friendship which turns fateful with Tupac. I think the East Coast- West Coast rivalry is portrayed well as there is no glorification of either side. On that note I will mention that Sean Combs is the executive producer and the way in which the first Tupac shooting and the innocence of the East Coast is portrayed is probably again under his direction or at least influcence. I found the relationships to be engaging and Wallace as a likeable larger than life charachter. The relationship between Biggie and his mother Volletta Wallace played by ledgendary actress Angela Bassett (How Stella got her groove back) as the focal point of the film which made you feel sad when his is eventually killed. I reccomend this movie to all. There is some pretty graphic sex, drug and violence scenes in this movie however these elements are such a big part of that scene so it only adds to the movies authenticity.
Magic Rating : 7.9/10

Magic Review: Gran Torino

Eastwood! that should be all I have to say but for the sake of your entertainment (So I Hope) I will let you know my thoughts on it. Gran Torino is another classic from Clint Eastwood both in directing and acting. The story concerns Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) a Korean war veteran who's wife dies and his plan is to sit on his porch and live out the rest of his days. He dislikes his unambitious sons who are more inclined to have him in a retirement home and sell his house for the proceeds and his grandaughter who is a self indulged and disrespectful who hopes only to inherit his Ford Gran Torino which he helped assemble whilst working at Ford during his 30 year tenure.  To his bitter disliking, a Hmong family move in next door and Walt passes them off as "Gooks and Chinks " and is ignorant of the fact that they fought along side the Americans in Korea. One of the local asian gangs target Thao (Bee Vang's first acting role) and make his initaitation to steal Walt's Gran Torino. When he is caught the family next door volunteer Thao to do odd jobs for Walt as amends and in the process Walt attempts to teach him how to become a man which results in Walt developing respect for the "Gooks" culture. The role of Thao's sister Sue is executed brilliantly by Ahney Her, another first time actress. After run is with the gang, Walt becomes hunter and hunted and the true Dirty Harry we have all seen comes to life. This is not your typical Hollywood guns blazing movie and the ending will leave you truly satisfied. On a lighter note, what fascinates me is how fit Eastwood is for his age- 78!  I mean seriously this guy is almost 80 years old and is still better than 95% of todays actors. This is definitely an Oscar nomination for him. I loved the drama and humour in this movie and it truly shows you how people can warm to others especially in regard to racism. I urge ALL to see Gran Torino as it will definitely be in my top 10 of 2008 (Although not in Australian Cinemas for another 2 weeks). 

Magic Review: 9.1/10

Magic Review: Frost/Nixon

Ron Howard's new drama Frost/Nixon which is a dramatic portrayal of the David Frost (Michael Sheen) interviews of infamous President Richard Nixon (Frank Langalla)  is pure cinematic brilliance. I had read all the hype before electing to see this movie although I was still unsure what to expect. The smartest thing the studio decided to do was put two "actors" not "movie stars" in the role of David Frost and Richard Nixon. If they had been stars the movie would have completely missed the mark. Only after watching this movie did I realise where the catchphrase "If the President does it, it is not illegal" came from. I like how this movie looks at the events surrounding the interview and how and why the deal was brokered. Nixon who was in fact payed a hefty sum for his appearance which initially came out of Frosts own pocket is portrayed as a fallen hero when the movie begins however when the curtains come up it is a different story. Sheen does a wonderful job as the ambitious British talk show host who was at the beginning so far out of his depth up against one of the worlds most powerful people that it seemed that he would be totally annihilated . The supporting cast of Kevin Bacon (Footloose) as Lt Jack Brennan, Nixons loyal voice of reason, Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) as Frost's bitter assistant James Reston and lastly Oliver Platt (The 3 Musketeers) as Frost helper Bob Zelnick give the film the credence to be regarded as a successful drama rather than what could have been a mediocre documentary. I walked out of this movie delighted especially with the acting by Frank Langella as Nixon and would urge all to see it for this example of exemplary acting.  Dr Hunter S Thompson once said that "Nixon was so crooked that he needed servants to help him screw his pants on every morning". This movie helps people of my generation who did not live through the Nixon Administration gain a small understanding of how "crooked" he really was. Get out there and see it.

Magic Rating: 8.8/10 

Magic Review: Righteous Kill

Righteous Kill, the new flick starring film legends Robert Deniro (Raging Bull, Good Fellas) and Al Pacino (Dog day afternoon, The Godfather) had me so excited I worked my magic and managed to get a sneak preview of it. Let me just say I feel like I wasted 2 hrs of my life and desperately want it back. The film has a great supporting cast of John Leguizemo (The Pest), Donnie Wahlberg (New Kids on the Block), Brian Dennehy (FX) and Carla Gugino (Spin city) although with the exception of Box office cancer "Curtis Jackson" A.K.A 50 Cent. The film has great acting which was to be expected but I have not seen a story line as weak as this since the O.J Simpson trial. The story revolves around two 1st grade NYPD detectives Turk (Deniro) and Rooster (Pacino) who are long time partners that are after Spider (50 Cent) and in the process take down a number of other villians for miscellaneous reasons. The WHOLE film is a build up to a very simple twist which you figure out about 10 minutes before it actually happens. I love watching movies such as the Usual Suspects (1994) or Memento (2000)  where you have no idea that there is even going to be a twist. That is what a thriller really is, a movie that leaves you walking away thinking what the hell just happened. To be honest, I turned this off before the end it was so deplorable. What stumps me the most is how Russell Gerwitz who wrote Inside Man (2006) which I loved, could follow up with such crap. If Inside Man 2 is anything like this movie, I think Spike Lee will be quickly booted out of main stream movies and back to making hood flicks. Lastly, I raise the question as to WHY would you get Jon Avnet who directed the Mighty Ducks (1992) - which I loved, to direct a suspense film?On a lighter note, I love Deniro and Pacino although if they were not in this movie it would have been a straight to Dvd movie that would have been more suited to say Steven Segal! 

Magic Rating: 3.9/10

Magic Review: Quantum of Solace

The 22nd Bond Flick Quantum of Solace is not the best Bond movie to be made although it has a different approach which I feel has been influenced by the recent Bourne series. The  all star line up of Daniel Craig (Layer Cake), Olga Kurylenko (Max Payne), Judi Dench (too many to name) and Mathieu Amalric create a great chemistry. The story is set 10 hours after the last bond Casino Royale and involves a car chase through the Italian Riveria ending in Portaofino which is is awesome due to the visuals. Bond gets involved in taking down a environmental group who are buying up land in South America for villainous purposes. This film especially the fight scenes reminded me way to much of the Bourne series which can give some motion sickness. The action in this movie is second to none and is on par with other great action flicks such as Under Siege (1992) and Kill Bill (2003). What I thought was great about this flick was that James Bond didn't have sex with the main female actress in it. I cant remember a Bond movie where he didn't engage in such acts with the protagonist female. This Bond movie is great although I did feel that the woman in it being dipped in oil which killed her was much like in Goldfinger (1964) where the female is painted with gold. Overall Quantum of Solace (I wonder if a better name could have been thought up) was a good movie and was not a bad follow up to Casino Royale although I thought the story line lacked direction but hey do we ever go to Bond movies for the story lines? I dont think so. If you have a spare $13 go check this out, if not don't beat yourself up about it!

Magic Rating: 6.7/10

Magic Review: Man on Wire

When I first saw the theatrical poster for Man on Wire (above) I was fascinated as to why someone would even consider walking between the twin towers. Phillipe Petit's 1974 high wire walk walk between the twin towers is one of those events which will be etched in history due to its insanity and beauty. What makes this documentary different is that although you already know the outcome, it keeps you spell bounded and I hate to say it 'on the edge of your seat'. The story travels back to Petit's early days and has us marvel at his high wire antics which include the Notre Dame chapel in Paris which of course led to his arrest. The story is told by Petit who's charisma and charm captures you imagination and is the underlying success of the film. Petit's high wire walk over the Sydney Harbour Bridge is amazing and will have you captivated as it did the Australian media and authorities. Petit's biggest dream is however to conquer the under construction Twin Towers in New York City. He recruits a team including an Australian who help him plan over 3 years how they are to get past authorities and have him walk to the wire over Manhattan. After three trips to New York and a number of massive hurdles, Petit and his team sneak up the towers and after almost failing to get the wires across, he completes the hour and 15 minute antic. This has passers by and the NYPD fascinated. It is not until a helicopter threatens to come up which would blow him off, does he surrender and immediately become the biggest name in New York although the rest I will leave for the viewers to enjoy. This is the best documentary I have seen in years and is the best example of one man overcoming adversity to complete his dream. This documentary is highly recommended and will be a great addition to my collection and I suggest you add it to yours!

Magic Rating: 9.7/10

Magic Review: Burn After Reading

I read a review two weeks ago of this film after viewing it by a critic from The Age and he stated that after the success of No Country For Old Men (2007), the Coen brothers had two options:

(1) try and outdo themselves with a bigger and better movie or (2) go completly left of centre and produce and try something which they have yet to achieve, of which they chose the latter. Burn is a different film from what the Coens usually produce however it still has the underlying dark tone but this time with a cast of colorful and comedic characters. The story which begins with CIA analyst Osbourne Cox (John Malcovich) quits his job after getting a tongue lashing from  his boss regarding his drinking issues. Cox endeavors to get even by writing a memoir revealing secrets of the agency which is against the wishes of his wife, recent Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton). She in turn is having an affair with womanizer Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney). Enter gym instructors Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) and Linda Litzke (Francis McDormand) who stumble across Cox's memoir and attempt to blackmail him which turns everyone's life inside out with serious although hilaious consequences. Harry's womanising see him end up with Litzke which begins a fateful link between him and all parties invloved. Burn after Reading has a superb lineup of in my opinion 5 of the worlds best actor's which also has support performances by Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under) and J.K Simmons (The Lady Killers, OZ) who add to the films success. I must warn that Burn after Reading is not for all and I cam imagine that some will not appreciate the dark and quirky theme throughout. I would recommend all Coen fans to see this film. Critics, you may Burn after Reading this but dont burn so quickly after watching this film.

Magic Rating: 7.1/10

Magic Review: Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder is possibly one of the funniest movies I have seen in the last 18 months. I have not watched a movie with a more outlandish cast and hilarious plot line as was shown in this flick. The basic story of the movie is that there is a movie being filmed called Tropic Thunder and it stars three of hollywoods biggest stars. There is Jeff Portnoy (Black) a drug crazed fat comedian who is so over the top it is at times a bit much. There is Tugg Speedman (Stiller) one of Hollywood's biggest action stars who just cant get a break and is slowly on the down hill after attempting to make a film playing a totally retarded farm hand which comes up multiple times during the film. Then there is my favourite Kirk Lazarus (Downey Jr) a 5 time academy award winner who gets his skinned died black to play the part of the black guy in the platoon. This takes a serious shot at the lengths some people go to when using method acting as well as raising serious suspicions of giving  Russell Crowe a nice hit to the chin. As all the stars are self indulged and the rookie director cant control them they decide to throw them into the jungle and watch them fight there way out. Little do they know there is opium plantation surrounding them which is run by asian militants. The supporting cast of this film is what truly makes this so so funny. Matthew McConaughey plays Stiller's teevo obsessed agent who is so run and gun it is hard to keep up with him whilst at the same time portraying satirical comedy at its finest. Nick Nolte and Brandon jackson are great but the king of the film to me was Tom Cruise. Cruise plays Less Grossman a out of control, fat, bald and digustingly foul mouthed prick who makes me laugh so hard everytime he is on the film. For me this was a real step up in my book for Cruise as it proves to me and I guess many others that he can actually for once not take himself to seriously. This is a seriously funny film that I am going to get on Dvd as soon as possible.

Magic Rating: 8.3/10

Magic Review: The Pineapple Express

The Pineapple Express is the next stoner flick from the makers of Knocked Up, Superbad and my personal favorite of the bunch Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The film stars flavor of the month Seth Rogen who also Co-wrote the film as Dale Denton, a process server who visits his dealer James Franco (Spiderman) for the sole purpose of getting high quality weed. When Denton is given a rare strain of weed known as the Pineapple Express and whilst indulging in some before serving a criminal, he witnesses a murder and leaves his butt at the scene which can be traced back to himself and his dealer. The two are forced to go on the run whilst being tracked down by two criminal outfits. This is an hilarious film which also stars the usual supporting crew of the Aptow/Rogen group. One actress which blew my mind and has not been in a noteable movie since White Men Can't Jump (1992) is Rosie Perez. For anyone who was a fan of that movie will agree with me and say that this latino missy has aged quiet gracefully and still has the appeal she did alongside Snipes and Harrelson. Overall I enjoyed this movie which at times relied on stupid banter between parties which results in prolonged scenes of bomb jokes followed by funny ones. This is the first movie I have seen which could be described as a "Stoner Action Flick" and I commend Rogen and Co for moving into untapped territories. Furthermore the fight scenes in this movie are awesome as they are so realistic and you actually feel like the shit has been kicked out of you at times. I recommend people between the ages of 17-35 to see this film, not to ostracize the elderly but I feel that they would get bored and not relate to alot of the humour delivered.

Magic Rating: 7.1/10

Magic Review: The Bank Job

The Bank Job is a dramatic portrayal of the events surrounding the 1971 Baker St robbery in England brought to us from Australian director Roger Donaldson (The Recruit, Dantes Peak). The film offers a very cool line up including career tough guy Jason Stantham (The transporter), Saffron Burrows (Boston Legal) and a variety of other unheard of yet great supporting actors. I enjoyed this film which has all of the elements of a good action movie including corruption, sex, deception and murder. The robbery of the baker street bank sees the assailants come across a photo of a certain member of the royal family along with a shit load of money and details of a local crime bosses activities. This puts the team in hot water with a variety of gangsters, MI5 and other groups which are on the trail of the robbers.  Whilst watching this movie I was constantly thinking how much of the story was fact and how much was just dramatic overtones. After looking into it I realised that this is pure drama and the facts really were that Llyods bank was robbed, a radio operator overheard the team who communicated on walkie talkies and after the robbery was found out the government issued a D-Notice which caused all media coverage of the event to stop. This raised speculation that a British member of the royal family was involved is some sort of scandal. It was until last year that some of the truth was discovered. The film also involves 70's black power member Michael X (Englands Malcolm X) who was a drug dealer and stand over man who was prominent in the London Underworld at the time. I enjoyed this film and thought that some of the performances were great. I did however feel at times like I was watching the Italian Job (2003) again and it ironically boasted one of the same actors. I would recommend this movie only if you could not find anything else interesting to watch.

Magic Rating: 6.7/10

Magic Review: In Bruges

The Tagline for this movie titled "Shoot now Sightsee later" sums up the entire blend of dark comedy and melodramatic drama this movie so elegantly delivers. The lineup of Colin Farrell (Miami Vice), Brendan Gleeson (Braveheart) and Ralph Fiennes (Red Dragon) is just brilliant and the chemistry between all actors is the reason this film plays out so well. The story which revolves around two hitmen who are sent to Bruges in Belgium after a hit goes horribly wrong. The hideout in Bruges is not as simple as both men may think and the chaos which they get caught up is truly hilarious whether it be doing cocaine with midgets or being caught up in a case of mistaken identity. The Boss who has sent them there (Fiennes) is a truly evil asshole yet his character is somehow funny which is why this is a perfect blend of dark comedy and intense drama which director Martin McDonagh (Six Shooter) seems to be better and better at creating. The performance of Colin Farrell is the backbone of this film and is great to see after a string of very average performances. I really enjoyed this film however I must warn that it is not for everyone.

Magic Review:  7.1/10

Magic Review: The Dark Knight

Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" is by far the best and most suspenseful Batman adaptation made to date. Throughout the movie I constantly forgot I was watching a comic book movie and felt more like i was watching a mixture of Clockwork orange(1971) and Heat (1995).  This is an intense thriller which offers a stellar cast with the exception of Maggie "toadfish" Gyllenhaal who is more suited to a dry comedy under the direction of maybe Wes Anderson. She does however do the role well, but I am used to hot leading women in Bat flicks, it feels like watching a James Bond movie with  Julliette  Lewis or Christina Ricci acting alongside Sean Connery or Daniel Craig, the thought just frightens me frankly. The performance of an all star lineup including Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon is A grade as is Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, however my hat goes off to Aaron Eckhart (Thank you for Smoking) as the white knight District Attorney who plays the role brilliantly especially his transformation into Two Face, which is played out so well both in acting and in script writing. There are so many twists and turns throughout the film which keep you constantly engaged that I didn't even realise it went for 2.5 hrs, but it could have gone for 4 and I would have soaked up every minute just as much. Bale's acting as Batman is always amazing as is expected but Heath Ledger as the murderous and anarchy laced Joker is the backbone of the entire film. His performance makes Jack Nicholson look like a gay sailor period! The story which revolves around the Gotham Mafia hiring the Joker to seek and destroy the Bat by causing chaos by threatening to kill public officials very day unless Batman reveals his true identity which pans out with so many twists I felt like I was watching Nolan's Memento (2000) and makes the film cinematic genius. This ladies and gentlemen, Jews and Gentiles....is how a comic book should be made on the big screen and the public would agree as the movie broke records for biggest opening weekend EVER ($155.34 Million) clearing Tobey Magiures Spider-Fag 3 off the top listing. I recommend all to see this feature as it is truly an epic film.  Lastly, on a darker and more touchy note, Heath Ledger should not win an Oscar for this role. Knowing Hollywood's sentimentalities the award will probably be given to Ledger for reasons beyond his acting performance. Whether he is dead or alive should have nothing to do with it . But hey remember that Denzel did win an Oscar for Training Day (2001) when Sean Penn had to bite his tounge after his superb acting in I am Sam (2001). Overall this is an instant classic and is in my top 20!

Magic Rating: 9.2/10

Magic Review: Mongol

Director Sergei Brodov who bought us the highly rated Prisoner of the Mountains (1996) is back with the story/epic of Mongolian conquerer Genghis Khan. After a few years of hit and misses, Bordov has outdone himself with the portrayal of the early life of one of the most notorious rulers ever. I sat through the first 30 minutes of this film trying to figure when Genghis was going to enter film as the movie was focusing on this child/teen named Temujin. To my surprise later I realised that Khan is the Mongolian name for tribal leader or ruler and Genghis means great or almighty. The film which is subtitled is a depiction of Temujins' childhood which involved slavery, betrayal and copious amounts of hardship. As he overcomes his adversity, Bordov does a spectacular job of getting across the revolutionary battle methods and strict code which Temjuin used and lived by in order to see him rise to to the great ruler we all know of today. The cinematography is fascinating  as it is filmed throughout Kazakhistan and parts of Russia which make great country for battles and depiction of tribal life. The film which is set to be the first in a trilogy is set to be an instant classic and although it is around two hours long I think it is fair to say that if the movie had a bigger budget than the $20million it ran off and was in English, it would surely be in the ranks of the first Lord of the Rings (2001) collection.

Magic Rating: 8.7/10

Magic Review:Zeitgeist

It is not very often that a documentary comes along which makes you question your personal values and beliefs but Zeitgeist does just that. This is not your Michael Moore going on a rant about George W, this doco is not only thought provoking but it seems to be well researched and the delivery is just superb.  The Documentary is broken into 3 parts. The 1st part is called "The Greatest Story Ever Told" and focuses on the Jesus-Myth theory which presents an interesting question on whether Jesus really did exist. This is achieved by explaining the similarities between historical figures, the sun, astrology, the 12 s Dionysys igns of the Zodiac & its relation to many aspects of the Bible. For example it shows many figures throughout history such as Krishna (Indian God 900BC), Horus (Egyptian God 3000 BC), Attis (Greece 3000BC),(Greece 500 BC), Mithra (Persia 1200 BC) who have many similarities to Jesus such as being born on December 25th, born of a virgin, was a child prophet at the age of 12, died and was resurrected. It talks of astrology and how it relates to Jesus' birth sequence. For example in the Bible when Jesus is born there is a bright star in the east. The narrator explains that on December 24th a star (known in astrology as Sirus) in the east aligns with a series of three stars know today as they always have been as " The Three Kings". This in effect relates to the bible which states that when the birth occurs a star shines bright in the east which lead Three Kings to Nazareth to find the baby Jesus.  This is just one example of a huge amount they give and is very fascinating and as I have stated very thought provoking. The 2nd part of the documentary is called "All the world's a stage" focuses on the perceived cover up of 9/11 and the Pentagon attacks by the United States Government. It puts forward the notion that the Twin towers were actually imploded from within causing them to fall the way they did. They interview a variety of fire man and other public officials whom back up the theory. I should point out that I do not necessarily agree with all the theories presented however I find them very engaging. The 3rd part labelled "Don't Mind The Men Behind the Curtain" talks of how the Reserve Bank of America was set up by families such as the Rockafellers and the JP Morgans. Part 3 outlines how they conspired to manipulate the money and credit market which led to chaos and the need for a federal monetary regulator. It shows how the bank was set up by parties at a secret location known as Jekyll Island in Georgia, USA.  Further it looks at war profiteering by some of the major banks as well as defense and military groups. It states how the groups seek to gain control of the public in order to create a world power. It puts forward the argument that Federal Income Tax is actually Unconstitutional which is very well researched.

This is one of the best Documentaries I have ever seen and will be passing it on to everyone I know. 

Magic Rating: 9.5/10

Magic Review: You Kill me

I know this movie came out a little while ago however I feel that it is necessary to give it the attention it truly deserves. Sir Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) plays an alcoholic hitman Frank Falencytzk who kills for the polish mob in upstate New York. When he falls asleep on an important job he is sent to San Francisco to dry out. I don't think I would have any objections when I make the statement that Sir Ben is possibly the best actor on the planet. Anyone that can play Mahatma Gandhi and then come out and play the frightening physchopath Don Logan in Sexy Beast (2000) is pure brilliance. The film also offers some good supporting roles such as the always funny Luke Wilson (Old School) who plays a typical San Francisco gay that becomes Frank's AA sponsor and Tea Leone (Spanglish) who plays a very dry San Francisco executive and there relationship becomes very comical. I would urge all parties to go and enjoy this very clever and funny movie which also stars Dennis Farina (Get Shorty) as the Irish mob boss. Kingsley is pure gold in this role and after looking at the average rating it received  on the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes, I feel that people need to not take this movie to seriously as although midly violent at times it has a comedic theme throughout the whole film.

Magic Rating: 7.3/10

Magic Review: You Don't Mess With The Zohan

Happy Madison's newest production of "You Don't mess with the Zohan" starring Adam Sandler is a funny yet hardly believable satire about an Israeli counter terrorist who flees to New York City with hopes of becoming a successful hairdresser. This is a funny tale however the similarities between Zohan and Borat although only subtle leaving the viewer sometimes wondering where the idea came from. The all star writer cast of Judd Aptow (Knocked up -2007) and Robert Smigel (Saturday Night Live) do a great job of using humour as a vehicle to show audiences the underlying conflict between Israel and the Palestine, especially in mid town New York. The Performance of Rob Schneider (Deuce Bigalow Male Gigalo -1999) as a bitter and twisted Palestinian who has it out for Zohan and plots against him, is the streamline of the film. Cameos from Mariah Carey and Michael Buffer (yes I know odd) add to the movies overall quirkiness. Zohan is a light hearted satire but the question could be raised whether it would be more suited to a Saturday Night Live skit rather than drag it out over 2 hrs.

Magic Rating: 5.5/10

Magic Review: Street Kings

Street Kings is the new LA cop drama from David Ayer who wrote Training Day (2001) and Harsh Times (2005). It surrounds the life of Tom Ludlow, a corrupt LAPD cop who is caught in the middle of the murder and cover up of his ex partner whilst in the process of trying to deal with death of his wife and being under investigation from Internal Affairs. Street Kings is a film which touches of very familiar themes of the gritty world of police corruption and cover ups. The extrodianary cast including Forest Whitaker (The Last King Of Scotland), Hugh Laurie (House) and rappers The Game and Common saves the film from being totally mediocare, although Keanu Reeves still comes across as Ted Logan (Bill and Teds excellent adventure) on steroids with a badge. Whitaker's performance is awesome as always, portraying the corrupt Captain of police who's manipulation and treachery leaves Ludlow in a hell of a position to deal with. Street Kings is an entertaining flick but one questions whether it would be fair to ask for Ayer to broaden his horizons and lay off police corruption in LA and move into something a little more original.

Magic rating: 6.1/10

Magic Review: Iron Man

What high expectations I had when preparing to see Robert Downey Jr in the Iron Man suit. It's not to say those expectations weren't fulfilled, however one could say that it "Failed to Launch". I found the first half of this film to be highly entertaining and thought it was going to be an amazing journey as it had the grit of a hardcore action movie including terrorism, tools of war and a hero. However from around the half way mark I was trying to figure out if maybe the studio had run out of money and let Disney come on board to finish it off. Iron Man is a decent movie but if one was to remove Robert Downey Jr from the screen, it would quickly fall into the same category as the failed attempt at making Hulk (2003) into a big screen epic. This is a decent movie however for true comic book lovers, if not for Robert Downey Jr, this would be on the shelf next to the Fantastic Four.

Magic Rating: 6.5/10