Cry Wolf (2005)

Cry Wolf is your standard US slasher flick and doesn't really doesn't have anything to show or say than any of the Scream pics already have countless times.A bunch of rich college kids spread a rumour on-line of a serial killer called "The Wolf" recently was responsible for a local murder and will strike again, and soon.
The film is neither scary, creepy, tense or bloody.No, for a large preportion of it's running time the film is guilty of the worst sin of all........it's just plain boring.The film takes a good hour for anything of interest to happen and when it does you just don't care, not even the amusing appearance of Jon Bon Jovi as a tweed wearing teacher or Lindy Booth in a bikini could numb the boredom.
*****

Land Of The Dead (2005)

Night Of the Living Dead, Dawn Of The Dead, Day Of The Dead, three classics of the horror genre and now 20 years later George A Romero brings us his forth installment of the series, the eagerly awaited Land Of The Dead.

Land is set in a world of have and have-nots, the rich live in a luxury skyscraper, the poor in the fortified shadow of the tower, outside the dead roam the 'ghettos'.Here you can see Romero's social conscience, so evident in Dawn and Land, sadly that is where the comparisons end.The Whole film has nothing new to say, mercenaries run missions, popping zombies who get in their way, zombies feast on human bodies ripping necks, arms and pulling out intestines, people get bitten then blow their brains out rather than go to the 'other side', we get the sympathetic zombie who displays human trait's-the trouble is George it's old hat, we've seen it all before.

So, after a 20 year wait, Land Of The Dead turns out to be a disappointment, it's not a bad film it's just that expectation's were so, so high.

*****

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005)

The original (Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory) was a great kids movie with a very dark under-belly, so the prospect of a remake directed by Tim Burton,a guy who has directed some of my favourite films from the past decade, Mars Attacks! Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood (we'll forget the dull Big Fish And flawed Planet Of The Apes) and starring the charismatic and talented Johnny Depp filled me with high expectations.

I'm happy to say my expectations were met and surpassed is marvelous as the eccentric Wonka, the sets are out of this world, virtual eye candy throughout the entire film, the songs catchy and fun.

There's no overdose of sentimentality, the criticism of the Americanization of the movie and the unnecessary addition of Wonkas childhood to the film are completely unfounded, in fact the final 'new' scene was a very warming and touching finale to a magical movie.

*****

Wolf Creek (2005)

Wolf Creek is straight out of the no-holds-barred 70's style horror film that was so successfully for films such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes and The Last House On The Left, shot almost documentary style the villains are pure evil, and the violence graphic, brutal and visceral.

The film claims, like Chainsaw, to be based on true events but it is only loosely based on the 'backpacker murders 89-92 committed by Ivan Milat.
The premise is simple, 3 tourists get stranded in the Australian Outback and are 'rescued' by, whom seems to be, a friendly Crocodile Dundee character Mick Taylor, soon though, a broken down car is the least of their troubles.

After The Descent it's yet again a pleasure to watch another bare knuckle and gritty horror release this year.
*****

XXX2:State Of The Union (2005)

State Of The Union is the sequel to 2002's Vin Diesel fronted James Bond actioner XXX, this time the all action grunt is supplied by Ice Cube as he hunts down Willam Defoe, who leads a military splinter cell who plan to overthrow the US Government.

The film crashes and bangs from one action scene to another as our 'hero' steals sports cars, speed boats and tanks whilst only pausing breath during the gunfire and explosions to utter some cheesy dialogue " I was born looking guilty", all the time we're deafened by a nu-metal/rap soundtrack.

All black men are cool tough street-wise guys, white men are square and middle class, whilst all the women parade around with large cleavages shaking their 'booty'!

The action scenes though spectacular aren't too convincing, in fact the final chase scenes are almost 'cartoonish' resembling a cross between Roger Rabbit and The incredible.

The whole movie is utterly preposperous but never dull and boring so at least it has some redeeming features if they are few and far between.