The Daily Planet Review Section

QUICKIES

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Why? Who was calling out for a further movie? Yes, I get and appreciate the move from Nazi's to the Russians as well as the move from Judeo-Christian "macguffin" to the 50's sci-fi "macguffin". But: the CGI, the fact that Ford has never looked older, the complete pointless of Winstone's character (which is a waste of a decent thesp) and Shia "I lack any onscreen presence" LaBeouf. However, the film doesn't suffer from having fine turns from John Hurt and Cate Blanchett. Plus it is bloody wonderful seeing Karen Allen. Final Rating: 2/5

The Losers - This is the film the A-Team wished it was. Likable characters, a decent and at times witty script, a good cast and some fine action set pieces. The stand out is Jason Patric who is clearly revelling in being the big bad of the movie. Final Rating: 3/5

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - So much to hate about this movie, so much. However (yup there was always a "however" or a "but" coming...), this is a fairly enjoyable movie. Costner has made better films (Untouchables, Dances with Wolves, Field of Dreams), the geography of the UK is all over the place, Robin and Will have distinct American accents, and there is absolutely no chemistry between Costner and Mastrantonio (which is not Costner's fault given she lacks any kind of screen presence at all). Much like Die Hard, this film belongs to Alan Rickman. Saying that, the ever reliable Morgan Freeman turns in a top quality performance. Final Rating: 3/5

Alien - Rewatched in the wake of Prometheus, Alien is not as boring as I remember from the first time around. It is, hands down, a better movie than Prometheus. It is a wonderfully claustrophobic thriller that blends the sci-fi and horror genre. The true star (though Weaver was a superb discovery by Scott) is the Xenomorph, a thing of true beauty. Giger and Scott created one of the genuinely great movie monsters of all time. Final Rating: 3/5

Superman Vs The Elite - It's the animation, to be honest. I cannot stand Superman's chin. Awful. Beyond that, Joe Kelly does a fine job of adapting his Action #775 tale (which is one of the 5 best Superman stories ever). Pauley Perrette is criminally under utilised, turning in one of the better Lois Lane performances. I have to say, though, it is incredibly weird, and borderline wrong, hearing Superman use the word "wanker"... Final Rating: 3/5