Film: Pixels

Aliens are invading and this time they are in the form of classic 80s arcade games.

At this time of desperate need it's lucky that the US President (Kevin James) just happens to be best friends with 80s video game ace Brenner (Adam Sandler).

Brenner recruits his old friend "The Wonderkid" and even reaches out to old adversary Eddie "Fireblaster" (Peter Dinklage) when the soldiers provided fail to have the necessary gaming skill.

For anyone who grew up visiting arcades then this is an absolute treat. Seeing old favourites like Galaga, Centipede and Pac-Man marauding around the big screen is great fun.

Pixels has had lots of bad reviews but I suspect that those delivering them never experienced the sheer joy of achieving the high score on a proper arcade game in a real arcade. Too bad for them.

Ric's Rating: Highly Recommended

Film: Big Bad Wolves

A meek schoolteacher emerges as the main suspect in a series of grisly child murders in this black comedy from Israel.

Following a run-in with local police the schoolteacher is freed and the cop on the case finds himself suspended. Convinced he has the right man the cop decides to kidnap the suspect but soon has to co-operate with the Father of a murdered girl who is out for revenge.

The duo take the suspect to a remote house for interrogation but things don’t go as planned when the grieving Father becomes the subject of his own elderly parents’ attention.

This film features the harrowing subject of child abduction and murder but amazingly manages to be hilarious at the same time, without detracting from the serious nature of the issue. The introduction of the Grandad adds much to the comedy element, bringing real-life family dynamics into a potentially lethal situation.

Funny and disturbing in equal measures, it’s easy to see why Big Bad Wolves was called the film of 2013 by none other than Quinten Tarantino and a US remake is no doubt inevitable.

Do yourself a favour and see the original before that happens.

Big Bad Wolves is available on DVD in the UK from 28^th April 2014.

Ric’s Rating: Essential.    

Film: Sightseers

A socially awkward couple head off on a caravan tour of England in this offbeat British black comedy from 2012.

Still grieving the loss of her pet dog, Tina (Alice Lowe) agrees to let new boyfriend Chris (Steve Oram) take her on a meticulously planned caravan holiday. The plans soon change when the duo encounter a number of other travellers with murderous consequences.

There are some moments of humour in this otherwise dreary tale which only springs to life with the odd explosion of violence or totally inappropriate comment. Unfortunately it falls into the trap of not being funny enough to be a good comedy or serious enough to make a decent crime ridden road trip romp.

Lowe and Oram are good enough to hold the viewers attention but even their best efforts can’t elevate this above mediocrity.

Ric’s Rating: Dodgy. 

Film: Filth

Irvine Welsh’s popular novel finally makes it to the big screen and James McAvoy (Wanted) takes the lead as corrupt Edinburgh cop Bruce Robertson.

Robertson has his sights set on promotion and sets about eliminating the competition while attempting to solve a tricky murder case.

Along the way he uses and abuses pretty much everyone he meets. There’s the hapless millionaire (Eddie Marsan), the colleague’s wife (Kate Dickie) and the rookie detective (Jamie Bell).

Each are treated harshly and the story often veers off in odd directions before we get to the unexpected finale.

Tragic, funny and repulsive in equal parts Filth is a film that won’t appeal to everyone but fans of the book, and Welsh’s previous hit Trainspotting, will love it.

Filth is in UK cinemas now.

Ric’s Rating: Good.

Film: We're The Millers

When a small time drug dealer agrees to bring a shipment back from Mexico he thinks the perfect cover is to be a family man, so he recruits oddball friends and neighbours to play his fictitious brood.

Along the way they encounter another travelling family while also trying to evade a rival dealer and deliver the drugs on time.

The entire cast look like they’re having fun and it comes across on screen. Jason Sudeikis (Horrible Bosses) is great as the downtrodden pot dealer Dave and Jennifer Aniston delivers another hilarious and sexy  turn as stripper Rose, who has to convince everyone that she’s the perfect Mother. The pretend kids of the family are the hapless Kenny (Will Poulter) and streetwise Casey (Emma Roberts).

There are plenty of laughs here with Poulter especially giving a show-stealing performance, look out for the spider scene!

Without doubt the best comedy of the year so far.

We’re The Millers is in cinemas now.

Ric’s Rating: Essential    

Film: Hamlet 2

Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge) is failed actor turned drama teacher Dana Marschz in this 2008 comedy.

When a group of delinquents join the class Marschz must use his awkward street-smarts to help the troubled youths express some creativity, but following a string of critically savaged plays the school decides to close the drama department leaving the teacher to ponder his (and his students’) future.

Is producing a sequel to one of the world’s best loved plays the answer?

American audiences unfamiliar with Coogan’s brand of humour didn’t take to this film but it isn’t as bad as you might expect. Marschz’s life is in tatters as his job and personal life fall apart and Coogan performs adequately in the role, even delivering some very funny physical comedy moments.

Elisabeth Shue (Cocktail, The Karate kid) pops up as a parody of herself and her inclusion also brings from the star-struck Marschz.

Unfortunately the films climax (the performance of Hamlet 2) detracts from the comedy on offer and contains very few laughs itself, ensuring that Coogan follows in the footsteps of British comedians such as Rik Mayall (Drop Dead Fred) and Lenny Henry (True Identity) who also have a Hollywood flop in their CVs.

Ric’s Rating: Dodgy. 

Film: Movie 43

Three teenagers trawl the internet for the elusive Movie 43 and in the process discover a plethora of weird videos.

The film takes place entirely in the boys bedroom with all the videos featured being viewed on-line. The sketches include Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman on a blind date, a young couple attempting to share a “special” moment and Halle Berry and Stephen Merchant playing a game of Truth or Dare that knows no bounds.

Despite boasting a star-studded cast this was universally panned on its release and it’s easy to see why. Most of the jokes are either in bad taste or very offensive but what has to be pointed out is…….some of them are funny.

I won’t spoil what the sketches are about but the word “gross” just doesn't seem to cut it here. There were quite a few times when I was either uncomfortable or about to switch off but then something pretty funny would happen to ease the tension.

Movie 43 is definitely not for everyone but if you can imagine some of the funny but borderline sick videos available on-line then you should be able to handle it.

Available on DVD and Blu-ray now.

Ric’s Rating: Dodgy       

Short Film: Unarmed Robbery

First up from IndieFlix is a short film which presents the scenario of a one-armed man robbing a late-night store.

At only six minutes long this is basically a comedy sketch and it would work well in a suitable tv show.

The clerk and robber are both excellent as the former can’t take his eyes off the latter’s stump. This distracts the robber from his purpose and he then proceeds to show how he can commit a robbery just as well as any two-armed bandit.

Unarmed Robbery is very funny and it may have helped open my eyes to the whole short-film genre.

Find it at www.indieflix.com

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.

   

Film: Project X

With his parents out of town for the weekend high school nerd Thomas decides (with the help of his two friends) to have a birthday party. The trio see this as the perfect opportunity to boost their popularity but things soon spiral out of control.

When the party kicks off this black comedy has many scenes of drink and drug induced debauchery. The stunts involving the family’s pet dog are particularly distasteful but thankfully they stop short of being offensive.

This is short on laughs until the totally over the top finale but manages to remain entertaining throughout as the three losers strive to attain reverence and get the girls.

Ric’s Rating: Good  

Film: Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger

With Martin Freeman away being Bilbo Baggins it’s up to new teacher David Tennant (Fright Night) to take over the unruly schoolchildren of St Bernadette’s and lead them to Wales, where they will compete in the TV competition A Song For Christmas.

Marc Wootton returns as the zany Mr Poppy, as does the majority of the original cast, including most of the children. Tennant, while adequate in his dual roles, is never as likable as Freeman was and his dysfunctional family storyline fails to engage.

This is ok for kids but lacks the charm of the original making it a rather mundane affair.

Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger is in UK cinemas now.

Ric’s Rating: Dodgy           

Film: License To Drive

The late Corey Haim and his on & off screen friend Corey Feldman star in this 1988 comedy which gets a UK DVD release courtesy of Second Sight.

Les (Haim) sees his driving licence as a ticket to freedom so he is devastated when he fails the test. Such is his shame that he can’t admit the failure and soon decides to go a night out driving to impress his friends and the gorgeous Mercedes (Heather Graham).

What could possibly go wrong?

I had fond memories of this one as I was a fan of the two Coreys and despite a shaky start it manages to retain much of its charm.

Haim is great as the underachieving Les and Feldman provides good support along with Richard Masur and Carol Kane as Les’ parents.

For good nostalgic fun and a few laugh out loud moments check it out.

License To Drive is available on DVD in the UK from 30^th July 2012.

Ric’s Rating: Good  

Film: The Angels' Share

A group of low level criminals embark on their sentence of “community payback” in this Glasgow comedy from veteran director Ken Loach.

Robbie (Paul Brannigan) is a new Dad and desperate to leave his troubled past behind but circumstances and rivals often drag him back into criminal activity. While carrying out his community payback the group foreman (John Henshaw) introduces Robbie to whisky and he quickly learns of a very valuable cask that’s about to be sold. With the help of his friends he sets out to acquire some of the whisky in an attempt to make some quick money.

The first quarter of the film has the typical depressing feel of many films set in Glasgow but thankfully the tone shifts and we are treated to a hilarious caper comedy. Writer Paul Laverty has perfectly captured the language used by many in the city to hilarious effect but it’s strictly for those not easily offended.

Début actor Paul Brannigan is fantastic in the leading role, he handles the serious side of the character of Robbie perfectly and also excels when the laughs kick in. Excellent support comes from John Henshaw and the rest of the cast are brilliant too.

Sadly the films strength may also be its weakness. It is such a very Scottish tale that it might not travel well. That being said this is undoubtedly the best Scottish comedy since Gregory’s Girl and bears many similarities to that films predecessor, That Sinking Feeling.

The Angel’s Share is in UK cinemas now.

Ric’s Rating: Essential.    

Film: Grown Ups

Following the death of their school basketball coach the team members re-unite for a break in the country, but lots has changed since they were kids. Families in tow the group take on various endeavours and even run into their old rivals.

Adam Sandler heads the cast which is a veritable who’s who of comedy. Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and David Spade are the other team members.

The humour here is all slapstick and there are loads of laugh-out-loud moments, like when the portly Kevin James attempts to climb out a garden swimming pool. Steve Buscemi also pops up and has a show stealing moment when he takes on a tricky stunt.

Cheesy as hell but great fun, Grown Ups combines laughs with a coming of age tale of friendship and the importance of taking time out from a hectic lifestyle.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.         

Film: The Dilemma

When Ronnie Valentine (Vince Vaughn) spots his best friend’s wife with another man he faces an awkward social quandary. Does he tell his friend (Kevin James) about it or wait until after their important business deal?

With Ron Howard (Cocoon, Happy Days) directing this was never going to be a slapstick comedy. It’s more of a humorous take on a very uncomfortable situation and as usual Howard found a part for his oddball brother Clint, who was the child star of Gentle Ben.

Vaughn’s rapid dialogue delivery is always amusing and there are some very funny scenes, most of them involving Channing Tatum in his show stealing performance as “Zip”.

If you’re expecting Wedding Crashers or Dodgeball than give this a miss but if you fancy a more thoughtful comedy with a top level cast, check it out.

Ric’s Rating: Good.     

Film: American Pie: Reunion

Jim, Stifler and the gang are back for their high school reunion but are they still funny?

That question is answered immediately with a resounding yes when we see Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) attempt to relieve the daily stress of being parents to a toddler.  Let’s just say it doesn’t go smoothly.

The entire cast from the original movie appears and stealing the show once again is Eugene Levy as Jim’s Dad who even gets in on the action this time.

There are just as many sexual misadventures and they are perhaps even funnier than the original as the characters are now all adults and should know better.

Fans of the original films will absolutely love it.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended

Film: One For The Money

Stephanie Plum (Katherine Heigl) is down on her luck. Broke and unemployed she visits her cousin’s bail bonds office and soon finds herself chasing a fugitive with a $50,000 price tag.

The fugitive just happens to be her ex-boyfriend and she must navigate a world populated by crooks, hookers and hitmen to bring him back to custody.

But is he guilty of his crime?

This comedy drama is light on laughs and feels more like a tv pilot episode than a movie but Heigl is easy to watch and her oddball family do provide the odd chuckle.

Jason O’Mara does his best George Clooney impersonation as the fugitive cop but there’s nothing on show here to drag this out of mediocrity.

If it turns up on tv and you’ve nothing else to do then give it a try but don’t go out your way to catch this one.

Ric’s Rating: Dodgy

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 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%

Film: Stay Cool

The old cliché about books and covers comes into play here. Check out the cover. High School chick flick, right? Wrong. What we have here is a whole lot more interesting.

It’s the tale of successful author Henry McCarthy (Mark Polish, who also wrote the film) returning to his High School to deliver a motivational speech to graduates. In order to get into the minds of the teenagers McCarthy decides to spend some time at the school and what follows is a surreal story that takes the 37 year old right back to his own High School days.

All the essential elements of a classic school movie are here, from staying with his parents (where his bedroom still has posters of The Lost Boys), old friends, enemies, teachers and the object of his teenage affections (Winona Ryder).

It all comes together perfectly to create a funny and poignant film that takes one back to their own school days. This is a perfect example of a “little known gem”, it’s the kind of film that doesn’t get a UK cinema release because it has no current major stars and it’s a school film aimed at adults so no mass appeal, such a shame.

The entire cast are fantastic. Mark Polish is perfect as the former geek still looking for love and Winona Ryder (who starred in the classic school movie Heathers) is excellent as his long lost sweetheart. Chevy Chase does a cool comedy turn as the principal and Sean Astin (The Lord Of The Rings trilogy) is hilarious as the flamboyant “Big Girl”.

I managed to find another poster that much more accurately depicts the film so I had to post

that too.

Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates the influence that their school days had on their lives , pretty much everyone then.

Stay Cool is released on DVD in the UK on 30th January 2012 courtesy of Metrodome.

Ric’s Rating: 92%

Film: Bridesmaids

Annie (Kristen Wiig) is overjoyed when her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) asks her to be maid of honour at her upcoming wedding. What Annie doesn't know is that Lillian has made a new friend Helen (Rose Byrne) and the two soon compete to organise the best wedding ever.

There are some fine comedy performances here. Wiig is perfect as the ditzy Annie and Melissa McCarthy is hilarious as the crass Megan.

Unfortunately, as is the case with many comedy films these days, all the funniest moments were shown in the trailer. There are laughs to be had but this is no female version of The Hangover, it's more of a romantic comedy.

It soon becomes a tiresome tale of a lonely woman looking for love and it's all as predictable as they come.

Mildly amusing but not what it appears to be, this is a chick flick masquerading as a middle aged American Pie.

Ric's Rating: 54%