This is the kind of film that if you’re an adult, you will either hate or loath, but if you’re a pre-teen girl you’ll love it so much you’ll probably want to see it ten times at the cinema and then watch it another million times on DVD… whether or not you’re family want to watch/endure it.

Judy Moody (Jordana Beatty – Superman Returns, TV’S Legend Of The Seeker) is looking forward to the best summer of her life :- a summer of thrill points. But then her two best friends, Rocky (Garrett Ryan – TV’S RCVR & The Young And The Restless) and Amy (Taylar Hender – TV’S Good Luck Charlie & Special Agent Oso) announce they are going away for the summer, leaving her with (let’s be honest her friendship group’s loser), Frank (Preston Bailey – Happy Cabin Song, TV’S Funny Or Die Presents…) and her Big Foot-besotted brother, Stink (Parris Mosteller – Specifically, TV’S Worst Week). Then her mothers announce they are going away as well so it is looking like a real bummer summer, but then in steps the free spirited, Aunt Opal (Heather Graham – Scream 4, The Flying Machine), maybe it’ll not be such a bummer summer.

As far as kid’s films go Judy Morris & The Not So Bummer Summer isn’t so bad. Director, John Schultz (Aliens In The Attic, The Honeymooners) tries hard to keep the energy of the film at 11 and while it works for most of the film, earol on it does seem to be a bit in-your-face. In his defence though Schultz doesn’t let the ‘zany’ get in the way of the story… and to the screenwriters’ credit the story works, and they don’t treat the pre-teen audience as if they have no intelligence. The screenwriters even find an easy way to show the kids’ some morals without making it look like they are trying to jam it down the throats of the audience. Sadly though, I can also see a lot of adults growing increasingly bored with the film.

The leads in Judy Moody & The Not So Bummer Summer do a magnificent job. Aussie Jordana Beatty does a wonderful job, even better when you consider that she has to put on an American accent for the entire film. Her young co-star Parris Mosteller really announces himself as someone with a bright future while Heather Graham reminds Hollywood that she is still around and also very capable of anything that is thrown at her… please take note producers as it is sad to see one of her caliber doing small roles.

Judy Morris & The Not So Bummer Summer will be lapped up by kids but will divide adults. Some will see it as a fun time that will offer a couple of laughs while others will see it as a dull waste of time, the one thing I do know though is that pre-teens will love it!

Year: 2011

Director: John Schultz

Stars: Jordana Beatty, Heather Graham, Parris Mosteller, Preston Bailey, Garrett Ryan, Taylar Hender

Classification: G

Runtime: 92 mins

Rating:

Available on DVD/Blu-Ray from 4th April 2012

Dave Griffiths

Okay, there is certainly gonna be a lot of angry people out there over this one, many will argue that a classic film like The Lion King need not be re-released in a 3D format, and a large part of me wants to agree with them. Should someone’s childhood fave be ruined in a bid to make a few extra dollars?

For those that didn’t see The Lion King 17 years ago it tells the story of Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas – The Extra, Thru The Moebius Strip) a young Lion whose father, Mufasa (James Earl Jones – Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey) is a proud King. Jealous, of his brother’s position Scar (Jeremy Irons – Prohibition, Eco-Hollywood) devises a plan that sees Mufasa killed and then blames a young Simba for the death. Simba flees until he meets Timone (Nathan Lane – Astro Boy, TV’S Modern Family) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella – Listen To Your Heart, Beyond The Lengend: Timone). Flash forward a few years and the three are still close friends, but everything changes for them when Simba (Matthew Broderick – Margaret, Beach Lane) runs into his childhood friend, Nala (Moira Kelly – TV’S One Tree Hill & Numb3rs) and she informs him that Scar taking over as King has ruined the Kingdom for everyone.

In its day The Lion King was an absolute classic… and deservedly so. It’s story is captivating and it’s soundtrack contains tracks that will go down in Hollywood history, however re-releasing this film was not one of the brightest things that Disney has done over the years. Bringing 3D to this film does nothing at all and worse still people viewing the film for the first time (think today’s young people) will be appalled by the animation. In it’s day The Lion King looked spectacular, but that was 17 years ago, in that time animation has come a long way and re-watching the film today only makes you stop and think how ordinary the graphics look compared to what we have these days.

Still, the story of The Lion King is enough to win over even the most hardened critic and it is still an enjoyable watch that is guaranteed to create thought amongst your children. But still the question remains, did it need to be released? The simple answer is no, as I have previously said the 3D does nothing the film and 17 years later seems an odd time for Disney to re-release the film… surely they would have been better off waiting until the 20 year mark… and not brought 3D into the picture.

The Lion King is still worth a watch and is great to sing-a-long to, just be prepared for a brief shock when you see how the animation has aged. A family favorite that isn’t enhanced by a 3D makeover.

Year: 2011

Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff

Stars: Matthew Broderick, Niketa Calame, James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Jeremy Irons, Moira Kelly, Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg

Classification: G

Runtime: 89 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

It’s always hard to review a movie like Monte Carlo, you want to mention the basic storyline and the lower-than-average acting but you really need to remember that this is a film aimed to keep teenagers entertained, not to win an Oscar. And when you look at it that way Monte Carlo actually works.

Monte Carlo follows Grace (Selena Gomez – Arthur 3: The War Of Two Worlds, TV’S Wizards Of Waverly Place), her up-tight sister, Meg (Leighton Meester – The Oranges, The Roomate) and her best friend, Emma (Katie Cassidy – Georgetown, A Nightmare On Elm Street) as they head to Paris on Grace and Emma’s first overseas holiday. However, when the tour turns out to be ‘the-worst-tour-in-Paris’ they see an out when Grace is mistaken for the spoilt heiress, Cordelia Winthrop Scott. As a result the trio soon find themselves living the high life in Monte Carlo, but how long can they keep the sham going?

The one person that did do a really good job on Monte Carlo is director, Thomas Bezucha (The Family Stone, Big Eden) who chooses to forget that he is directing a ‘kids’ film and captures Paris and Monte Carlo in such a way that veteran filmmakers like Woody Allen would even be impressed. There is however one major flaw in the storyline. Yes, the film allows you to connect with the three main characters (and yes you will find yourself worried about them at times), but the issue is that what these girls do is in fact a crime, and despite the fact how despicable Cordelia is the three of them really don’t face any consequences for the serious things they have done… and that when you are filming a movie for kids/teenagers is a serious no-no.

Acting-wise you really shouldn’t expect too much, although Gomez, Meester and Cassidy should be proud of what they have done, because to me honest I have seen a lot worse acting in films that are meant for teenagers. The scary thing is though Gomez seems to play the evil Cordelia a hell a lot of better than she does the nice, Grace. You have to pay her some credit for that.

Monte Carlo isn’t the kind of film that Dads and brothers will be enjoy but you get the feeling it will be lapped by younger females. In fact that is probably the best way to describe Monte Carlo, it really is Sex And The City for teenage girls.

Year: 2011

Director: Thomas Bezucha

Stars: Selena Gomez, Katie Cassidy, Leighton Meester

Classification: PG

Runtime: 109 mins

Rating:

Available on DVD from 18th January, 2012

Dave Griffiths

Seeing I was such a massive Smurfs fan when I was a kid (I watched the cartoon before going to school each day and had all the figurines from the Petrol Station) Smurfs 3D was either going to leave me overjoyed that they did such a fine job with one of my childhood memories or leave me shattered as Hollywood once again managed to violate something that I held so dear to me. Luckily, it did the former and once again it seems that The Smurfs are going to be loved by an entire generation.

Like The Smurfs of old we once again find the lovable blue creatures under attack from the evil wizard, Gargamel (Hank Azaria – TV’S The Simpsons & Free Agents) and his cat, Azrael as they put together another scheme. Only, problem is that this time around Gargamel knows where The Smurfs live, and in a bid to escape his clutches Papa (Jonathan Winters – Cattle Call, Swing), Gutsy (Alan Cumming – TV’S Web Therapy & Mystery!), Smurfette (Katy Perry – Get Off Me, Kathy Beth Terry Talks 6^th Grade), Brainy (Fred Armisen – Easy A, Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell), Grouchy (George Lopez – Rio, Marmaduke) and Clumsy (Fright Night, The Beaver) fall into a vortex and into a world. Here they find themselves with Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris – Beastly, Company) and Grace Winslow (Jayma Mays – Marcy, TV’S Glee), and with Patrick desperate to impress his boss, Odile (Sofia Vergara – TV’S The Cleveland Show & Modern Family) to keep his job the last thing he wants is a group of Smurfs hanging around.

Director, Raja Gosnell (Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Yours, Mine And Ours) must have breathed a sigh of relief when he first read the script of Smurfs 3D. The idea of bringing The Smurfs into modern New York City must have been a bit frightening for some of the people involved, but so good is the screenplay that the story actually works really well. The 3D work though is once again a bit of a let-down though, despite the fact that the early ‘flying’ sequence promises so much.

The voice casting works well and even though I was originally a bit skeptical of Katy Perry voicing Smurfette she actually did a really good job. But the standout is Hank Azaria as Gargamel, despite the fact he is playing the bad guy and that some of his lines are well and truly aimed at children, he manages to really standout, and never misses a laugh line. He is also well supported by Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays whom remind all the TV Producers out there that they have the skills to also make it on the big screen.

As far as family movies go Smurfs 3D is a real standout as it easy to see that it will make adults and children laugh alike. This is one time that Hollywood has taken an old-time favourite and made it look classy on the big screen. A great film for the whole family.

Year: 2011

Director: Raja Gosnell

Stars: Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, Jonathan Winters, Alan Cumming, Katy Perry, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin

Classification: G

Runtime: 103 mins

Rating:

Available on DVD from 5th January, 2012

Dave Griffiths

Whenever a much loved story is turned into a film there is always a sense of hesitation when you sit down to watch it. Having loved Mr. Popper’s Penguins as a child I was a little worried how the film would turn out, considering I’m not the greatest fan of Jim Carrey, except when he is doing a serious role. As it turns out though Mr. Popper’s Penguins is a good enough family film to let you forget about the main star’s antics.

Based on Florence and Richard Atwater’s novel Mr. Popper’s Penguins follows the story of businessman, Mr. Popper (Jim Carrey – A Christmas Carol, I Love You Phillip Morris), a man who despite being ignored by his father when he was younger now works so hard it has caused him to be separated from his wife, Amanda (Carla Gugino – Suckerpunch, TV’S Californication) and his children, Janie (Madeline Carroll – Flipped, TV’S The Haunting Hour: The Series) and Billy (Maxwell Perry Cotton – TV’S Brothers And Sisters & Class). But as Mr. Popper is planning the biggest business deal of his life, by buying Mrs. Van Gundy’s (Angela Lansbury – Heidi 4 Paws, Nanny McPhee) restaurant he is sidetracked by his late father’s gift of a group of penguins. Now Mr. Popper is placed in an uneasy situation, does he keep the penguins that are making his life hell or does he keep them and make his family happy?

Director, Mark Waters (Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past, Eva Adams) has the right idea about directing a Family film… he doesn’t try and make it something it isn’t. In fact he seems to be one of the only directors going around that seems to be able to control Jim Carrey. Waters also done a fine job mixing the drama together with some good parts of comedy… the same can’t be said for the over-the-top stuff like teaching the penguins to dance though. No, this film’s comedy works wonders in scenes like at the Guggenheim when the penguins are let lose… the simpler the comedy the better it is. Still, the script is good enough to mean that the kids will certainly pick up a few morals along the way.

Being the centre-point of this film however means that Jim Carrey is the make or break of this film. As I previously mentioned though it seems that Waters does have a tight leash on Carrey for most of the film. There are some moments of true drama and emotion required from Carrey and he pulls that off so well that when he does do an outlandish comedy move it seems to be completely of place. Still Carry is pretty good in the role and his scenes with Angela Lansbury are priceless.

Mr. Poppers Penguins isn’t the best film of the year although it is a nice family film that will appeal to both kids and adults alike. Funny, but moralistic, Mr. Poppers Penguins is certainly worth a look.

Year: 2011

Director: Mark Waters

Stars: Jim Carrey, Angela Lansbury

Classification: G

Runtime: 94 mins

Buzz Rating:

Available on DVD from 30th November, 2011

Dave Griffiths

There’s always that fear that a sequel isn’t going to live up to the expectations left behind if the first film was a gem… but did we ever really have to worry about Cars 2 – after all surely Pixar have shown they know how to the handle the troublesome follow-up with the brilliant work they did on Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3. Luckily, Cars 2 works really well, and any fan of the first will certainly be a fan of a second.

This time around it is Mater’s (voiced by Larry The Cable Guy (Witness Protection, Delta Farce) story. Mater’s defense of Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson – Midnight In Paris, Hall Pass) sees McQueen enter a world-wide tournament run by oil-tycoon-turned-environmentalist, Sir Miles Axelrod (Eddie Izzard – TV’S United States Of Tara & The Simpsons), which ultimately comes down to a showdown between McQueen and the witty, Francesco Bernoulli (John Turturro – The Nutcracker In 3D, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen). But when these races turn deadly and Mater has a falling out with McQueen he soon finds himself mixed up in a world of espionage with spies, Finn McMissile (Michael Caine – Gnomeo & Juliet, Inception) and the beautiful, Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer – My Idiot Brother, Leonie).

The real key to Cars 2 working is the fact that this isn’t just another McQueen story… like the original. And while at first you wonder whether Mater is in fact an interesting enough character to hold his own film… you soon find out he is. The screenwriters have really developed his character and while you do find yourself laughing at some of his antics you do genuinely feel sorry for the guy… especially with the way he is perceived. And it is through this technique that the writers are able to push across a powerful message to the audience… watch out who you laugh out, especially if they are friend.

But in a lot of ways this is really just the secondary message because Pixar really do push themselves across here as an environmental company. Whether you want them to or not your kids will leave Cars 2 believing that Oil Companies are the devil and that environmentally-friendly fuel is the way to go… and while I am as environmentally minded as the next person I couldn’t help but feel the message was being jammed down my throat with force.

Still Cars 2 does work, because despite the fact that the message is clear it actually doesn’t get in the way of a great storyline that has a resolution that most writers of Thriller or Crime would be envious of. In fact the writers are the ones that deserve the cudos for this fine script… even the introduction of characters like McMissile and Shiftwell don’t feel out of place… something that the introduction of new characters can often do in sequels.

You will notice that I haven’t mentioned much about the quality of the animation… but it’s a Pixar movie so do I really have to highlight the fact that the animation looks unbelievable… even in 3D? Once again Pixar have outdone themselves with a film that will be loved by adults and kids alike… and for all you Aussie car-racing fans out there watch out for an appearance by Mark Winterbottom.

Year:               2011

Director:      John Lasseter, Brad Lewis

Stars:              Owen Wilson, Larry The Cable Guy, Eddie Izzard, John Turturro, Emily Mortimer, Michael Caine

Classification: PG

Runtime:       113 mins

Buzz Rating:  

Dave Griffiths

Finally along comes a hero who might save Australia’s Film Industry by putting bums on seats and its not our darling Cate Blanchett, our stalwarts in Geoffrey Rush or Paul Hogan or even the new breed in the form of Joel Edgerton or Simon Baker… no it’s Koko the Kelpie. Koko is the star of new Australian family film, Red Dog. Now before you groan and think ‘oh no not another family film about a dog’, this is a family film with a difference. A family film made brilliant by the fact that it was made by one of the Australia’s best directors.

The story of ‘Red Dog’ is retold by Jack (Noah Taylor – Submarine, Red, White & Blue) to Tom (Luke Ford – Ghost Machine, Animal Kingdom), a trucky who stops off in Dampier. As the stories flow Tom is told how ‘Red Dog’ has become a local hero as he changes the lives of the many people he meets including John (Josh Lucas – The Lincoln Lawyer, Little Murder), Nancy (Racheal Taylor – Ghost Machine, Summer Coda), Vanno (Arthur Angel – Underbelly Files: Infiltration, The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader), Jocko (Rohan Nichol – South Solitary, TV’S The Pacific) and Peeto (John Batchelor – TV’S Sea Patrol & Laid).

There is a stigma around family films, normally they are dull and lifeless and any humour may appeal to a three-year-old but will not even get a giggle from adults, but that can’t be said for Red Dog. Anyone that has previously Kriv Stenders (Lucky Country, Boxing Day) will know that he is one of Australia’s most talented directors (Lucky Country is one of the most underrated movies of all times), and here he has taken the concept of a simple family film and made it a masterpiece.

Stenders manages to the use the natural beauty of Dampier and make this film a piece of cinematic beauty while the screenplay manages to make sure that the characters are all 3D with interesting pasts and emotion, while the humour actually works. Having said that though there are one or two moments where the films absurd nature will make you think “what the…”, but for the most part the film is an enjoyable experience that will attract the attention of both children and adults alike. So well written is this film that the emotion of it will catch up with any audience member at sometime and you will find yourself laughing (and at times crying) along with the characters.

The other amazing feat that Red Dog manages to do is use an American actor in a way that doesn’t seem forced or out-of-place. Josh Lucas is terrific in the role of John, while Rachael Taylor sends a clear message to Hollywood… she is perfect for a role in a romantic-comedy. Aside from Koko though the standouts here are John Batchelor and Rohan Nichol. Nichol

brings real emotion to his role while Batchelor shows the rest of Australia what all Sea Patrol fans have known for quite a while now… he is a genuine talent that deserves more airtime.

Red Dog is a brilliant family film that deserves to have enormous success at the box office. Family films don’t get much better than this, so Mums and Dads everywhere make sure your family gets to see it.

Year: 2011

Director: Kriv Stenders

Stars: Arthur Angel, John Batchelor, Josh Lucas, Luke Ford, Noah Taylor, Rachael Taylor, Rohan Nichol

Classification: PG

Runtime: 92 mins

Rating:

Available on DVD from 2nd December, 2011

Dave Griffiths

Sometimes people forget that it is okay for a film to just be fun and not a work of art. If you go to see Yogi Bear and just expect a ‘fun film’, you won’t be disappointed. Sure the storyline is aimed for kids, but that is the best thing about this film – it’s full of things for kids, including some very important morals.

Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh – Edgar Floats, Christmas Dreams) has loved Jellystone National Park his whole life. And now he is Head Ranger, a job that sees him training the eager, Ranger Jones (T.J. Miller – Gulliver’s Travels, Unstoppable) and has him trying to stop the ‘smarter than the average bear’, Yogi (Dan Aykroyd – Presidential Reunion, TV’S Family Guy) and his sidekick, Boo Boo (Justin Timberlake – The Social Network, The Open Road) stealing lunches from the Park’s visitors. Normally, it’s a quiet job, but then documentary filmmaker, Rachel (Anna Faris – Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs) shows up and quickly wins Smith’s heart, and then the greedy Mayor Brown (Andrew Daly – Jason Nash Is Married, TV’S Eastbound & Down) decides he wants to log the park. Now it looks like Smith will have to team up with Yogi to save the day.

It is obvious that Yogi Bear is a film for the kids. The screenwriters have tried to include a romance for the adults, but it really fails to suck the audience in. You do care about Ranger Smith but it wouldn’t exactly break your heart if he didn’t end up with Rachel. They have also made the ‘bad guys’ your typical clichés… not that that stops you wanting them to fail, and for the most part the film is simply Yogi and Boo Boo going from one mad idea to the next. But where the screenwriters have hit the nail on the head with this film, is the way they get their message across. The anti-logging and take-care-of-nature message shines through strongly… and that is certainly a message that is important for the kids to learn. The other big tick for Yogi Bear is it is a lot better than Furry Vengeance that tried woefully to get that message across.

Director, Eric Brevig (Journey To The Center Of The Earth, TV’S Xena) wasn’t exactly given a masterpiece script to work with, but he does a more than adequate job at bringing the film to the screen… and making it entertaining. Combining digitally added animals and humans together isn’t easy, and Brevig doesn’t slip up once… even the CG work looks good, although some would say it’s wasted on a kid’s film.

The big find with Yogi Bear is actor, Tom Cavanagh. He does everything he is asked to, and seems to have a firm hand on the role of Ranger Smith. He wins the audience over easily and seems to outshine seasoned veterans like Brendan Fraser in the comedy stakes. He is a joy to watch here, and I can only hope to see him get some better roles over the years.

There may not be much for adults in Yogi Bear, but they clearly aren’t the film’s target audience. Kids on the other hand will lap this film up, its funny dialogue and slapstick comedy works a treat… and what do you know? They may learn a valuable lesson along the way. Don’t expect to laugh much yourself, but your kids will be in stitches.

Dave Griffiths

While the Harry Potter series has been getting darker and darker of late, this is the film that sees this series really step-up to adulthood. This is no longer a series of teenage witches and wizards pointing wands at each other… you feel from the very beginning here that this is a game of death and the feeling of loss continues from the end of ‘Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince’ with the fateful scene of Dumbledore’s (Michael Gambon – ‘The King’s Speech’, ‘The Book Of Eli’) death. Characters that have become fan favorites over this series meet grisly deaths this time around (don’t worry I won’t spoil it) meaning that whenever a character’s life is in danger you simply don’t know whether they will get out of the situation or not (probably doesn’t apply if you have read the novels though)… and just to show that the series really has become ‘adult’ there is even a naked embrace between Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe – ‘Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince’, ‘December Boys’) and Hermoine Granger (Emma Watson – ‘Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince’, ‘The Tales Of Despereaux’).

As Harry, Hermoine and Ron (Rupert Grint – ‘Wild Target’, ‘Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince’) do their best to travel around the world destroying Lord Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes – ‘Cemetery Junction’, ‘Clash Of The Titans’) Horcruxes, the film’s director, David Yates (‘Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince’, ‘Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix’) does his best working with screenwriter, Steve Kloves (‘Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince’, ‘Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire’) to make J.K. Rowling’s longest Potter story watchable to the audience. The two men manage to do this with some amazing action scenes and stepped-up characterization. And while Yates tries new things such as using some Tim Burton inspired animations to tell the actual tale of the ‘Deathly Hollows’, there still seemed to be something lacking.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the film but there did seem to be a period where it lagged while important plot points never seemed to be explored properly or were simply just left up the way side as the film continued. One character’s death was just referred to in one sentence (no funeral scene or anything), while one well-loved creature’s death, that you felt would affect Harry immensely, is rarely mentioned as the film goes on. Add this to the fact that one character has a curse placed on him (that visible affects him) and that isn’t properly explained to the audience and there is little wonder that the audience is left scratching their heads… you can only hope that these questions are answered in Part 2, along with the question of why Draco (Tom Felton – ‘13hrs’, ‘Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince’) Luciuis Malfroy (Jason Isaacs – ‘Green Zone’, ‘Skeletons’) seem so hesitate to act on Voldemort’s tasks this time around.

Kloves also seemed afraid to really push the issue of politics in his script. Rowling’s work beautiful set up the fact that Voldemort and The Ministry Of Magic are leading some pretty strong Nazi-values as they attempt to eradicate Mugbloods and Muggles, and while there are some great shots of propaganda posters and books shown in Dolores Umbridge’s (Imelda Staunton – ‘Alice In Wonderland’, ‘Another Year’) office, the message simply isn’t delivered as strongly as it should be. It seemed that although the film was more adult-orientated Kloves held back in case there were still children watching.

The one thing that works wonderfully well this time is the acting. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint put some superb skills on show… they clearly are the stars this time and don’t have the luxury of hiding behind Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith (TV’S ‘Downton Abbey’, ‘Nanny McPhee & The Big Bang’) or Alan Rickman (‘Alice In Wonderland’, ‘The Wildest Dream’)… the latter who simply just doesn’t get enough screen time this round. Surprisingly it is Grint that steps up, he clearly out-acts his co-stars while overall the film is stolen by another wonderful performance by Helena Bonham Carter (‘The King’s Speech’, ‘Alice In Wonderland’) whose performance makes her character of Bellatrix ten times scarier than Voldemort.

Fans of the Harry Potter series will love ‘Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1’ but I do get a strong feeling that this film could have been a lot better… but gee I wish I didn’t feel so frustrated at not having all my answers questioned. Hopefully placed together with Part 2 this film will become as good as ‘Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix’… which is still clearly the best in the series.

Year: 2010

Director: David Yates

Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Jason Isaacs, Imelda Staunton, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter

Classification: M

Runtime: 146 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

Whoever would have guessed that the director of films such as ‘Pushing Tin’ and ‘Four Weddings And A Funeral’ could possibly bring us the darkest moments of the ‘Harry Potter universe’ to date. Certainly nobody could have picked it, but Mike Newell does an amazing job with ‘Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire’. This is also the film that sees the rise of another star… that of Robert Pattinson.

‘Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire’ is the fourth installment in this amazing series. This time round Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermoine (Emma Watson) are put in danger when they attend the Quidditch World Cup and it is attacked by ‘terrorists’ working for Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Harry then finds himself forced to represent Hogwarts with Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson) in the Triwizards Tournament, a dangerous competition that Harry doesn’t want to be part of. Also part of the competition is Viktor Krum (Stanislav Lanevski) and Fleur Delacour (Clemence Poesy). And with Voldemort around it isn’t just the tournament that could cost these youngsters their lives.

This is the film that sees this series turn a major corner. The fact that extreme topics such as terrorism is explored shows that this series has ‘matured’ and when a love interest is introduced for Harry and sexual tension appears between Hermoine and Ron, you know that this isn’t a series for kids anymore. Teenagers will also learn a hell of a lot as they watch the fallout of friendship between Ron and Harry… this is something that all teens experience at school, so this is a good add of realism to the series.

Together Mike Newell and screenwriter, Steve Kloves do an amazing job bringing such a complex story to the screen without boring their audience and causing them to lose interest. The final fight between Harry and Voldemort is also some of Newell’s finest directing and looks absolutely brilliant on the big screen. This is one of the finest moments of the series so far.

Once again the acting in this series is exceptional. Michael Gambon finally steps into the role of Albus Dumbledore and makes it his own, while Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe continue to improve, while it is easy to see that Robert Pattinson is set to become a star.

‘Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire’ is a sensational film that contains everything that a film-lover wants to see on the screen. There is drama, suspense and for once a series isn’t frightened to kill a character if they need to. That certainly means that in future when a character’s life is in danger you will move a little closer to the edge of your seat. A terrific movie that fans of this series will completely adore.

Year: 2005

Director: Mike Newell

Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Robert Pattinson, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Stanislav Lanevski, Clemence Posey, Michael Gambon

Classification: M

Runtime: 157 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths