ROCKnROLLA
Crime thriller. 2008. 109 min. With GERARD BUTLER, Thandie Newton and IDRIS ELBA. Director: Guy Ritchie. 16LV.
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Willem Möller
When a Russian billionaire calls in a sleazy crime kingpin to help him set up a dodgy London property deal it isn’t long before a whole bunch of no-goods - including a crooked but beautiful female accountant, a gay thug and a drug-addled rock star - get the smell of untold riches. But when a priceless painting goes missing and millions of euros are stolen it’s clear this story with no good guys in it isn’t going to have a happy ending.
Before becoming more famous as Madonna’s ex Guy Ritchie made his name as the British Quentin Tarantino with fast-paced thrillers laced with comedy, sleazy characters, multiple storylines and cool dialogue. But whereas those films offered a fresh twist on the crime caper formula RocknRolla is merely more of the same. It’s entertaining and worth catching for some great performances but it’s nothing you haven’t seen before.
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Romance/drama. 2008. 92 min. With Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem. 16S.
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Este Langeveldt
Two friends, Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Johansson), go on holiday to Barcelona, Spain. They couldn’t be more different - Vicky is engaged and conventional whereas Cristina isn’t sure what she wants from life but knows it includes adventure.
While dining in Barcelona they meet artist Juan (Bardem) who invites them away for a weekend in Oviedo hoping to persuade them to sleep with him.
Vicky is outraged but Cristina is intrigued - and so begins a tale told with lots of witty dialogue and interesting twists.
Juan Antonio’s ex-wife (Cruz) comes into the picture and makes this an unconventional love story - but a beautiful one all the same.
BAKUGAN: BATTLE BRAWLERS
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jared Orlin
Anime. 2009. 111 min. PG.
This Japanese animated movie is set in an alternative realm where metallic cards fall from the sky, providing keys to a new dimension where battles take place using the cards’ hidden warriors.
The main character is Dan Kuso, an arrogant teen who dreams of being top in the strategy game Bakugan. The thorn in his side is masked villain Masquerade who tries to send other players to a kind of purgatory from which they can’t return.
This DVD features the first five episodes and is a huge hit. It may be a bit too violent for younger viewers though.
