FRUITVALE STATION [2013]

The power of Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station is the type that slowly creeps up on you and leaves you unprepared for the blow it delivers in it's final moments.
Based on the true story of Oscar Grant who was murdered by a police officer in a Bay Area transit station, the film is smart not to play the race card but the signs are all there.  It delicately restrains itself from becoming overly dramatic as the events unfold but it's the realism that punches you in the gut even though we all know how it's all going to end.  Michael B. Jordan, who portrays Grant, delivers one of the best performances of the year, with some noteworthy jobs done by Octavia Spencer and Melonie Diaz.

4 fake white people birthday cards out of 5

DRUG WAR [2013]

aka Du zhan

Director Johnnie To scales back the high octane action of his earlier films and opts for more of a realistic world of violence in Drug War.  

Fortunately he still includes some of the batshit crazy type of characters as he usually does but pushes them further into the background, while cranking up the beautifully noir-ish photography and fills his palate with loads of blacks, greys and greens.  Instead of focusing more on character, we're supposedly drawn to the intricate plot but if you've ever seen a Michael Mann movie there's nothing new to see here and that hurts considering all of the main characters are about as interesting as a stick of butter.  

A nice looking film with some great shootout sequences makes for a average way to spend one's time.  

3 mutes out of 5

RUSH [2013]

Every 6 or 7 years director Ron Howard comes out with a pretty decent flick, whereas most of the other stuff he pumps out is audience friendly drivel.
Based on the subject matter and Howard's name, I wasn't expecting to enjoy Rush as much as I did.
Propelled by some equally strong performances by Chris Hemsworth & Daniel Brühl as Formula 1 rivals James Hunt & Niki Lauda, the film is more a character piece rather than a sporty bio-drama.  With it's slick-pacing and exciting race sequences all of which are beautifully edited & shot, Rush is superbly crafted story that is riveting from beginning to end.

4 lung vacuums out of 5

Elvis (1979)

John Carpenter's first film with Kurt Russell was a biopic of the boy from Tupelo who went on to take over the music world. The casting might seem odd on paper, but Russell does a damn fine job at TCB, although he needs to work on his fake strumming because it was embarrassing.
It begins in '69, just before his Vegas comeback, and then jumps back to his musical beginnings before meeting itself again at the end.
It couldn't possibly cover all the important things, so focusses instead on Elvis' loves and losses and how they affect him on a personal level.

3½ nods to mom out of 5

ABOUT TIME [2013]

Writer/director Richard Curtis has the habit of making irresistibly adorable movies, just as Rachel McAdams manages to find herself in more than her fair share of time travelling rom-coms.
Mash the two together and you get the harmlessly delightful pip-pip comedy About Time.
Sure it's riddled with plotholes (as most time-travel stories are) but it's the inspirational casting, wonderful soundtrack and soft-hearted laughs that make it worthwhile.  Most rom-coms are about whether or not the couple will get together in the end while this film is more about already living together and a moral message that isn't quite clear until the final frame.
It won't blow your mind or change your life but should give you the warm & fuzzies that won't insult your intelligence.

4 ping pong games out of 5

AMERICAN HUSTLE [2013]

David O. Russell reunites with his usual cast & crew members for the entertaining crime drama American Hustle.
The film gains most of it's unpredictable humor from the highly energetic cast-mates who all play off each other with comfort and ease.  It's a cat and mouse game where each character takes turns playing the cat only to be quickly knocked off their feet into the mouse hole again and that makes for some grin-worthy character studies.  With the actors going off the rails with their improvisation, the story is somewhat aimless at times, but Russell's always been one to care more about character rather than story and that works just fine.  It's a colorful, bold and sharply funny film with hilarious outgoing personality that's a breath of fresh air from all the other heavy-handed award contenders this year.

4 ice-fishing stories with Lye out of 5

RUNNER RUNNER [2013]

Brad Furman's entertaining yet ultimately hollow thriller Runner Runner makes use of the crime-driven world of online gambling to explore a story rarely seen onscreen.
Justin Timberlake is serviceable as the protagonist because let's face it, the guy can charm the pants off a Duck Dynasty cast member.  It's Ben Affleck who steals the show as the dangerous and douchey head of the online gambling websites.  Sadly most of the fun ends there, unless it's beautiful scenery you're looking for, courtesy of Costa Rica (and Gemma Arterton).  The rest of the film is predictable, too complicated for such a short running time and void of any real thrills.

2 crocodile meals out of 5

LONE SURVIVOR [2013]

Hit & miss director Peter Berg succeeds with Lone Survivor, an Afghanistan War film about 4 Navy SEALs teammates on a mission that goes horribly wrong.
There hasn't been a war film this loud & aggressive since Black Hawk Down so it's a bit of an attack to the senses after all is said and done, however Berg manages to pump out some strong emotions to balance everything out.  The introduction of the men cheaply manipulates you into caring for them which is a little insulting to the viewer but the combat scenes are so impressive with it's editing, bat-shit crazy stunts, sound design and photography you can't help but be drawn in.
It's heavily flawed in the character development but the performances from the four leads and the direction keep you interested in the final outcome.

3½ goats out of 5

Ani-Kuri 15 (2008)

Is it possible to tell a successful story in one minute? Of course it is. I ignore anyone that says otherwise. If done properly it can also capture a feeling and present that feeling to an audience. A group of animators, among them such visionaries as Mamoru Oshii, Makoto Shinkai and Satoshi Kon (full list in comments), did just that. Fifteen short films. One minute each. They’re either cute, sad, funny, inspiring, whimsical or adventurous but each and every one is beautiful in its own unique way.

5 fleeting glimpses out of 5

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS [2013]

The Coen Brothers paint a dreary haze over a depressingly funny story, loosely inspired by folk singer Dave Van Ronk, with Inside Llewyn Davis.
Oscar Isaac is absolutely fabulous in the title role and with any luck he will gain the acclaim he's deserved for years.  Isaac's Drive co-star Carey Mulligan display a dark yet charming performance that matches the rest of the magnificent cast, particularly Justin Timberlake, who's made a smooth transition from pop star to actor.  With The Coen's O Brother Where Art Thou? music producer T-Bone Burnett on board I don't even have to tell you how great the music is.
It's a compelling gem of a film that is sure to please fans of the brother's more difficult films and probably baffle others with it's odd style of storytelling and miserable characters.

5 folk singers & a cat out of 5

Bride and Prejudice (2004)

A retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that takes place in modern day India. There’s a vague attempt to draw parallels between marriage in early 19th Century England and marriage in early 21st Century India (quick, marry off your daughters!), but it’s not very successful.
It relies instead on its rom com appeal, but there’s no convincing rom to be found and the com is bad com. I'm supposed to believe the protagonists are in love? I've shared more passionate moments with my own shite.

1 snake dance out of 5

I, Robot (2004)

A movie that's ‘suggested by Isaac Asimov’s book’. What that awkward wording actually means is we get the 3 Laws and a tiny bit of the Little Lost Robot story. The rest is new. If you can accept that prior to viewing then there’s a slick sci-fi actioner for your eyes to enjoy. It assaults you with real world advertising and the action scenes get OTT silly but the future world in which it takes place is very believable; Proyas and his team did a fine job with that aspect of it.

3 robot dreams out of 5

G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987)

It's hilariously good fun from the very beginning. That song!
The Joes decide to solve the world energy crisis before breakfast, but Cobra throws a big NO shaped spanner in that idea and the madness just gets madder. New recruits get bombed on the training ground. The Village People go to war. Explosions explode and lasers fire everywhere, but no one gets hit. Sgt. Slaughter keeps the faith for America and gets to wrestle. Subterranean reptilian people try to take over the world. Giant bugs are the air force? WTF is even happening? It's like The A-Team on acid. I laughed my way to the end and loved every minute of it.

3 space spores out of 5

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG [2013]

With the 2nd part of Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy, the wonky pacing of the first is smoothed out making for a more enjoyable experience.
The Desolation Of Smaug still might be longer than it really should be but the pay-off is well worth the wait with the introduction of the mighty dragon, voiced with exquisite intimidation by Benedict Cumberbatch.  Sure, there's a lot of padding to flesh the story out into three films but Jackson, Guillermo Del Toro & crew are obviously so committed to staying true to Tolkien's world, characters and themes that it all blends together quite organically.  The problems with the 48 fps of the original are completely diminished and makes for an even more incredible experience.
The final razzle dazzle film of the year is quite literally the way to end 2013 with a bang.

4 barrel rides out of 5

Turok: Son of Stone (2008)

An animated version of the long-running comic that’s something like a cross between a traditional Native American hero/hunter story and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World. It’s a bloody and violent journey, so perhaps not one for the sensitive kiddies.
There was a danger that once the Dinos appeared the story would suffer and instead become just about growling and action, but that didn't happen; it remains well-balanced throughout.

3 blood trails out of 5