Snow White and the Huntsmen - Film Review

There is much of this darker telling of the classic Snow White story to like. Chris Hemsworth's accent isn't one of them. The slow and forgettable first half an hour isn't one of them either. What there is to like is that Kristen Stewart proves she has some gravitas in her arsenal and Charlize Theron proves that Summer 2012 belongs to her. More importantly, Snow White and the Huntsmen proves to be an imaginative, risk taking, epic and brave piece of film making which for the most part, works.

To begin it is worth noting that this is no ordinary fairy tale. Dark, brutal, wicked and full of muscle, Snow White and the Huntsmen is as dark as a child's tale can be taken without it becoming one for the grown ups. It takes parts of the tale and twists them on its head, adding in new characters, locations and plot points to make it feel more placed in a reality closer to our own past. It doesn't all work. It's need to differentiate its story from the Disney classic leads to a much too long prologue which fails to illuminate when Theron isn't on screen.

Men in Black 3 - Film Review

Whilst not as witty as both predecessors, Men in Black 3 still manages to find much more weight to its storyline than the second came close to finding and the first even attempted to find. It's a much more clever storyline, one which sees Will Smith's J having to go back to 1969 to stop the villainous Boris the Animal from eliminating Tommy Lee Jones' K.

Taking a leaf from Back to the Future, director Barry Sonnenfeld finds plenty of entertainment in this concept, putting J in a new partnership with a younger K played expertly and pitch perfect by Josh Brolin. Adapting Tommy Lee Jones' mannerisms to a tee, and mixing in some of his own charisma and youth, Brolin makes you forget that the original K isn't in much of the films running time so perfect is his performance.

Dark Shadows - Film Review

Dark Shadows is the proof that we have all "been there, done that" before. A collaboration between Tim Burton & Johnny Depp is becoming staple to the yearly blockbuster schedule, but it has never felt so tired as it does here.

The storyline is relatively simple at heart, where Depp's Barnabus Collins is cursed to become a Vampire and condemned to be be buried alive for two centuries. Upon returning he has to stop Eva Green's evil witch and return the Collins family to its former glory.

Half Nelson - Film Review

Whilst undeniably in touch with the life of inner-city schools, and boasting an excellent performance by Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson still feels like a lesser sum of greater parts.

Revolving around Gosling's Daniel Dunne, Half Nelson follows his life as he balances teaching a group of high school students and a drug addiction. Dunne is a troubled man; he is depressed, sad and lonely but manages to hide this behind his passion for history and his love of trying to help his students He is also a man who struggles to understand why he is so disconnected from the man he wants to be. It's a complex character study, and it required someone with Ryan Gosling's talents to pull off. Gosling is sublime, finding nuances and subtle details in Dunne's character which help the audience connect with him on his dark and troubling journey.