Here are our pithy thoughts ... Koala still can't decide if she wants to go with the star rating, the A+ rating system or the x out of 10 rating. Margaret and David we're not, but we certainly love our movies .....You won't find plot summaries here - just thoughts which are supposed to be pithy except for Koala who goes verbose sometimes .....

Last updated 22 December 2004

A - F | G - M | N - T | U - Z

About a boy
Cat's rating and comment: It’s really nice to see Hugh Grant playing a bastard again .. even if he manages to redeem himself by the end of the film. However, it’s absolutely frightening that his theory about splitting the day into units bears so much relevance to my own life .. maybe I’ll go get my hair cut today (that’s about four units) … 7 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: I really liked it - Hugh Grant film, based on the book by um the guy who wrote Fever Pitch and (ahh Nick Hornby is his name. I cannot remember the name of the other film) Hugh Grant was good, Jati found it hard to get into at the beginning but I have read the book and thought the pace was good and just like reading. 7 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: I normally don't like Hugh Grant but I really enjoyed this movie. I thought the development of Hugh Grant's character was very touching and the relationship between Will and Marcus was just gorgeous. The scene with the bread and the duck was hilarious! My favourite moments were the two respective Christmases, the montage of Marcus visiting Will's house and also the "Killing me Softly" scene. "The worst part was when they started singing with their eyes closed". Hee hee. 8 out of 10.
P's rating & comment: Huge Grant is kinda different in this film. I like his character-no need to do anything. The boy looked weird but lovable. I like Rachel Weisz but she didn't have much use in this movie. Overall, it's an enjoyable movie 7.5 out of 10.
Zeitgeist's rating & comment: Loved Hugh's hair and the eponymous "boy" was quite natural. None of that awful, too-large-eyed, cutesy US style kid in this film. Problem is, even the terrifically tonsured Hugh is still more of the same. Substitute "clueless about love till it smacks him in the face" (Four Weddings... Notting Hill et al) with "clueless about empathy for the others until it smacks him in the face" and you have this film. But I like a bewildered Hugh Grant, so 7 out of 10. Babe factor 7 out of 10 (for the hair). Did I mention Hugh's great hair?

A beautiful mind
Cat's rating and comment: I’d been avoiding seeing this because mental illness is never a pleasant subject matter bit I’m glad I got around to it. Excellent performances from the entire cast. Nice to see Paul Bettany pop up (last seen by me doing a Chaucer impersonation in Knight’s Tale), and Josh Lucas in the background as well. I guess true mathematics doesn’t make interesting films and they had to glam it up a bit so I’m sure this was inaccurate. The effects used to show reality and Nash’s reality were excellent. 8 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: to come?
Koala's rating and comment: probably won't see it ...
P's rating and comment: When watching these true story movies, you have to accept the fact that they would glorify that person. If you can get around that, then you can enjoy the movie much more. Russell Crowe is great. The direction is good. I like movies happening in schools and universities. 8 out of 10.

Almost Famous
Cat's rating and comment:Loved the music. The characters were interesting but a little self-indulgent. The narrator was lovely and I quite liked Penny Lane but they all seemed to be a little lost. Maybe that was the point. 7 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Very fun, very silly, very enjoyable. So long since I watched it but it was interesting. I loved the mother "Don't do drugs" letting her children have that freedom but still being embarrassing to them. Aren't all mothers like that! 7 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: We saw this movie because the movie we wanted to see was sold out. I wasn't looking forward to it, but I ended up quite liking it. Favourite moments were Penny Lane demanding piteously: "Why doesn't he love me, why doesn't he love me?" (haven't we all been there?) and of course the beautiful bus scene when they sing Tiny Dancer. Make sure you check out the hilarious Dave Grohl version too. 6 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: Saw this movie because it was well received by critics and i always like films with lots of character development. This one however I thought wanted to be a lot deeper than it really was. Didn't find any of the characters particularly likable and I found it all dragged on and the audience was supposed to be moved but.. nyer. 5 out of 10.
Zeitgeist's rating & comment: I loved this film, even if it was a bit over-long. Kate Hudson is a luminous beauty and Billy Cruddup has enough "woohoo" sex appeal to make him watchable. Our hero/narrator was also good and Frances McDormand is, as always, excellent. Many great scenes: Billy at the suburban kids' party... gay confessions on the crashing plane... But the best scene (and one of my favourites in all film actually) is the tour bus scene where they all sing "Tiny Dancer". Lyrical and emotional. A fantastically simple but effective way to emphasise the power of music to move us. Elton never did it so good. Score 8 out of 10. Babe factor 6 out of 10 (I don't go for the long-haired rock star look).

Amelie
Cat's rating and comment: Jean-Pierre Jeunet has such a lovely sense of humour and his films all have
a sense of wonder and the ridiculous. This film brought a smile to my face.
9 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Finally saw this on video.. very weird and strange and interesting and intriguing. Loved the gnome bit. Very enjoyable, and lovely to watch someone try and change the world. 7 out of 10.
Koala's rating & comment: I shouldn't rate so many films so highly this early in the year but there have been some fantastic ones. Audrey Tatou is absolutely adorable as the wide-eyed Amelie who discovers a toy box hidden in her bathroom and decides to do good deeds and change the world. The movie has some hysterical comments / jokes, beautiful images, a wonderful soundtrack and an overwhelming optimism that makes you totally believe in soulmates all over again. I found this movie incredibly delightful. 9.5 / 10 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: I did actually enjoy this; a bit of a film about nothing but still very well done and rather humorous all round. Characters all were quite likable and it also did have a very strong French feel to it (other than the language) the general shots were very well done. 8.5/10
P's rating and comment: The main plot is not special at all. But all the bits and pieces are very good. I particularly like the guy who takes instant photo everywhere. The twist is surprising and you would smile when you think back.9 out of 10.

America's Sweethearts
Cat's rating and comment: Disappointing. I like the actors and the set-up was kinda fun … I guess I was just expecting more. It wasn't terrible. 6 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: I was looking forward to seeing this film and I was sorely disappointed. A great cast which just did not deliver. The jokes were forced and overdone and there was just no chemistry between any of the characters and I usually love John Cusack films. 3 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: Catherine Zeta Jones is getting really good at playing a bitch. This movie was cute but not as good as it should have been considering how great John Cusack can be. 6 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: Haven't seen it.

Anger Management
Cat's rating and comment: Big belly laughs. I guess I’ve seen way too many movies in my life because I always find myself saying ‘I knew where this was going’. But I guess that’s part of the charm of it … to know where it’s going but still enjoy the getting there. Adam Sandler plays the drippy, sweet character he plays so well. Jack Nicholson plays the maniac HE plays so well. It’s a nice combination. Some cringey moments but lots of laughs. 8 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Haven't seen it.
Koala's rating & comment: Haven't seen it.

Antwone Fisher
Cat's rating and comment: This is a nice gentle film about a Navy Seaman who is sent to a psychiatrist (Denzel Washington) after he attacks a NCO on board ship. At first he refuses to speak but gradually he reveals his story and starts coming to terms with it. The film starts with a dream and ends with the dream becoming reality. Fantastic performances from Derek Luke & Denzel Washington. Derek Luke’s first film role. 9 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Loved this film, so sweet so lovely and except for the horrible old north shore stuck up (*& it would have been great. The movie reminded me of a book I had been reading recently about a child being abused. So sad that this goes on in the world, all hidden away. A beautiful film about redemption and finding yourself. Made me think about my mum too. Denzel almost gorgeous as always - I don't like him in moustaches but such a lovely actor and a great directorial debut! 8.5 out of 10
Koala's rating and comment: haven't seen it.

Bad Boys 2
Cat's rating and comment: More mindless thuggery & semi-automatic weapons fire!! All done in a highly entertaining way of course. I love Will Smith & Martin Lawrence in these roles. And the raid in Cuba and the escape to Guantanamo Bay were ridiculously over the top. Good, rollicking, stupid fun. 8 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment:to come.
Koala's rating & comment: Haven't seen it

Bandits
Cat's rating and comment: Liked the look of it. Liked the story. Liked the conclusion. Had some great elements. There's something about it that didn't quite hold together though .. can't put my finger on it. Enjoyed it. 6.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: A quite amusing film, with many bits that have you laughing and other bits you stare at the screen with disbelief and in other bits you remember you are watching a film. I was not totally engrossed in this film as I did remember it was always a film and the characters did not totally grab me. Defiantly a funny film and a good film to watch but.... there was something lacking. 6 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: Haven't seen it

Behind enemy lines
Cat's rating and comment: If it's a comedy I give it 9 out of 10. If it's an action film I give it 2 out of 10. Bloody hysterical .. watch out for the evil tracksuit, it's giving the tracker all his strength and genius. And why did the cute guy have to get shot so early on?
Frog's rating and comment: To come
Koala's rating & comment: My goodness - this movie was so hilariously bad. Keep an eye out for the Track Suit of Evil. Over the top acting, American propaganda and melodrama. Very enjoyable though. =) 6 out of 10.

Bend it like Beckham
Cat's rating and comment: I really enjoyed this film but I’m not sure what to say about it. Just proves that you should write your reviews regularly so you don’t forget your initial reactions. Laughed a lot through this film. Loved the cultural clash, the costuming, the relationships and the soccer. Definitely a feel-good film. 9 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: About an Indian girl in England wanting to play soccer and having to deal with her families prejudices and societies pressures and assumptions about girls who play sport. It also looks at her friend and the pressure she copes with in her family. Very funny! Everyone I know who has seen it has enjoyed it and laughed all the way through it. Don't leave until the credits have finished! Second film I have enjoyed by this director and here's to many more to make me laugh and even enjoy watching soccer (now that's a feat!) 9 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: Loved it - it was hilarious. I saw it in a theatre in HK full of Chinese who couldn't stop laughing. I loved all the characters, the parents were hilarious and the coach had the most heavenly eyes .... :) Looking at Pocket's review, I feel like repeating that I really loved it. :) I also found the relationship between the father and daughter really touching - and got all choked up and teary-eyed! 9 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: I thought this was a nice movie, it was cute, the characters were likable but on the whole... I found it a bit overrated. Why was this such a hit? What made everyone thing this movie was so great? I mean it's true it addressed certain issues in a comical way... and I did smile abit...Probably the victim of overhype again for me. It was a good flick and ok I am always a sucker for girls in knee pads with abs... not enough for me to NOT bring the overall average down with a 6.5 out of 10. 10/5/03 - I watched this again and found it actually more entertaining the second time round- not really sure what made it different but i'm going to be a little more generous and amend my rating to 7.5/10

Big Wednesday
Cat's rating and comment: haven't seen it yet.
Frog's rating and comment: haven't seen it yet.
Koala's rating & comment: haven't seen it yet.
Ripple's rating and comment: This was one of the first surf culture films and others like the Keanu/Patrick Swayze vehicle Point Break owe a lot to it (especially as Gary Busey was in both). Also starred Billy Katt - later of Greatest American Hero fame and Jan-Michael Vincent (prolific B-grade actor). Follows the lives of 3 close friends from the early 60's into the 70's as we slowly watch their lives change and they drift apart - reunited for what is probably the last time they'll all be together - to surf the biggest waves seen on their break in 100 years (hence the title - it was Wednesday and the waves were really... big ;). My only criticism is that the film spends a little too long establishing the friend's teenage relationships when a little more depth at the other end of the film would have rounded things off. The surfing cameo by Gerry Lopez, and surfing footage generally, was awesome. 7 out of 10.

Birthday Girl
Cat's rating and comment: This was kind of bizarre and unusual. Nicole Kidman is really choosing some interesting roles at the moment. Ben Chaplin was lovely. 8.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Nicole Kidman, Ben Chaplin, interesting, gripping, weird, definitely interesting and intriguing. I can only use adjectives to describe this film because well if I said too much I would give away too much but let me just say that for half the film Nicole either does not speak or speaks in Russian. She is very good in doing both and getting the point across. um 7 and a half out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: Haven't seen it - but own the dvd ...

Black Hawk Down
Cat's rating and comment: If you can ignore the reality of the situation this is a well put together war film. Good performances, lots of gritty reality, and confusing camera shots that make you feel that you know what war is all about (even if you've never seen an actual gun in your entire life). It's up there with Full Metal Jacket & Platoon. 7.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Very moving, just the sheer numbers of people against one or two men. Of course these one or two men were in the wrong place at the wrong time but as Koala says, ignore the propaganda and just enjoy it for what it is - a war film. I found it was interesting that even though the characters were not highly developed, you still cared for them. 8 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: Gritty, intense and very compelling. The soundtrack to this film is amazingly evocative and all of the acting is wonderful. I have problems taking Eric Bana seriously but all of the actors do a great job in this movie. Put aside the American propaganda and take in a very well made war movie. 8.5 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: No plot really to this movie but just tried to tell it as it was. I liked this movie, good performances all round, cinematography was great and soundreack was also well done. Agreed Eric Bana will always be one of the inferior 'Fast Forward' actors or the kickboxing nut in 'The Castle'. Nice how it didn't really give any crap "America the land of the free" and basically showed the film's content matter as "one big #$%up". Liked it. 8.5 out of 10
P's rating and comment: This movie has no plot and message. Just keep on shooting. I think this is a good example of anything that has shooting and is about war sells. The slow motion way of filming has been used in Gladiator and Hannibal already, can Ridley Scott think of something new? 5 out of 10.

Blade 2
Frog's comment: Wow Pocket did a long review on Blade 2
Koala's comment: He certainly did. I won't be seeing it though - Pocket's already vetted it for me and it failed the Koala Gore / Impaling Horror Test.
Pocket's rating and comment: X-Men was considered Marvel Comic's film saviour, but it is interesting to note the character of Blade was based around a 1973 comic book character from the popular comic book house. And now there's a sequel. I actually had read a spoiler to this movie and really was not expecting it to be very good at all. The plot sounded rather laughable and everything sounded all a bit gratuitous. Watching it, my opinion was justified- the plot was ridiculous and the acting was even worse. However I don't think anyone really goes to see these kind of films for good plot and acting, and thus what the movie lacks in storytelling it does make up in very very sweet looking costume and props design and some very fast paced action sequences that do leave your neck muscles tense at the end of each scene. Click here to read the rest of Pocket's review. 7/10
Zeitgeist's rating & comment: Look, you either like these sorts of films or you don't. I confess at the outset that I dig action films and vampire films, so action/vampire films go straight to my hind brain. Having said that it is gross and really violent, and suffers from logic (yes, yes not counting the vampires) and continuity issues. 6 out of 10. Babe factor 5 out of 10 (I don't dig Wesley and it was missing the pouty Stephen Dorff and the great Udo Kier).

Blue Crush
Cat's rating and comment: Again I have to say there was too much story before we got to the surfing. Standard storyline .. girl suffers set-back while following her dream of becoming a pro-surfer and has to overcome her fears while falling in love and fighting with all her friends. Hang on .. this sounds like and HSC English story .. anyway, it looked good, I liked the actors and the ending was realistic. 6.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: To come.
Koala's rating & comment: I had fairly low (ie extremely low!) expectations of this movie and was pleasantly surprised. A "triumph of the human spirit" surfing movie with girls, it has the advantage of having good music (notwithstanding the appallingly mysogonistic remix of Bananarama's "Cruel Summer"), great scenery and beautiful looking people. Kate Bosworth plays a wholesomely beautiful surfer chick competing in the Pipe Masters. Surfing footage was absorbing, support performances from her friends were believable although the younger sister was a very bad actress. Matthew Davis whom I loved in "Tigerland" and loathed in "Legally Blonde" puts in an attractive performance as a visiting quarterback with a huge wallet, questionable motives and a rather gorgeous smile. Drawbacks for me were the fact that Anne Marie is never really convincing as a female athlete who is committed to her sport and what could have been a rather sweet romance between the leads is tainted by (possibly intended) shadows of payment for favours. 6 out of 10.
Pocket's rating and comment: I wasn't that impressed with this movie, and really it's saving grace was Kate Bosworth (Who I think looks like a girl-next door-hot-chick-in-highschool version of Natalie Portman) who just looked.. well hot all the time in her bikini. Plot was sort of lame, she really wasn't very convincing as a surfer dedicated to her sport- Michelle Rodriguez didn't really fit in this role, she's made a name for herself as a scowling grrr kinda chick so it's kinda unbelievable they'd be friends. The scary thing is that other than Kate Bosworth, the only thing I really recall from this movie is one of the football player's display of his "la de da's" brrr. disturbing. 6.5/10

Bootmen
Cat's rating and comment: The dancing made up for the terrible script and clunky acting.Adam Garcia’s hair should have been given a separate credit.Good rollicking fun. 7.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Sophie Lee sux! She can't act for toffee but everything else was fun, love the boot stomping, could not stop stomping when I came out of the film in my
own boots. Makes you want to learn taps. Andy Garcia very cute and very fun watching the film. 7 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: I found it entertaining. The acting was a bit hit and miss but the dancing was a lot of fun. 7 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: I'm a sucker for movies with high energy dance sequences. forget the laughable acting and plot, and you don't really relate to any of the characters, but the tap dancing is VERY cool. entertaining braindead stuff. 7 out of 10.

Bourne Identity
Cat's rating and comment: Hee hee hee .. I probably should have written my review just after I saw this film. From what I understand it's a major departure from the book and was quite ridiculous in places. Good chewing gum for the mind, however, with lots of action and cool explosions. 6.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Big perve factor, lots of fast action, interesting and exciting and
exotic locations.... what more could a girl ask for? Bit silly in parts but very exciting, hanging edge of your seat stuff and who knew a mini could drive like that?? 7 out of 10.
Koala's rating & comment: I've finally seen this movie! I enjoyed it - I loved the eyecandy factor in terms of the European scenes. Matt Damon looked more attractive in this movie than he has ever looked and the fight sequences were great. I could not stand Marie the girl - she was panicky, pukey and wailey - definitely not Action Chick material. Nonetheless, I thought it was sufficiently suspenseful and well-acted. 7.5 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: Wasn't sure about this movie, I think it didn't quite know WHAT it wanted to be. I'd beg to differ on the "lots of action" bit with Cat. Not enough action really, but then not enough "oh now i get it" plot thickener to really be an intellectual thriller either. Matt Damon was good in his role, and the film was gripping enough to keep you to the end, but there wasn't enough to really make u feel satisfied. Worth seeing though Just for the few fight sequences that there were. 7 out of 10.
Zeitgeist's rating & comment: Bias at the outset: I will watch anything with Matt Damon in it. (even School Ties, hey I have it on DVD). He is (along with Ed Norton) the actor of his generation. This was a big change of pace for him and he handled it very credibly. Tight action sequences (loved the fight in his Paris flat) solid acting, great multilingual skills from Damon (hey I look for that stuff!). Could've been called "Drive Lola Drive"... Score: a solid 7 out of 10. Babe factor 9 out of 10 (go Matt go).

Bridget Jones's Diary
Cat's rating and comment: Really loved this film. Characters that were so real it became painful .. but in a good way. First film I think I have seen where the heroine looks like someone you might know. 9 out of 10
Frog's rating and comment: (wow I am behind in my reviewing) Hugh Grant a gorgeous bastard
Renee Z good representation of BJ though bit sad how they went on and on in the media how she had to put on weight for it. Like there is something wrong with being curveceous Colin Firth- stammering British cannot get to the point man - gorgeous and fun! Loved it, lots of fun! 7 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: I didn't think I'd like this one but was pleasantly surprised. I loved it. From her fear of being "destined to die alone and be[ing] found three weeks later, half-eaten by Alsatians" to her dislike of "smug married couples" - I thought Bridget was adorably hilarious. Colin Firth (with or without weird jumpers) was beautiful and the "It's raining men" sequence is just wonderful. I haven't laughed aloud in a movie so much in a very long time! I went in expecting to hate it - expecting a self-conscious, fatuous, Sex in the City wannabe, but discovered a wonderfully warm movie about a really appealing character who's delightfully honest. Hugh Grant's 'bastard' Mr Emotional F*ckwit character was so true to life that it was positively scary!!!! 9 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: I really expected to hate this, it was British and it was I thought going to be about a whining woman. It was always likened to Sex in the City, which Ithink is a really dumb show, so I went in with no real expectations. Instead I found it all very entertaining, it was very funny and you really find the character development and interaction both belivable and likable. There are no gratuitous Brit comedy screwball parts, alot of it is very refreshing and you really find yourself liking Bridget and wanting her to get her happy ending. Her friends are great, and the sequence where Colin Firth and Hugh Grant confront each other is glorious. 8 out of 10.

Bright Young Things
Rt. Hon. Darth Gervais Peregrine Simious, 3rd Lord Vader of Deathstar comment: This movie was wonderful to look at and listen to and faithfully recreated the Twenties/Thirties It People mileu of Evelyn Waugh's book, but it had a problem. Everything was just too spiffing and fun, the hoooray Henrys and Henriettas all had a wonderful series of larks and japes (with cameo after cameo of Great British Thespisans) and then ... well, then our hero, Adam Syme, thinks it all perfectly vile having blandly enjoyed it up until then. Up until that point there is not much to communicate a growing sense of unease with the artifice and unpleasantness of the bright world of the pre-WWII celebrocracy. For all Syme's artfully expressed revulsion in the Hon. Agatha Runcible's psychiatric ward there's not a lot of discomfiture apart from one thing, when Lord Balcairn, failed aristocrat and gossip columnist, gasses himself in his slummy basement flat (to no great consequence) for having been disinvited from all of the best parties. It's a perfectly spiffing film, with a major flaw, just like Adam Syme, who somnambulantly enjoys the antics of the Bright Young Things for far too long.

Bringing down the house
Cat's rating and comment: to come.
Koala's rating & comment: haven't seen it.
Frog's rating & comment: Steve Martin and Queen Latifah in a comedy about mistaken identity and two different lifestyles coming together. Quite amusing, laughed out loud, some stuff weird, but I must say my favourite bit was at the end when Steve Martin dressed up in some "homies" clothes and managed to get himself entrance to a very cool black night club and he has women wanting to dance with him. 7 out of 10
Pocket's rating & comment: haven't seen it.

Bring it on
Cat's rating and comment: I was waiting for Eliza Dushku to do more tumbles and beat a couple of people up (oh hang on, that’s that tv show I like to watch).. Fun is quite right, loved the Clover routines and the school spirit. 7 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: I assumed it was going to be another stupid teen movie but this was hilarious! Really enjoyed it - lots of fun 7 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: This movie was a lot of fun. I expected a lot worse so was pleasantly surprised. Don't forget I detest cheerleaders! This movie was energetic and sufficiently tongue-in-cheek that it never takes itself too seriously. Eliza Dushku's character was great. 8 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: I actually liked this movie a whole lot more the second time around - I am a cheerleading fan, I love all the stunts and the way the Americans can take it so seriously as a real competitive sport so i did expect alot from this film. However I am not a Kirsten Dunst Fan - I did find Jesse Bradford's character was a direct ripoff of Xander from Buffy, and having Eliza Dushku in it made it seem very Buffy-esque for a while, however there the similarities would end. On the whole I would have liked to see a lot more routines and dancing, but there are plenty of babes galore and all and all Igave it an enthusiastic 2 thumbs up;) 8 out of 10.

Bruce Almighty
Cat's rating and comment: Hee hee hee. I am not a big Jim Carey fan (big confession time) but this was very amusing. Even now if I think about the dog being ‘toilet trained’ I start giggling. Rather predictable but still highly entertaining. 6 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: to come.
Koala's rating & comment: haven't seen it.
Pocket's rating & comment: haven't seen it.

Bulletproof Monk
Cat's rating and comment: I’m not sure exactly why but this reminded me a lot of ‘The Golden Child’ (the one with Eddie Murphy having to rescue the little boy who is part of a Buddhist prophecy). Yun-Fat Chow is a Tibetan monk who has protected a sacred scroll for 60 years and now it’s almost time for him to find a successor. And of course because this is 21st century USA the successor is extraordinarily unlikely (Seann William Scott) and the interpretation of the prophecy is hysterical. Some lovely fight-scenes (would have been disappointing without them) and a generally cool-looking production. 7.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: to come.
Koala's rating & comment: to come.
Pocket's rating & comment: to come.

I capture the castle
Cat's rating and comment: A film with a heartbeat. Lovely eccentric English family growing up in an old castle. In walk two quite attractive American boys & turn their odd little existence upside-down. And yes, it IS Riley Finn (Marc Blucas) as Neil Cotton!! Rose Burns is great as the older, flighty sister. Tara Fitzgerald is wonderful as the artistic step-mother who dyes all their clothing green and stands naked in the rain. Just a fabulously warm & friendly sort of a film. 9 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Quite a sweet film and very faithful to the book. Very sad and gentle and the clothes very period costuming. Go you British costume dramas. I enjoyed that but didn't recognise it was Riley from Buffy til Cat told me at the end. Very sad ending but that is how it is in the book and glad they didn't change it to a happy ending. Bloody men cannot make up their minds who they like and expect a girl to let them bounce around and be waiting for them. 8/10
Koala's rating & comment: Finally saw this! I read the book ages ago and found it bittersweet then - found it bittersweet this time too...... Rose Byrne is so lovely but such a brat. I liked Riley, was a bit disappointed that he would go for the shallow sister, but there you have it. I can't take the guy who plays Elliot from ET seriously. :) I enjoyed this. 8 out of 10 for me.
Pocket's rating & comment: Haven't seen it.

Catch me if you can
Cat's rating and comment: What a fascinating story!! I'll have to read the book now. I liked the period look and the casting. It didn't take long to get an understanding of how differently banks operated in the sixties. 9 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: I am not a big Leonardo di Caprio fan but this role perfectly suited him, a youth caught up in things of his own devising but not sure how to get out of them. He is reliant on the tricks his father taught him and is obsessed with trying to get his parents back together, thinking if he gets their money back they can return to the lifestyle they were accomplished to having then his home life will return to being the happy homelife it was. Tom Hanks is great as the obsessive FBI agent pursuing him around the country, trying to arrest Leonardo's character. Based on a true story it is amazing at his audacity in getting away with being a pilot, doctor & lawyer. Some was good luck, some was sheer bull shitting and the rest was amusing at his study procedures. I would have enjoyed this film more except for the people sitting behind me having a loud discussion which kept distracting me. 8 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: I didn't really want to see this movie but ended up enjoying it. Leonardo di Caprio was surprisingly good and convincing in the role. I found Tom Hanks kind of annoying but that's because I don't like Tom Hanks. I thought the movie was a little bit long and slightly repetitive - in the sense that I found myself going: "Ok, yes I get it, he's doing another scam etc etc". Was that Jennifer Garner I saw? Anyway, 7 out of 10 for me.
Pocket's rating & comment: I liked this, although I couldn't help thinking that Leonardo di Caprio went to the "Tom Cruise School of acting" for this part. His little snickers and head nods and voice projection were all very Few Good Men-esque - I'm not saying that's a bad thing. The story was based on a real life thing and it's important to remember it is set in the 60's before you all go off thinking "wow is it that easy? cool!" Tom Hanks seems to still play himself regardless of whether he's wearing hornrim glasses or not. Same as Christoper Walken, and it makes you wonder if it's really that hard to be an actor? ;) 8 out of 10.

Changing Lanes
Cat's rating and comment: Food for thought. I found this film a little disturbing. It's not hard to get so caught up in what you do that you lose sight of common decency so I found it easy to identify with these characters. The ending was not what I was expecting but still satisfactory. 8.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Probably won't see this.
Koala's rating & comment: Eww, I hated this. It was dark, depressing, bleak. One of those movies that tries to say - reality and being realistic means believing the worst about everyone and settling for being rotten because that's just the way it is. I prefer to stick to the unrealistic world of Middle Earth where there is always still hope. 5 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment:I actually liked this. I had NO idea what this film was going to be about so I found it compelling enough to get me in till the end (except that my DVD stuffed up and I had to watch bits of it to piece it together). I was expecting a much more grimmer ending - but it turned out ok. I thought Samuel L Jackson's portrayal was great. It's nice to see his versatility as a black actor - a far cry from 'Shaft' but then I'd like to see him do a Sidney Poitier for REAL scope;) Ben Affleck has yet to prove to me he can be anything other than.. the same role he always plays - likeable at times but otherwise annoying as hell and somewhat whiney with a goofy side. You'd probably expect Samuel L Jackson's character to do more to persuade Affleck's character to help him more with his case rather than just be immature and go "nyer nyer I got something you want". 7 out of 10.

Charlies Angels
Cat's rating and comment: Fabulous. Love seeing the girls doing all the good stunts.And great references to the series. 9 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: So much fun and even better to see them poking fun at themselves. A bit too much showing off cleavage and naked bodies for me but still all in all very funny 7 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: I really loved this movie. Found it entertaining, funny and I'm such a sucker for martial arts. 8.5 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: When they cast this I thought it sounded abit iffy, but the movie was great. Very entertaining stuff, had alot of pace, humour, likable characters, good soundtrack and mad stunts and wirework. 8.5 out of 10.

Charles' Angels 2
Cat's rating and comment: Again I was expecting a moderately weak sequel but was looking forward to some cool fight scenes and costumes. The beginning looked a lot like the Bananarama video for Venus and the helicopter thing was (*giggle*) just like a recent Bond. All in all I liked it!! In a lot of ways it had more substance than the first film (relatively speaking). So my overall rating is a good fun romp, more of the same girl-power thang, worth a look. 7.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: to come.
Koala's rating & comment: This was definitely not as fun as the first one. It took me a couple of goes to finish it. Forced, not so cute ..... 6 out of 10 .... Sorry gals.

Chicago
Cat's rating and comment: Highlights include ‘Cell Block Tango’, ‘Mr Cellophane’ and ‘When You’re Good to Mama’. I didn’t realise I knew this much music from Chicago but I guess that’s what comes from having friends in the amateur musical society circle. The performances were energetic, the staging was gorgeous, I loved the costuming. I’m confused by the categories used by the Oscar committee .. because I would say that Richard Gere is support to the two gals … 8 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Very enjoyable, I must admit I preferred it on Broadway where they
just interrupt into song as if it was normal like a typical musical while in the movie it is more dream sequences that it all takes place the songs and the dancing. Richard Gere was better than I expected. Very toe tapping and enjoyable 8 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: I liked "All that jazz", "Cell Block Tango (he had it comin'!!! ;)" and "Nowadays". Other than that, I hated all of the characters who were thoroughly unlovable!!! It looked great though. Pocket fell asleep about 1/4 of the way through. Very over-rated movie which did not deserve that many Oscars. The Two Towers was robbed, man. 5 out of 10.
Pocket's rating and comment: I never liked this play, the characters all are very unlikable and the music I find it to be somewhat..nothing spesh. And I am one who loves musicals; I couldn't see how the acting was anything to write home about either and...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz 3 out of 10

Chocolat
Cat's rating and comment:It was beautifully shot and a nice gentle story. I love the idea of chocolate with chillie and that people's personalities can be determined by the food they eat. 9.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Oh I was just craving chocolate throughout this movie, very sweet and lovely about how two people (and lots of chocolate) can change the people around them. Judi Dench wonderful 8 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: I loved Rachel Portman's score for this movie and it was a beautiful looking film with a great performance from all of the actors. Even though I'm not a fan of dark chocolate, I was sorely tempted by the delicious masterpieces on the big screen. 8 out of 10.
Zeitgeist's rating & comment: Not a big Johnny Depp fan, he's just too pretty. It gets in the way. But this was a gorgeous movie. Juliette Binoche had the perfect blend of sass, sincerity and self-doubt. Love the little bits of mysticism. The French countryside has never looked so good and it also features one of the greatest actors on the planet: Dame Judi Dench. 7 out of 10. Babe factor 5 out of 10 (sorry Deppsters!).

Confidence
Cat's rating and comment: I love a good triple-twist at the end of a film. Just when you think you have all the pieces in place they throw a spanner in the works. Reminiscent of ‘The Sting’ (one of my all time favourite films and the film that made me realise that Robert Redford is a spunk) and ‘The Grifters’. Walk into this film remembering you have to sort through the visual clues. Very likeable cast & a nice slick look. Dustin Hoffman is extraordinarily unlikeable in this role; slimy, horrible, irritating with the whole chewing thing. 9 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Andy Garcia was almost unrecognisable. Twists and turns so you had to keep guess and re-evaluating what you thought was happening, what was the grift? Who was being conned? Dustin convincingly repugnant, I had no sympathy for him at all. Glad that he didn't chew gum the whole way through the film or I would have wanted him killed. Fred Burns very clever and good acting. 8/10
Koala's rating & comment: Haven't seen it.
Pocket's rating & comment: Haven't seen it.

The Count of Monte Cristo
Cat's rating and comment: I quite enjoyed it. The costumes were nice. The sets were nice. There were some excellent sword fights. Guy Pearce was sufficiently evil. It's a great story. The last couple of minutes were horrid. 7 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: This film was pretty bad, not sure which is worse Josie and The Pussycats or this! Guy Pearce and the guy who played Villefort (James Frain) ponced around the film, acting more gay (ok that is sterotypical) than anything. I know Guy was supposed to be a sneering nobleman and looking down his nose at everyone and everything but he just looked like everything was a bad smell and terribly campy. The swashing and buckling was good and Mondego's wife's (Mercédès Iguanada)revenge was pretty cool but otherwise pretty boring and lacklustre. The best bit excitement I got was at the Count of Monte Cristo's party, not because he landed in a balloon but I thought I recognised the palace he was at. 4 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: To be frank, I was disappointed by The Count. It could have been so much more than it was. I like James Frain but he was badly used in this, Guy Pearce had some major Nostril Power going which I found extremely distracting. Furthermore, the sequence with Dumbledore in the prison was done so much better in Zorro with Anthony Hopkins. Where was the suspense? I never liked the lead - Jim Cavaziel or however you spell his name spends his whole time looking like a stunned mullet, staring vaguely into space and I know I'm being harsh but I was disappointed. Mercedes despite having the Padme Amidala "Haven't aged a day in a decade" syndrome was all right and the boy who played the son was cute. 5 out of 10.

Coyote Ugly
Cat's rating and comment: There was far too much story before they got to the dancing on the bar bit.Adam Garcia got to act a little and everyone got to live out their dreams. 7.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: This film was fun and silly, I saw something the other day that Andy Garcia's character was supposed to be a yankee but they changed it for him (was it his great dancing skills - which you don't see or his great acting skills - ditto) No it was fun, pouty lips and all from the lead character, gratuitous bar top dancing scenes and all in all fun songs to sing along to 7 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: Not a great movie, terrible storyline and acting but a guilty pleasure. The bar-top dancing was entertaining and the soundtrack was fun. Adam Garcia's character was also very lovable. 6.5 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: Gratuitous was the key word for this movie. Violet annoyed the hell out of me and her head and mouth were so big they looked like she was going to eat Adam Garcia's head. The bar dancing sequences made this film and they really just needed more of those. Good soundtrack though. Bridget Moynihan rocked;)7 out of 10.
Zeitgeist's rating & comment: Stupid film. Silly premise and painful acting (though Adam Garcia is cute in a wooden way). But I have just four words to say: Garcia on the bar, Garcia on the bar, Garcia on the bar (well, four words said 3 times...) 4 out of 10. Babe factor 9 out of 10.

Crossroads
Cat's rating and comment: It was a public holiday with very little on at the cinema. My friends refused to see the horror film I had suggested. So we decided to go have a giggle at Britney. So we snuck in after the lights went down and … Turned out we needn't have worried. Britney didn't keep breaking into song, the other characters got their share of the limelight, and it was generally quite entertaining. 7 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment:A very sugar sweet teen film with an incredible hottie male actor (lets just not talk about him being called Anson Mount) Britneyy Spears was not as bad as I feared it would be, full of gratuitous singing scenes and Brittany's midriff and what's with those sleeves? Very singable songs, very sweet film and not as bad as I feared. 6 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: Definitely one of those "not as bad as it could have been" gigs. True, the word "gratuitous" seems to sum up a lot of the film and you might emerge warbling schmaltzy songs like - "I'm not a girl - not yet a woman" while flopping around bizarre floppy sleeves but that's a small price to pay for the entertainment value. Britney's mid-riff should have received a separate credit in view of the extensive screen-time it received. Poor Cat had to endure my sarcastic sotto voce comments throughout the entire movie. I still can't believe that Cat & Frog were willing to see this but won't see 40 Days and 40 Nights with me. *pout* Hey Pocket - I bought the DVD :D. 6 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: No, this movie was crap. Even the 8 under 12 year old girls in the audience thought so. Redeeming points are seeing Britney dance around in her underwear at the beginning, and maybe see Britney dance around in.. well her underwear also near the beginning. Even the gratuitous karaoke bar singing sequence left me cold. Britney herself didn't do a bad job, just the movie's story was crap and really didn't do a whole lot for the entertainment side. Could have been a whole lot more fun. 3/10

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Cat's rating and comment: Beautiful cinematography. The action sequences were breath-taking and there was enough ambiguity in the ending for everyone to keep talking about it for months. Again, the girls got to do lots of fighting (there seems to be a theme in our films . . ) 9.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Beautiful, exotic, exciting, loved the mystical fantastical fighting
sequences 7 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: I love martial arts, Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun Fat. I found it tragic and compelling and think it's just a sensational movie. Plus, I've always had a romantic soft spot for Xin Jiang province in China. Silk Road here I come!! 9.5 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: Love it. Great use of wirework, cinematography, the acting was superb and chicks who kick butt are awesome;) The story line was also quite compelling. 9.5 out of 10.

Daredevil
Cat's rating and comment: Yay … more of my childhood on the big-screen. It’s nice that they’re working through them now that they have the technology to make them look good. I guess it had that weird unreal look to some of the leaping around sort of scenes that Spider-Man had but all in all it looked lush. The sensory deprivation tank was a nice touch. 9 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Knew nothing about this comic hero and did enjoy it (even with annoying giggly talking people - not us!) Sad though and so open for the sequal, cute sequence during closing credits. Bit silly, he tells us he is dying at the end and manages to go on and fight two other people and defeat them and swing around the city, so obviously when he was stabbed she did not get any vital organs but still he said he was dying so a bit silly. But I enjoyed it. 7 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: haven't seen it.
Pocket's rating & comment: Daredevil is a Marvel comic book character that has a small but loyal following - almost a poor man's Spiderman really. Hearing of him being translated to the big screen, given the success of X-Men & Spiderman - I had high expectations and found myself VERY disapointed. Ben Affleck was fine as a Matt Murdock - but the costume they stuck him in was bloody awful - his red leather bondage outfit was just wrong, looked incredibly uncomfortable and the worst part was the stupid mask - it's supposed to be a cowl, not a beanie pulled over the eyes! Reminded me more of Dumb Donald from Fat Albert than a super hero. The fight sequences went with the somewhat run of the mill wire style, with too much on the slo mo stylised camera angles. Casting Michael Clarke Duncan as Kingpin was fine, other than.. Kingpin isn't supposed to be some super duper fighter. Best thing about this was Colin Farrell's Bullseye other than giving him an ugly silly tattoo on his forehead rather than a mask. Jennifer Garner's Electra had potential to be a cool character but fell trap to the Hollywood curse of "I am a tough female character who by the end of the film becomes a wussy" 6 out of 10

Dirty Deeds
Cat's rating and comment: Definitely a fun film. I don’t know how historically accurate it was but I remember Weet-Bix packets like that from when I was a kid, I loved the old Qantas footage and the accents and expressions were great. The performances were great and the storyline interesting. 9 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: very Australian, very good, bit violent but very much enjoyed it. Bryan Brown and John Goodman, set in 1969, and the pokies and who ripped them off, seedy underworld oh and Sam Neil is in it as a bent cop. 8 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: haven't seen it yet.

Down with love
Cat's rating and comment: Lovely little retro hit. I adore those Rock Hudson, Doris Day romantic comedies. And that’s probably my only complaint; this was a little bit too knowing & hard edged to be a real tribute film. Although the telephone scene with the split scene was funny I sat up and thought ‘this is a bit out of place’ at that point. Renee Zellweger & Ewan McGregor are fabulous & had nice chemistry. I know it was a bit of a spoof but the explanation was a little long winded & ridiculous. On the plus side; Ewan has a lovely voice & the soundtrack was fabulous. The wardrobe was adorable. The side-kicks were a nice match (always important in these films). And it all ended happily despite any last minute hitches. Not quite as fabulous as I hoped but still highly entertaining. 7.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: I was not too enamoured with this (ha ha pun intended). It was alright, cute, a bit talky talk and not top of the line stuff from what we have seen. A bit over the top with all the innuendos. Cute ending but nyah, I could leave it or take it. 6/10
Koala's rating & comment: I had big hopes for this, but it was quite forced and the song sung by Renee and Ewan is almost painful to watch .... In fact, I just looked at Darth Husbandious' comment and despite a fierce loyalty for EM - feel that I have to say this was a little bit of a flop ... 6 out of 10. Sorry...
Pocket's rating & comment: Haven't seen it.
Darth Husbandious comment: Forced to watch this. My wife began to realise I wasn't enjoying it much when I unconsciously began to beat my head on the back of the seat about half and hour in. Contrived clap-trap.

Dreamcatcher
Cat's rating and comment: I was just thinking I haven’t seen an atrocious film for a long time and then I remembered ‘DreamCatcher’. Hmmm what shall I say. Stephen King is great at character details and that’s what’s good in this film. I like the four buddies and some of their moments together. The aliens and the violence were … well, completely gratuitous and gross. And the military were pretty two-dimensional (and I love Tom Sizemore & Morgan Freeman usually). A bit like ‘Signs’ … nice wrap up but overall pretty silly. 4.5 out of 10. Funny that such a terrible film has a longer review than some of my favourites …
Frog's rating and comment: Haven't seen it.
Koala's rating & comment: Haven't seen it.

8 Mile
Cat's rating and comment: I haven’t been a big fan of Eminem’s music but the film looked quite interesting so I was keen to see it. It was quite a good film. Eminem spent two hours wandering around looked stunned and confused but it was believable. The rapping duels were quite interesting even though these old ears had trouble picking up all of the words. I remember reading about ‘dozens’ when I was in university and this seemed to be the updated version of it. A lot more civilised than beating the crap out of each other but I guess there was a bit of that as well. The story was told in a well-known framework so it wasn’t hard to predict or to follow. I will say that, having grown up in the eighties when Kim Basinger was pinned to guys walls as the ultimate woman, it was slightly disturbing to see her playing a mother figure. 7 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Well I was not sure if I wanted to see this or not, thought it
might be interesting but not sure if I wanted to see it at the movies and I did enjoy it. Don't like rap music except occasional cross overs which are more songs than rap and occasionally eminem's songs do get stuck in my head and I get very annoyed. His acting skills aren't the greatest, he seems always slightly slow and the sex scene was a laugh, he looked very surprised as if not sure what was happeneing. But good flick. 7 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: Saw this on the plane and enjoyed it. Eminem was surprisingly good although I gather that the character he portrayed was quite different to the real mysoginistic guy he is in real life. The final "battle" was great, and I really do like the song "Lose yourself" even though I'm not a huge rap fan. 7.5 out of 10.
Pocket's rating and comment: Thought this film was good stuff. Eminem's film debut was definitely better than various other crossover movie stars - and the film was obviously trying to be "gritty" although after all that he goes through, Ifound the end result a little..anti-climactic? Kim Basinger plays trailer trash mom with convincing gusto - as does Britney Murphy as a do-anything-to-get-ahead tramp. Obviously the rap battles are the drawcard to this film and they definitely live up to the hype although it seems a shame the theme song "Lose yourself" didn't really make it INTO the film. 7.5 out of 10

Emperor's New Groove
Cat's rating and comment: Nice little morality play about an emperor learning not to be so self involved when he is turned into a llama by the evil witch. David Spade is hysterically funny, John Goodman is nice and gentle and I liked the animation style. 7 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: very cute and funny and sweet, who wouldn't want to be turned into a llama? 8 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: Thought it was cute - didn't love it, but maybe that was because Pocket talked it up too much. ;) I liked some of the music though - Run Llama Run is too cute. 7 out of 10.
Pocket's rating and comment: Thought this movie was great; reminded me alot of Lucasarts 'Day of the Tentacle' game. the humour is very in your face and off beat, lots of visual gags and sardonic wit. The simple plot is easily forgotten by all the fun in front of you. Animation is a lil loud, but it goes well with the storyline. Another hit from Disney. 8.5 out of 10.

Enigma
Cat's rating and comment: I heard the comment that this was terrible because it was like a BBC drama … I like BBC dramas!! The costuming was great .. I thought Jeremy Northam was excellent as the bad guy (lots of narrowing of eyes). And Dougray Scott & Kate Winslet were brilliant. Very enjoyable. 8 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Haven't seen this. [Comment from Koala: Frog are you sure you haven't seen this?]
Koala's rating & comment: I enjoyed this. A lot. A lot of people have criticised it, bagged it for not doing Alan Turing justice. People should just deal with the fact that it's a movie, it's a fictional piece - it's not pretending to be fact. Dougray Scott was wonderful as was Kate Winslet. Saffron Barrows does what she always does - looks beautiful, aloof and alluring and she was fine at that. All in all very suspenseful and well-told. 8.5 out of 10.

Equilibrium
Cat's rating and comment: haven't seen it.
Koala's rating & comment: I really enjoyed this film. Longer review to come. 9 out of 10. Click here for the transcript of the MSN discussion with Pocket on the movie. Warning: massive spoilers.
Frog's rating & comment: haven't seen it.
Pocket's rating & comment: Bloody awesome really, it had comparisons to Minority Report but I really enjoyed it a whole lot more. Kinda wannabe Brave New World at times, but didn't get too caught up in trying to be something it wasn't - it was just a well put together movie with what I thought was solid acting and awesome action sequences. Good use of wire along with stylised special effects to keep pace with the fighting, with a healthy sense of both "as if" cries from the audience, along with "actually yeah that's probably the case". Costumes were fantastic and I found myself walking around in black scowling a lot wishing I too was a Cleric. Watch out for the swordfight sequence at the end between Diggs and Bale - perhaps one of the most original displays of "f**k off i'm the best there is" one on one combat displays ever! Coolness. 8.5 out of 10
Zeitgeist's rating & comment: Koala has kooky tastes so I wasn't sure about this film (sorry Koala). Having watched it, I thought it was excellent. Christian Bale is hunky and full of pathos. Some great acting from the Gordon Setter pup (seriously). Plus an interesting premise that was not overworked. Borrowed a bit from the "Gattaca school of costume and visual design" but that is not a bad thing. Score 7 out of 10. Babe factor 8 out of 10 (Sean Bean is also there in a small role).
P's rating and comment: Although i normally don't agree with koala on anything, especially when she is strongly recommending it (j/k). I have to say this is an exception. Although it's like a combination of 1984,fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World, but it's nicely done. The fighting scenes were really cool. I have not much feelings towards Christian Bale, He sometimes over-act abit,but this time he eas great.Oh, and i like Bale's son. He did't have a big part though. 8 out of 10.

Ever After
Cat's rating and comment: My favourite scene in Ever After is when the gypsy tells her she can take anything she can carry. And I'm planning on having a pair of wings made up to wear around the house. This film makes me smile. 9 out of 10
Frog's rating and comment:A beautiful sweet lovely film. I love this take on the Cinderella
story, a feisty middle class girl fighting back for what is hers and falling in love with a prince. A prince who does not want to be a prince and is taught about ruling. A nice ugly sister and a ugly beautiful sister. Lovely! Very funny! I loved the bit at the ball where the servitor and one of the sister's neigh at each other. 8 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: I know this is an oldie but Cat, Frog and I watched it together again recently and it was so sweet. I love Drew Barrymore in this movie. The settings are wonderful, the costumes are fantastic and the music lovely. Dougray Scott, he of the bizarre name and the Codpiece From Hell, is surprisingly appealing as the Prince. Scott assumes an accent very different from his real accent which is always impressive when it works. 8.5 out of 10 - mostly because I'm such a sucker for fairytales.
Pocket's rating & comment: Really entertaining stuff, you really like Drew barrymore's character and it was a nice twist on the Cinderella story. costumes were gorgeous, although I wasn't a fan of Dougray myself.. but he didn't do TOO bad a job. 8/10.

The Exorcist (2001)
Cat's rating and comment: This was the first time I had seen the Exorcist. The surrounding storyline was very interesting and eerie particularly the scenes in Persia .. BUT .. Most of the possession scenes were graphic and disgusting, not scary, just revolting. It would have been a much better film without them. 7 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Well I was dragged to see this too cause nothing else was on and I don't like scary films but this was more gross and disgusting than scary. Glad I saw because now I know how the film goes but won't be seeing it again in a hurry 6 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: We saw this because everything else was sold out and I don't think we could bear to see "Say it isn't so". Normally I'm such a chicken and don't like horror but I found this quite plot-driven and suspenseful. It was also a lot sadder than I expected. Funny to see/hear Tubular Bells. 8 out of 10.

The Family Man
Cat's rating and comment: haven't seen it
Frog's rating and comment: Typical film of man seeing what would have happend. I prefer Rachel
Griffith's Me Myself and I to this one but cute, quite cute. 6 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: Sentimental, well-acted although a little cliched. Not much else to say. I enjoyed it but didn't love it. 6.5 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: It was a nice film, kinda a sappier version of Groundhog day I guess. I liked it, thought it had a lot going for it but then it also didn't seem to stay in my head. I am a Nicholas Cage fan but it wasn't enough I guess. 6.5 out 10.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits within
Cat's rating and comment: Wow. The animation is amazing with so much detail in the texture of the characters' skin and their movements. At times I forgot I was watching animation. The love-story was wonderful, the characters believable and the plot line just obscure enough to let you make up your own mind. There could have been more explanation about the phantoms but there is some danger in making it too complicated to follow. 9 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Finally saw this on DVD and won't say that I found an animated character cute (even if I did), great animation, that guy who is in charge of facial hair animation did a good job. Never played the game and knew nothing about it but enjoyed this film lots. 8 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: I have read the appalling reviews for this movie but I really loved this. It looked wonderful, the characters were very, very likeable. The characters were convincing despite people blathering on that they found the use of 'famous' voices distracting. I'll go on the record and tell you that I found the love story between Gray and Aki to be very romantic in the true sense of the word. I'm not sure how it's possible for CGI characters to have 'chemistry' but this couple had chemistry. For a longer spiel / rambling waffley thing, click here. 9 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: I really enjoyed this dispite the bagging it got from the critics. The plot was on the whole pretty cool, (except the whole Gaia thing) but it was amazing to watch and characters were likable. The CG detail was absolutely amazing, right down to skin grains and pock marks.. movement was good, all and all a great visual ride. 8 out 10.

Finding Forrester
Cat's rating and comment: People writing on old typewriters and following their dreams. It looked great and felt great. 8 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment:Enjoyable, interesting film, nice to see Anna Pacquin getting work,
she's a sweet actress. 6 & 1/2 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: Very low key, but well acted and has a great soundtrack. I thought the confrontation scene in the classroom was particularly impressive. 8 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: I actually loved this film, I thought it was better than his previous effort of Good Will Hunting. The characters are all very likable although I found Jamal to be a litle wooden - and Sean Connery was very convincing as the mentor writer. I laughed when I read the billing "Sean Connery, F Murray Abraham, Ana Paquin, and Busta Rhymes" 8 out 10.

Finding Nemo
Cat's rating and comment: ‘Mate’. ‘Mate’. ‘Mate’. I really enjoyed this. Nemo is very cute. And okay, it was thoroughly predictable formula stuff but the Australian touches were fabulous and I loved the sea-turtles. Dory’s forgetfulness reminded me of my mother but she made me giggle, particularly when she spoke whale. Lovely heart-warming stuff. 7.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: LOVED THIS FILM! Shall I say it again LOVED IT!! So so cute, had to see it twice I liked it so much! Very cute PIXAR film. Sweet and funny though I had watched a trailer for it on my Monsters Inc DVD and one of the scenes was cute but didn't appear. Oh well. Ellen de Generes very cute as the sidekick. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming swimming. Very cute story about letting go, not holding on, letting people try things for themselves. My favourite bit would be the talking to whales bit. And of course Bill Hunter is in it, how could he not be?? 10/10
Koala's rating & comment: loved it. Saw it twice. :) Loved the look, the accents - Dory, Marlin and Nemo were a delight. Got all choked up and teary :) 9 out of 10.
Darth Simious comment: Professing to be amazed by the animation is something of a cliche, but cliches be damned, amazed I was. Finding Nemo made me a bit homesick - there are not enough plain-speaking blokes called Bruce in this country. I enjoyed it immensely (but not the squealing of the 3 year old right behind my left ear (although I was gratified that it worked for them too)). I am always afraid that Pixar will cater more for adult tastes than those of children, making something too wordly and sharp, but I am always happy that they don't. A good story, well and humorously told. The Sydney sea-gulls ("Mine! Mine!") made it for me.
P's rating and comment: to come.
Pocket's rating and comment: to come.

Gattaca
Cat's rating and comment: love the look and feel of this film. It's very easy to get submerged in this world; lots of stainless steel and clean lines. I'm glad they didn't use the social commentary bit over the credits (about all the geniuses with birth defects who might never have been born). 9 out of 10
Frog's rating and comment: One of my favourite films, can watch this many many times and still get caught up in the drama of it all, very scary how much keeps coming true in our real lives. How many years away is all this from us?? As Pocket comments for a futuristic film it is quite retro/50's in the clothing. Loved the twists and turns! 8 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: "Stylish" is the word that springs to mind. Poor old Jude Law, I liked his character a lot. Cat and Frog will tell you that you shouldn't sit near Koala the Spoiler Blurter if you haven't seen a film yet ...... 8 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: Suits were by Armani from what I understand, and it's a very visually stylish film. I really liked the suits. Had a unsusal retro/ 40's feel to it, whilst also being quite modern; the cinemetography was excellent, and strong acting performances all round. Story was original and really not that unbelievable as commentary for the future. good stuff. 8/10. [According to Anonymous - suits were by Prada]

Get over it
Cat's rating and comment: It’s generally nice to watch a film that shows life imitating art .. and uses a familiar story to reference. Gives an extra dimension to the film. Likeable performances, quite enjoyed the song Kirsten Dunst ‘writes’ for the play, and it all ends up happily. 6 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Love the songs, love the premise, Kirstin Dunst gorgeous as ever and funny and well typical story but still fun to see Shakespeare made modern. 7 & 1/2 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: I enjoyed this a lot. The lead guy was weird looking, I could have done without the punch sequence but the intro song "Love will keep us together" is cute and the "Swingtown Lads" were hilarious, Shane West was adorable, the songs The Girl Inside and Dream of Me and all the songs used in Midsummer Night's Dream were wonderful - particularly Hermia. 8 out of 10 for entertainment value.
Pocket's rating & comment: I liked this - am a real teen movie fan and this one I found was excellent. Good choice of music, funny and the jokes towards boybands (Swing town Lad's "Love Scud" cracked me up)and everyone was very likable except perhaps there was a litle too much Martin Short, who's character was growing rather tired throughout the film. 8 out of 10.

Goldmember
Cat's rating and comment: Heh heh heh … I haven’t laughed that much in a film for a long time. The characters are ridiculous, Mike Meyers is hysterical and I still love Seth Green. Looking forward to the next instalment. It’s not neurosurgery but a person can only handle so much surgery in one lifetime. The Fat Bastard is still hideous. 8 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: See Koala... Won't see it either, only saw 1 and don't like stupid fart and sex jokes
Koala's rating & comment: haven't seen it, won't see it due to an irrational loathing of Mike Myers.

Greenfingers
Cat's rating and comment: This is a fabulous film. It’s chock full of wonderful characters. It’s beautiful. It’s a lovely quirky storyline. All the elements worked together. If you’re looking for a nice, gentle, feel-good film this is it. It’s not a blockbuster and it’s not going to make a big splash but if you get a chance to see it … do. 9.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: haven't seen it.
Koala's rating & comment: haven't seen it yet
Pocket's rating & comment: To come

A Guy Thing
Cat's rating and comment: Oh wow this was an unexpected treat. Usual set-up; up-tight conservative guy is about to get married then meets the girl of his dreams. Of course the girl of his dreams turns out to be his fiancée’s cousin. Julia Stiles was wonderfully whacky, going from one ridiculous job to the next … hula dancer, toll collector. And of course it’s immensely satisfying that everyone ends up happy at the end. 7.5 out of 10
Frog's rating and comment: to come.
Koala's rating & comment: haven't seen it yet
Pocket's rating & comment: haven't seen it.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Cat's rating and comment: Saw this in Belgium with French & Dutch subtitles which were a little distracting. It was lovely and very faithful to the book and is just as I had imagined Hogwarts. It lacked a certain something though. 7 out of 10
Frog's rating and comment: (see Cat's review) It was too faithful to the book that you could see what they had left out and so it just did not seem to flow too much and yes double subtitles are distracting. Fun but without that certain something 7.5 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: I had such mixed feelings about it. I loved the books so much and the movie looked beautiful and the actors were all incredibly wonderful - but it was just a straight retelling of the book. I know that JK Rowling was quite strict about how the movie was told but I guess I think that what works on the page doesn't necessarily work on the screen and the little touches that made the books gorgeous were missing. That being said - look and feel-wise it was wonderful. Can't rate this one.
Pocket's rating & comment: I think this movie had alot of baggage to deal with; the fact the film had to follow the book to a t is actually a good example of why authors are not always the best screenplay writers. Visually it's quite amazing and very faithful to the book in every sense, which unfortunately is it's downfall. All characters are look great, the quiddich match is great to watch and the film does have alot of atmosphere, although it unfortunately does lack the spellbinding (no pun intended)charm the book has that just grabs you. 7 out of 10.

Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets
Cat's rating and comment: After being slightly disappointed with the first film I was concerned about seeing the second. I knew it would be enjoyable but wouldn't quite blow me away. Perhaps it's because they added a few action sequences, or that the second book is a bit darker than the first, but this played better and was a lot more exciting. It probably helped that it's been so long since I read the book I had forgotten the ending and was sitting on the edge of my seat for the last twenty minutes or so. And the spiders were really scary!! 8 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Framed by a distracting beginning and a trite ending this film sucked me in (no distracting subtitles) and I enjoyed every moment (once I got passed the beginning!) and enjoyed the thrills and spills and the scares and the laughs. Ron was great as usual with his humour and being scared, lots of great moments there! Throughly a good film, better than the first (that's what they are all saying but I agree)
Koala's rating & comment: As this is the weakest of the four novels to date, and I wasn't enamoured of the first movie - I had no or low expectations for this movie. Accordingly, I found it entertaining enough. Like the first movie it hits all of the key plots from the novel, whisking you from plot to plot without really giving you any time to linger and enjoy. The three leads put in a likeable performance, Dobby the ugly house-elf is probably weeping CGI tears of rage as he eyeballs Gollum and Kenneth Branagh is rather lovely. Unfortunately, as with the first movie, there was little interpretation taken with the material and we have yet another linear retelling of the novel with the drawback that it doesn't have all the lovely little touches from the novel. It's a bad sign when I look at my watch three times during a movie and start hoping for it to end. Then again I didn't hate it. 6 out of 10.

Head over heels
Cat's rating and comment: I don't regret seeing it and can find something good in any film. It was a little predictable, the leads were okay but not fabulous and the models obviously enjoyed themselves. 5.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: haven't seen it.
Koala's rating & comment: Sarah O'Hare's character was awful but the ditzy models really saved this movie because Freddy Prinze Jr and Monica Potter were pretty awful .... I quite liked the use of Ronan Keating's song Rollercoaster. How embarrassing is that? Big deductions for dog and toilet gags .... ewww.....5 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: This was a really stupid movie. Characters made no sense really, and Sarah O'Hare should be caned for allowing Australians to be depicted like that. However, there was something about this movie that I actually just thought was cute and enjoyable and i rate it high just cos..I liked it for no apparent reason! 7 out of 10.

Hero
Cat's rating and comment: Wow … what a beautiful looking film!! I loved the colour-coding of emotions, loved the fight scenes, loved the casting. Jet Li & Tony Leung are just lovely (not that I really need to say that). It was an interesting structure with the scenes being played over and over with different perspectives. 9.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: To come.
Koala's rating & comment: Loved it - but I love slow, luscious films with layers and gorgeous scenery and wire-fu and dramatic, sweeping music. How can one resist Tony Leung and the alluring Maggie Cheung? Jet Li was good - great to see him back in a proper movie instead of his Hollywood crap. 9 out of 10.
Zeitgeist's rating & comment: Ok, some will tell you this film is slow and has no plot (I was embarrassingly unaware of the Chinese historical basis for it). I say their pacing is all wrong. This film is languid and meditative. The fight scenes are great and the whole film (as with all of Zhang Yimou's work) is just so much gorgeousness on screen. The chick fight in the autumn forest is just phenomenal to look at. 8 out of 10. Babe factor 6 out of 10 (for the sultry eyes of Tony Leung and the brief naked butt shot of Jet Li at the start).

High Crimes
Cat's rating and comment: Oh my goodness .. Ashley Judd discovers she doesn't know who her husband is (again!!). I suspect military justice is nothing like this but it made for an interesting film. It was quite suspenseful. 7 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Haven't seen it
Koala's rating & comment: Haven't seen it yet and may not as it has that angsty Jim Cavaziel guy in it.

Hockey Night (1984)
Koala's rating & comment: well I know this one is an oldie which no one owns anymore, but as a Megan Follows fan of old, I have always loved this story about Cathy Yarrow (Megan Follows) who moves to Parry Sound in Canada and tries to fit in. When there is no girl's ice hockey team, she joins the boy's team - causing complications. It also doesn't help that she falls for the dreamy, dark-eyed, long-lashed Spear Kozak (Yannick Bisson) - star player on the team who really should be focussing on getting into the NHL by the time he is 17 rather than falling for the alluring young goalie. Rick Moranis is in a surprisingly straight role of coach - which he does very well. Megan Follows is an excellent actress in this - rebellious and frustrated without being bratty, Bisson doesn't have a huge amount to do except look good and be a Canadian Sensitive New Age Athlete - but he's very good as well. Directed by Paul Shapiro, the movie makes Canada look very cold and somewhat bleak - but the performances are all warm and engaging. There was a time I would watch this movie every day before going to highschool, I just loved it so much. :) I think I knew all the lines. 9 out of 10. Click here for a more detailed discussion of the movie.

Hong Kong Cinema Ads
Cat's rating and comment: Haven't seen them.
Frog's rating and comment: Haven't seen them.
Koala's rating & comment: OK, I can cope with the "I now pronounce you man and movie" ad - except that it doesn't work. Not only do many HK people love to answer their phones during a movie, they like to actually TALK during the movie too. Besides, that ad stopped being funny after the first time I saw it. The Brother Bear eh? variation is quite cute, even though Zeitgeist thought it was lame. I cannot stand the Cityline ad with the two guys stranded on a desert island trying to book movie tickets. My all time pet hate - the FANCL house ads with the painfully thin, gorgeously sparkling but morally reprehensible Gigi Leung endorsing those profoundly toxic chemical products like Fenatty, Break and Burn, Tense Up and Slimfast. Where's a Therapeutic Goods Administration when you need one!??? As to the movie trailers "montage", I agree that they're a little bit dated. P just reminded me of that hideous "Madison's" ad ... with the breathy voice that sounds like it's advertising a porno movie or something ..... Madisons .... *gasp* .... ;)
P's comment: ."i don't want to write a review about those stupid ads."

The Hours
Cat's rating and comment: This is another weird Oscars thing .. how do you decide who was the lead and who was the support in this film .. I’m not saying that Ms Kidman didn’t deserve recognition because I thought it was a great performance .. but the structure makes her role the support and the other two the lead in my mind .. but you’re not allowed to have two leads of the same sex in a film it seems. I became very emotionally involved in this film, I got quite teary toward the end when Clare Danes gave Julianne Moore a hug. I liked the costuming and the contrast between the three time zones. I thought the performances were excellent (all of them!!). And I was nicely surprised by the plot points (I was starting to expect everyone to commit suicide) .. 8.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Very good, interesting, intriguing, now I have finally pulled Mrs
Dalloway off my bookshelf Three stories of three women who are seemingly going crazy and with the way it started with Virginia Wolf at the beginning going for a "swim" you had to wonder how would the other two end up. They all kept crying at really odd points and doing strange things but well I really don't want to spoil it but definetly a lovely film and as much as Nicole Kidman does a very good performance in this film, I don't see why she is main actress and the other two are supporting especially Julianne Moore who did a great part and Ed Harris was fantastic! 8 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: Haven't seen it. Looks a little earnest for me and my brains are currently mush.
Male's rating & comment (a.k.a. Darth Simious): I enjoyed this film but the intellectualised lesbianism began to pall, particularly when you found out that the Claire Daines character was artificially conceived, despite all of the Meryl Streep character's palaver about how much she loved the Ed Harris character when she was young
(obviously not quite enough) and that was the one, bright shining moment of happiness in her life (obviously her nice, bourgeois, flower-laden, antique-filled, artsy, gourmet yuppy food eating NY life since then must just have sucked). Anyway ... On the whole I liked it - it was intelligent and provocative with no one star dominating (which is a nice change, although Nicole Kidman was obviously supposed to be the drawcard). I thought Nicole Kidman was good (but the nose was better), but not nearly as good as Julianne Moore. A tasteful exploration of the awakening of her feelings done in dimly lit soft-focus may well have made this the hit of the year - with something for everyone. An opportunity missed. But the great unanswered question was ... did the Julianne Moore character properly seize the opportunity to flee the oppression of 1950s USA and enjoy the sapphic delights of Canada? ... or was being a neatly dressed librarian enough to satisfy her longings?

How to lose a guy in 10 days
Cat's rating and comment: Giggle giggle giggle. All the things you shouldn’t do when dating .. applied with a sledgehammer. And while it was obvious where this was going it was a nice journey. Kate Hudson & Matthew McConaughey worked well together & made a very attractive couple. I always enjoy the way that Hollywood makes gorgeous people seem just like the rest of us. 8 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Kate Hudson, so very like her mother, was just plain awful, well not her acting, her character. You had to feel sympathy for the guy because she was oh so very cruel and hurtful and the things she did!! I don't know, both selfish characters, wanting what they want, though she did it to help a
friend out rather than for a promotion but she needed it to keep her job. But she quits and becomes a "real" writer and they live happily every after. 6.5 out of 10.
Koala's rating & comment: I expected more from this - probably because it had "Don't dream it's over" as sung by Sixpence None the Richer in the trailer. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind cliches in romantic comedies - that's what they're made of, the "Everybody hurts" moment, the guy / girl running through traffic / the street to get to the true love .... but this movie felt really flat. I never really believed the chemistry and I felt like they were just going through the motions. Very disappointing. 5 out of 10.

The Honourable Wally Norman
Cat's rating and comment: Maybe I shouldn’t post my review for a month because we saw it on a preview. I loved this. It’s classic Australian humour, taking the piss out of our politicians and the underdog winning. Kevin Harrington was fab as the naïve Wally, thrown into an election for local member. The supporting cast includes Shaun Micallef & Allan Cassell (who played Harold in ‘SeaChange’) and are all pretty excellent. Lot’s of visual jokes so keep your eyes open for signs etc … 9 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: This was a great film and to top it off I saw it for free! ;) Lots of good laughs, lots of great Australian actors, making fun of Australian culture - most of all policians. 8.5 out of 10 (almost a 9)
Koala's rating & comment: Haven't seen it.

Hulk
Cat's rating and comment: to come, although Cat had this to say on the MSN discussion of Hulk: "I'm just waiting for Bernardo Bertolucci to remake superman now". It was a beautifully shot film. I liked the way the footage all flowed together … but ultimately I wasn’t there for beauty. This is a story about a guy who turns green when he gets pissed off. This is a story about a guy who slams his fist into things and is sort of the human equivalent of King Kong. So I’ll have to use two scales. 10 out of 10 for cinematography & special effects. 6 out of 10 for my overall rating. Not bad but not quite on the money.
Frog's rating and comment: to come. See the MSN discussion of Hulk in the interim.
Koala's rating & comment: Found parts of it great, as you'll see on the MSN discussion of Hulk, I thought Eric Bana's performance was excellent and the special effects were good. I read a review with which I agree which says that is more of a monster movie than a super hero movie - which may explain why the character of Betty was such a dewey-eyed, gooey-eyed girl who doesn't really do anything. Zeitgeist liked it more than I did - I feel bad because there was much I did like, but it was spoiled by the stupid stupid fight at the end, the annoying Paternal Conflict Syndrome and Betty's lack of layers (and no I don't mean that she didn't speak Mandarin, complex and simplified ;) 6 out of 10.
Pocket's rating and comment: haven't seen it yet.
Zeitgeist's rating and comment: I really enjoyed this film. Ang Lee is (with Soderbergh) one of the finest directors working in America. He took on a big ask with his film, and gosh darn it if he didn't just pull it off, too. Except for the end fight with "Super Nolte". Eric Bana was very good, as was Sam Elliot and Jennifer Connelly. I found Nick Nolte quite unsettling. It tackles big themes like emotional repression, family breakdown and the revisiting of the "sins of the fathers" and technological responsibility. Don't believe the negativity over the CGI Hulk. He looks great, verrry green <grin> and quite expressive in a whole body kind of way, not just facially. Not quite as good as (but very different to) Gollum in "Two Towers" (just goes to show how fantastic and important Andy Serkis was to the character of Gollum). Ang Lee uses primary colours well to reference the "four colour" comic world he is borrowing from and his use of split-screen, focus shifting and transitional shots is tour de force. I loved the classic film references: Frankenstein (actually I think "Bride of") and King Kong especially. The film struggles a little for emotional depth sometimes, given that all the characters (bar Nolte) are so buttoned down and the ending is a little silly, but overall a really good film. 8 out of 10. Babe factor 7 out of 10 (I think Eric Bana is cute).
P's rating and comment: to come.

I Am Sam
Cat's rating and comment: I admit I had a tear in my eye when we finished watching this film. It’s a bit of a tearjerker but it has a happy ending. Sean Penn is great as the disabled dad fighting to keep custody of his daughter. And I’ve always had a soft spot for Michelle Pfeiffer. 8.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Very very sad and sweet and lovely and I cried (so did Cat and Jati!) The relationship between father and daughter was so bittersweet, since she found out through interractions with outsiders that her father was not normal and well that hurt their relationship but their struggle to stay together and be together and well it was lovely. 8 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: haven't seen it - but I own the DVD.

Ice Age
Cat's rating and comment: I thought it was really cute. Loved the characters (particularly the Mammoth). The animation was great and the story was lovely. 8 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: This is a very cute funny film. I liked it alot and part of me liked it a little bit more then Shrek cause there was not the silly toilet humour of Shrek. (Don't get me wrong I thought Shrek very good and funny just some bits not as enjoyable) Very enjoyable funny film. All about bonding and mateship and all that. Very sweet and silly. 7 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: I liked this better than Shrek and while Monsters Inc had a few moments that were funnier overall - I found Ice Age more consistent and absorbing. Great prehistoric 'road' movie. 6 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: Entertaining, although I do worry with animated films that sooner or later they're going to lose their appeal. This one definitely had it's moments and was quite watchable from beginning to end - John Legzuizamo was great as always as the comical element to Ray Romano's dry wit. Dennis Leary..well ... animated or not plays himself, but at least he doesn't go on crazy neurotic tangents. The baby of course is the cute element, with the weird looking rat thing as the main side comical element of the piece.. I enjoyed it, but not immensely. 7.5/10.

Identity
Cat's rating and comment: Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock eat your heart out. Very creepy, and I love those scenes where someone gets killed and the entire cast appear from different directions. A really good cast working together brilliantly. Nicely cut together to keep you guessing ‘til the end. 9.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Not bad as I feared, thought it was going to be much much more scary and horrible. The baseball bat scene was yucky but most of the deaths, well actually all the deaths took place off-screen and you only saw the aftermaths. Could guess /some/ stuff but didn't predict the ending, that was a twist, interesting. Covered my eyes in some parts in expectation of what was going to happen but not too bad. 6/10
Koala's rating & comment: haven't seen it.

Importance of Being Earnest
Cat's rating and comment: Rupert Everett is fabulous again!! It’s a silly romantic comedy full of mistaken identity and deceit. Of course you know how it’s going to end but that’s part of the fun of these sort of films. It isn’t brain surgery but it’s a fun romp .. 8 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: All I knew of these plays were the famous quotes - "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train." etc, lots of fun and it's amazing they don't twig before but very very fun and of Rupert Everett gorgeous as ever and Reese Witherspoon a darling! 8 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment:to come.
Pocket's rating & comment: Translating great plays into movies sometimes can work... and sometimes...can not. Problem with this film is the same thing "The Crucible" suffered from - has a great cast and tells the story, but a lot of the depth of the play is lost. Screenwriting is a tricky business - Something JK Rowling should realise - that different media require different elements to succeed. Watchable and entertaining - Rupert Everert was great, in fact all the actors did a great job, it was just the execution was flat and you're better off catching a local theatre company's interpretation than this film if you want to really appreciate Wilde's work. 6.5 out of 10

Infernal Affairs
Cat's rating and comment: Without telling you all what happens ….. waaaauuuugggghhhh about the ending. But I still loved it. Excellent cast (as Koala would say … ‘Tony Leung has such soulful eyes’). Interesting set-up: Mob-man & cop sent undercover in each other’s organisations for ten years and begin to lose track of who they really are. It had a great atmosphere, I got totally involved in the whole world. You know it’s a good film if you forget you’re reading the sub-titles. 9 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Great film, though the alternative ending, well I was hoping (block your eyes anyone who hasn't seen it) the other guy died and so it was alternative that way. Caught up in it, very suspenseful though I was a little confused at the beginning. 8 out of 10.
Koala's rating & comment: Really enjoyed it - shot in HK with cool scenes of the city and the 10,000 Buddha Monastery. Tony Leung and Andy Lau were great, the guy who played Sam and the inspector were also fab and it was edgy and suspenseful. Edison Chan looks like a bit of a cutie. Click here for a transcript of the MSN discussion with Pocket. WARNING: Massive spoilers. 9 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: Awesome stuff - a great storyline and fierce action sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat. As with a lot of these films the female element is normally just there for.. no real apparent reason (eye candy perhaps?)but the film is a very slick well crafted piece of cinema. Good to see awesome action movies from other parts of the world. 9 out of 10
Zeitgeist's rating and comment: Gripping film. Terrific acting from the two leads (Tony Leung and Andy Chau) as well as the guys who played Sam (the bad guy) and the Inspector (MFD). Complicated but cool plot and premise. The underlying themes about environment¡¦s capacity to change our innate selves was interesting too. No surprise that Hollywood has picked up the rights to make a Western version of this. It was also cool to see Hong Kong on screen. One caveat, other that to get ¡§prominent female canto-pop star in the film¡¨, the psychiatrist subplot was entirely pointless. 8 out of 10. Babe factor 6 out of 10 for an appropriately scruffy Tony Leung).

Infernal Affairs 2
Cat's rating and comment: to come.
Frog's rating and comment: to come.
Koala's rating & comment: Very good - I was expecting to HATE it but it was a very clever prequel to the original which didn't treat the audience like gullible idiots. Edison looks sexily haunting, Shawn Yue turned in a performance which did does not betray Tony Leung's brilliance and the performances by the actors who play Sam and Inspector Wong respectively were wonderful. Is it just me or does Carina Lau kind of look like a fraggle??? 9 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: haven't seen it yet.
Zeitgeist's rating and comment: haven't seen it yet.
P's rating and comment: to come.

Infernal Affairs 3
Cat's rating and comment: to come.
Frog's rating and comment: to come.
Koala's rating & comment: Quite good although not as good as the first two. I have a real soft spot for Chen Dao Ming's amazing Mandarin though ... it's just so .... crisp and Mandariny sounding :) He was very much underused. Lots of Tony Leung which is always a good thing, Andy Lau wasn't bad, Leon Lai (Oh oh, he was born in Beijing) didn't really have much to do at all except look smug and wear JT Walsh-esque glasses. In terms of tying the three together, I thought it did it rather well, although the movie was rather overly ambitious. 7 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: haven't seen it yet.
Zeitgeist's rating and comment: haven't seen it yet.
P's rating and comment: to come.

Insomnia
Cat's rating and comment: Often films lose something when they're translated to American and it would be nice to compare this to the original. It played very well though. I liked the cast and the look of it. It was one of those films that really drags you into its own world. I was dying for Al Pacino to lie down and sleep toward the end of this. 9 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: It just seemed to drag and I was dying for Al Pacino to just GO TO SLEEP!!!! Robin Williams - he was good, weird but good which he was supposed to be, sucha change not to see his comedic skills and he is a good dramatic actor. 6 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: haven't seen it.

In the Mood for Love
Cat's rating and comment: Haven't seen it
Frog's rating and comment: Haven't seen it
Koala's rating & comment: What a gorgeous, richly textured and deliciously alluring movie. It's so aloof and seductive with the deep colours, wonderful music and lashings of unresolved sexual tension. Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung are amazing in this movie and the music is to die for. OK, I'm gushing. 8.5 out of 10.

Intolerable Cruelty
Cat's rating and comment:to come.
Frog's rating and comment: to come.
Koala's rating & comment: I enjoyed this although I didn't kill myself laughing. Wheezy Joe was a classic ... but most of the gaglines were in the trailer and both main characters were thoroughly unlikeable. I've seen the witty banter done better - although this movie was better than most. 7 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: to come.

I SPY
Cat's rating and comment: I was hoping this would be funnier. The first half dragged a little, even though it had funny elements. The second half on the other hand, moved along and had us chuckling away. Owen Wilson was being Owen Wilson again (much the same character as in 'Shanghai Noon') which is usually enjoyable. Eddie Murphy was being Eddie Murphy again .. which sometimes wears thin but was fun in this instance. 5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Actually much better than I expected. I thought typical stupid film and the beginning I kept thinking this, it took a while to get started and most of the jokes seemed to have been used up on the trailer but then I really got into it and it was lots of fun. I enjoyed Owen Wilson, so intense and stupid. Eddie Murphy better than he has been in recent times though still playing Eddie Murphy. 6 out of 10.
Koala's rating & comment: haven't seen it. Probably won't because the trailer only made me laugh once - the sock comment.

The Italian Job
Cat's rating and comment: Very cool. Minis aren’t very mini these days they look more like a Honda Civic. But I digress. I know this is a remake but I still enjoyed it. Rather enjoyed the cast particularly the support cast like Seth Green & Jason Stratham. The car chase was good, the safecracking was good (I don’t want to know about the accuracy). My only complaint is Edward Norton that the cable company would turn up so quickly!! 7.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: Good, thrilling, heist movie. Sucks you in - thieves who don't kill. Bad guys steals from the thieves and introduces the killing. Great thrilling boat and car chases. Go and see. 8 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: I enjoyed this. Shades of Ocean's Eleven but stylish and fun. The acting between Mark Wahlburg and Charlize Theron was a little wooden at times and Edward Norton looked like a scrawny pimpy version of Sean Penn, but hey. Is it me or does Mark Wahlburg look vaguely constipated when he is trying to emote ...? 7 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: to come.

It's a guy thing
Cat's rating and comment: to come.
Frog's rating and comment: Average, amusing in parts, mostly but not all toilet humour which is a plus. That gets very boring but very silly slapstick kind of stuff. The development of the relationship between Jason Lee and Julia Stiles could have been explored a bit more. He sleeps with her and then suddenly is willing to give up all for her, they have developed this great relationship but you really don't see it. He it was obvious that he was not suited to Selma Blair's character, the different family stuff, she being rich and buys his clothes. His mother lives with her boyfriend/second husband in a trailer. Doomed to failure also when he works for his fiance's father. 4/10
Koala's rating & comment: Haven't seen it.
Pocket's rating & comment: Haven't seen it.

James Bond: Die Another Day
Cat's rating and comment: Have I reviewed a Bond film on this page already? I'm a bit of a fan so if I did I probably said it was wonderful. I guess Bond is getting sillier and sillier .. I'm sure you couldn't start a helicopter if it were really in freefall .. and he looked pretty healthy for someone who had been tortured for 18 months but the references to previous Bond classics were fun. There was press about the tribute to Ursula Andress' bikini but I also liked the Union Jack parachute a la 'The Spy Who Loved Me' .. I'm sure I missed quite a few of the nods so I'll have to see it again some time. 8 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: haven't seen it.
Koala's rating & comment: Admittedly I'm not a huge James Bond fan but I can enjoy a Bond movie but the last one I really enjoyed was "Tomorrow never dies" with Michelle Yeoh. Since then, I've found them lacklustre and just a little bit boring. I agree with Pocket's belief that James Bond movies have gone past their expiry date. In the old days we needed them for action, escapism, politically incorrect humour and chase sequences with lots of explosions - these days, other movies can do all of this and better. Pierce Brosnan is just too bland for my liking even though he was so adorable in Remington Steele. Halle Berry was boring and while I gather she was striving for 'perky', she came across as annoying more than anything else and extremely unconvincing as an action goddess. She is also no Ursula Andress so I can only thank my lucky stars that she wasn't singing "Under the mango tree" when she emerged photogenically from the water in a bikini with a knife at her belt. She was better here than in Swordfish though although that is really not saying anything. The girl who played Miranda Frost clearly thought that being an icy snow queen requires mimicking the mannerisms of a block of wood. Yawn. That being said, I rather liked the guy who played Gustave Graves. What a waste of Rick Yune who I thought was extremely appealing in "Snow falling on cedars". That's right, let's get a gorgeous guy and make him incredibly ugly - and stupid to boot. Only plusses were the fleeting shots of the HK skyline. 6 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: There is a very sad but brutal tale to come from this movie, and that is Bond has no place in this day and age. They'd be better off setting them off back in the 60's and keeping them 'hip' with Bond being the original swinger. Bond used to be the epitome of action movie goodness, now he's just looking stale. Not sure whether to maintain the politcally incorrect hedonistic themes, or the modern politically correct trends of current flicks, this movie ends up failing on so many avenues and pisses everyone off. Even the gadgets are ridiculous and not in a good way - they use Ericsson mobile phones that your average teenaged drug dealer would scoff at; next thing you know Bond will run out of prepaid credit!!! Product placement is rampant everywhere with this latest installment. It's NOT Pierce Brosnan's fault - everything is wrong with this film, I could blame it on the casting director's taste in bringing in a very weak Halle Berry who looks like she's obviously wielding a Prop rather than a real weopon; very unbelievable as a secret agent and the flirty banter between her and Bond is painful. The writer's choice of setting it in Korea??? And the characters...Miranda Frost - WTF is her caper? She's useless and wears inappropriate gear and you just KNOW she's there so there can be a "oh-look-two-chicks-fighting" scene at the end. It's also hard to find decent bad guys these days - the whole "taking over the world" theme is getting stale as well and Gustav Graves just never quite looks as good as he does in the poster hanging up in the foyers of Hoyts. Sheesh. 6 out of 10

Johnny English
Cat's rating and comment: to come.
Koala's rating & comment: Funnier than I expected. I agree that some of the sequences were very gross but I laughed more than I expected. 6.5 out of 10.
Frog's rating & comment: A typical spy film spoof.. I mean stupid man manages to bungle through it and stumble across questions and answers... I mean nothing wrong with typical spy film spoofs Not a big fan of Rowan Atkinson but this was a very amusing film, made me laugh out loud. Some stuff gross and not worth mentioning. Lots of fun silly gadgets. 7 out of 10
Pocket's rating & comment: haven't seen it.

Josie and the Pussycats
Cat's rating and comment: I can’t trash this film completely because I liked the look of it … but it’s not the most intellectual offering of the year. Female rock band is ‘discovered’ and used to manipulate teens … well at least the plot makes sense. And pink really IS the new red. 4 out of 10.
Frog's rating and comment: This film was on "The List" but fell off it and glad I was when I
finally saw it on video. De Jour were great, I always love Seth Green, I would almost see Austin Powers for him (almost) Disappointed in Parker Posey, always liked her from Party Girl and You've got mail and this was pretty well the only word for this film is SHOCKING! 3 out of 10
Koala's rating & comment: Oh my God - what was this? Only redeeming features - video clips with Du Jour, the hilariously spot on spoof of Boy Band clips and boy bands generally. This was a bad movie - the acting was bad, the singing was bad, the story was bad - although both Cat and Frog have pointed out that Parker Posey was much better in Party Girl - I remain unconvinced as have not yet seen that movie. 3 out of 10.
Pocket's rating & comment: To come

Jurassic Park II
Cat's rating and comment: More of the same and a jolly good romp. Felt shorter than the first one though .. missing something but it was nice to have Sam Neill back in the lead. 5.5 out of 10
Frog's rating and comment: haven't seen it, probably won't.
Koala's rating & comment: Who the hell goes hang gliding on an island inhabited by murderous dinosaurs? Entertaining, suspenseful and I'm glad they didn't kill off my favourite character. Lots of reliance on Dinosaur Dropping jokes though ..... 6 out of 10.

Kate and Leopold
Cat's rating and comment: Ok