Reviews News: New Rating System

I've decided to give the rating system a revamp.

Instead of the % ratings there will be six categories, these are:

ESSENTIAL - A book or movie that must be experienced.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - Very good but lacking that special something to make it essential.

GOOD - Something that's pretty decent but has faults.

DODGY - A story that isn't up to scratch but may appeal to some people.

POOR - Nothing much to recommend for anything that falls into this category.

ABANDONED - This is for anything so bad that I can't endure the entire thing.

I don't intend to change any previous ratings but might if I have the time or the inclination so in general this system will start with the next review.

Hopefully this makes the ratings a bit clearer, let me know what you think.

Film: The Muppets

Brothers Gary (Jason Segel) and Walter (a muppet) are inseperable so when Gary decides to take his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) on a trip to Hollywood Walter tags along, determined to visit the legendary Muppet Theatre.

They find a ruined theatre about to be demolished by oil baron Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) and decide to track down Kermit The Frog who sets about assembling the old gang to stage a show that will raise the ten million dollars required to save the theatre.

This is the first Muppet movie I've seen since Christmas Carol and the characters have lost none of their appeal. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie and the rest of the muppets are in fine form, especially the crazy drummer Animal who steals every scene that he's in.

Segel, Adams and Cooper all look like they are having great fun too and there are appearances by Jack Black, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Alan Arkin, Whoopi Goldberg and Mickey Rooney.

It's more of a nostalgia trip than a riotous comedy and I did have to look past the song & dance numbers but this is still a nice film that shows the incredible staying power of these characters.

If you fondly remember The Muppet Show you'll enjoy it and a new generation of youngsters will be singing "It's time to play the music....it's time to light the lights".

The Muppets is in cinemas now.

Ric's Rating: 72%

Film: The Horseman

A grieving Father decides to hunt down those involved in his daughter’s drug related death in this brutal 2008 drama from Australia, which caused quite a stir on it’s release due to the graphic nature of the violence on-screen.

After viewing a sex tape featuring his daughter Christian (Peter Marshall) systematically tracks, traps and tortures all those implicated in it’s production and distribution. Along the way he picks up a teenage hitchhiker struggling with her own issues.

The carnage is interspersed with memories of Christian’s introduction to Fatherhood, moving moments show the Father and toddler daughter playing in their garden but unfortunately these tender scenes are too few and far between.

The film suffers by concentrating on the terrible vengeance wreaked on the bad guys, It could have been an altogether different story had it made more of the powerful emotions involved.

Overall this is still a decent tale of revenge but the final third gets a bit silly when we see a battered and broken Christian still managing to fight off the villains and escape all manner of dangerous situations.

The Horseman is widely available on DVD and various movie channels etc.

Ric’s Rating: 68%

Book: Blood Tears by Michael J Malone

Glasgow Detective Ray McBain discovers a link to his own past while investigating the murder of a retired caretaker. Determined to catch the killer he keeps his own connection to the victim a secret. Unfortunately superior officers are soon made aware of this and the man doing the investigating finds himself locked up for the murder. Desperate to prove his innocence, McBain escapes and turns to an old friend on the opposite side of the law for help.

McBain is a fascinating character, haunted by a harsh upbringing and latent memories, he has risen to the top of his chosen profession, only to see the accolades of many successes slip away. But is he entirely innocent?
There is an eclectic supporting cast which includes career criminals, conflicted cops, and an old shrew of a Nun, all of whom help or hinder McBain in his quest.

Michael J Malone’s debut crime thriller features the controversial issue of child abuse within the Catholic Church but skilfully manages to avoid over-burdening the reader with a sense of gloom. The energetic pace helps the tale remain entertaining throughout and my home city is thankfully represented positively. The thoughtful descriptions of it’s sprawling Necropolis being a highlight.

A cool new voice in the increasingly popular Scottish crime fiction genre, Malone deserves a place alongside the likes of Stuart MacBride, Alex Grey and Ian Rankin.

Blood Tears is due for release in June 2012 from Five Leaves Publishing and you can visit Michael’s blog, May Contain Nuts, via the link in the “Visit These Places” section on this page.

Ric’s Rating: 82%

Film: Hostel Part III

The latest instalment of the kidnap & torture franchise cleverly switches the action to Las Vegas as we join a bunch of guys on a Stag weekend.

Lured by beautiful women they head off to the seedier parts of town and soon find themselves bundled into the back of a van before waking up in huge cages.
They are then selected one by one to be the star attraction in a gruesome show staged by the Elite Hunting Club.

Although this clearly doesn’t have the budget of the first two films it’s slightly better than the lacklustre part 2. The Las Vegas setting adds impetus to events and a cool twist towards the end helps maintain interest.

While it isn’t anywhere close to the fantastic original this does manage to entertain fans of the series.

Hostel Part III is available on DVD now.

Ric’s Rating: 62%

Film: The Grey

Liam Neeson (Taken) leads a group of plane crash survivors on a journey for survival across a frozen wilderness with a pack of hungry wolves in pursuit.

The survivors are all members of an oil drilling crew, men on the fringes of society with their own reasons for spending so much time away from home.

Providing the perfect blend of emotion and excitement this adventure movie features some strong performances. Neeson is as reliable as ever and excellent support comes from Frank Grillo (Warrior) and Dermot Mulroney (Young Guns). The men struggle to get along while traversing the hazardous terrain but must learn to work together if they are to survive.

They don't all make it, there are some jump-out-your-skin deaths and some very moving moments, all of which combine to make this the first must-see movie of 2012.

The Grey is in UK cinemas now.

Ric's Rating: 88%

Film: Straw Dogs

This remake of the notorious 1971 Dustin Hoffman film casts X-Men’s James Marsden in the lead with notable support from Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgard and James Woods. TV favourites Dominic Purcell (Prison Break) and Walton Goggins (The Shield, Justified) also feature.

David Sumner (Marsden) and his wife Amy (Bosworth) decide to return to her hometown, a tranquil setting that should be conducive to David’s writing.
They soon hire a group of locals to repair their barn and tension quickly builds, leading to a sexual assault on Amy.

I haven’t seen the 1971 version but because of it’s reputation I was expecting something more visceral than what’s on show here. The attack on Amy is very unpleasant but it lacks the power required for this type of scene to suitably shock. Subsequent events also seem somewhat anti-climactic.

There are some nice performances, especially from James Woods, but for a controversial rape / revenge drama check out the recent remake of I Spit On Your Grave (see review elsewhere here).

Ric’s Rating: 45%

Film: Before The Fall

In wartime Germany a promising young boxer leaves his family (and the prospect of a mundane job) behind when he is lured to a school for The Elite.

Freiderich soon makes both friends and foes in the competitive environment but the boys soon learn that the reason they are there is far more serious than spying on girls and boxing matches.

This German film is no action packed war movie as the cover may suggest. It’s a thoughtful coming of age tale that takes place during one of the darkest times in recent history.

It takes a while to get going but once the petty rivalries make way for really disturbing issues this becomes a captivating film that presents a WWII story that (to my knowledge) hasn’t previously made it onto our screens.

Before The Fall is available on DVD in the UK now.

Ric’s Rating: 68%

Film: The Sitter

Jonah Hill (Superbad, Cyrus) proves that he's a more than capable leading man in this comedy that mixes Adventures In Babysitting (aka A Night On The Town) with American Pie.

Noah Griffith (Hill) agrees to look after the children of his Mother's friend while the "oldies" are out for the evening but, as expected, chaos ensues.

Griffith agrees to pick up his girlfriend from a party and obtain drugs from the local dealer, all with the kids in tow. The group then find themselves chased by gangsters and caught up in many awkward situations.

Corny and predictable but often hilarious this will appeal to fans of Horrible Bosses and The Hangover. Hill is great as the down-trodden Griffith and he manages to make the character likable.

Ric's Rating: 70%

Book: Finders Keepers by Belinda Bauer

Children are vanishing in the town of Shipcott and local Policeman Jonas Holly vows to save them, even though he’s just returned to his job following a personal tragedy.

Belinda Bauer’s third novel returns to the community featured in the previous books and Steven Lamb, the kid from Blacklands, once again takes centre stage.

Lamb knows some of the missing children but he is reluctant to trust the local policeman and even conveys those fears to the city cops brought in to solve the case. Meanwhile he is experiencing his first love and inside he knows that he is slowly becoming a man so feels that he must stand up for his beliefs.

Will Steven once again triumph in the face of extreme adversity?

This is another excellent yarn from the CWA Gold Dagger award winning author. She has created a sleepy little town that harbours many dark secrets and features some fantastic characters. From the wonderfully complicated Holly and the determined teenager Steven, the insecure DI Reynolds and his colleagues, each character is fully rounded enriching the overall feel of the tale.

To fully enjoy this I’d recommend that you read the previous books, Blacklands and Darkside (see reviews elsewhere here), especially Darkside as it’s essential to understand Jonas Holly. The small town policeman is one of the best characters in recent crime fiction, tortured but no stereotypical alky, he seems to understand the perpetrator of the crime while retaining an air of menace himself.

Captivating, realistic and poignant, I can’t wait for my next visit to Shipcott.

If you haven’t read Bauer then what are you waiting for?

Ric’s Rating: 89%