NINJA ASSASSIN (Blu Ray)

Directed by James McTeigue
Written By Matthew Sands & J. Michael Straczynski
Stars: Rain, Naomie Harris, Sho Kosugi, Ben Miles

The prime examples of the 80’s Ninja genre are Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja and Pray for Death starring Sho Kosugi. The Matrix creators Larry and Andy Wachowski have brought a similarly blood soaked tale of warring Ninja’s to the screen (by way of anime classic Ninja Scroll). Directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta), it tells the story of Raizo (Korean Pop star Rain) a Ninja assassin raised and trained by the deadly Ozunu clan. Raizo has gone renegade and now seeks to destroy his former master. He teams up with Europol Agent Mika Corretti (Naomie Harris) who is investigating the clan and then proceeds to slice, dice and eviscerate the onslaught of ninjas sent to stop the pair from succeeding. The plot is wafer thin but fortunately the splatter-crazed action (the Blu-ray DTS-HD audio really comes into its own here) is more than worth the time of fans of the genre. Supporting performances are efficient but unengaging, Rain does a good line in brooding and makes for an appealing protagonist on which to hang the ensuing 99 minutes of frenzied arse kicking and as clan master Ozunu, Sho Kosugi lends real gravitas as a veteran of the genre. On the whole, the fantastically choreographed fight sequences and insanely stylised violence make this is a phenomenally enjoyable addition to the Ninja action canon. Extras are slim: a short doco on Ninjas and the physical training of Rain.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (BLU-RAY)

Directed by Oren Peli
Written by Oren Peli
Stars: Micah Sloat, Katie Featherstone, Mark Fredrichs


Like most horror films that pull monumental numbers at the box office, their huge appeal is usually with audiences who wouldn’t normally watch a horror film. Utilising a faux documentary, ‘found footage’ style much like The Blair Witch Project and The Last Broadcast, the story begins as San Diego couple Micah Sloat and Katie Featherstone (the actor’s real names) discuss the nightly activities of a ghostly entity that has apparently been stalking Katie, on-and-off, for most of her life. After a brief home consultation by a psychic (Mark Fredrichs) Micah decides to set up a video camera to record their room each night as they sleep and it’s in the daily reviewing of this footage that they witness the shifting of objects, the house lights flickering and bed sheets fluttering. Soon the attacks become more violent, as the demon in their home becomes angrier. Writer/Director Oren Peli uses his tiny budget (purportedly $11,000) to great effect, utilising atmospheric sound effects and editing to create a spooky mood with the requisite jumps and scares. Whether it’s “the scariest film ever made” is debatable and it’s far from original but thanks to the heavy reliance on audience’s imaginations, it doubtlessly offers the scares many viewers will be after. This Blu Ray release features an alternate ending and a fan photo tribute and the strange lack of a director’s commentary.

THE BLIND SIDE

Directed by John Lee Hancock
Written By John Lee Hancock
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quintin Aaron, Kathy Bates


The sports film is a tricky genre to nail. It’s easy to teeter between emotion and sentimentality and more often than not, tumble over into outright treacle. Phil Alden Robinson’s ode to Americana, Field of Dreams and Barry Levinson’s The Natural are examples of the genre as it was, bronzing and mounting a sport (in this case Baseball) as elegiac myth. Recently though, the trend has moved towards reality-based battles against adversity, with themes encompassing the business of sport (Any Given Sunday) or overcoming bigotry (Remember the Titans). In keeping with these themes, Texan filmmaker John Lee Hancock (The Alamo) has adapted Micheal Lewis’s book about Michael Oher (Quintin Aaron), a destitute and psychologically scarred African American teenager taken in by a wealthy white Texan family, who legally adopt him and help him graduate high school. Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) and Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw) then shepherd the bear-like Michael to becoming a prominent college football prospect and ultimately one of the best ‘offensive left tackles’ in the American NFL. So while not relying on the sappy emotions that a lot of underdog sports movies tend to, The Blind Side does spoon feed its audience over-simplified emotions at times and the story, though true, is slightly predictable but its strength undoubtedly lies in Bullock’s solid performance as the head strong and confrontational Leigh Anne. It’s her relationship with Michael that’s at the heart of the film and Bullock plays her with bull-headed gusto. Whether her performance is Oscar worthy is arguable but it anchors the film and John Lee Hancock’s direction is assured, if a little safe, so while hardly being provocative or challenging it works as a well crafted, button-pushing crowd-pleaser.

SHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE

Directed by Jim Field Smith
Written by Sean Anders and John Morris
Stars: Jay Baruchel, Alice Eve, T.J Miller, Mike Vogel, Nate Torrence

This amiable, if slightly saccharine sex comedy (scripted by Sean Anders and John Morris who co-wrote the upcoming Hot Tub Time Machine) tells the story of Kirk (Jay Baruchel) an airport security guard who meets the beautiful Molly (Alice Eve) and through a series of events, summons the courage to ask her out on a date. Kirk’s slacker work colleagues Stainer (T.J Miller), Jack (Cloverfield’s Mike Vogel) and Devon (Nate Torrence) do their best to chip away at his self confidence by telling him that Molly’s a “hard 10” and that he is, at most, a “5”. Kirk’s insecurities begin to come to the fore; firstly as he introduces his new girlfriend to his deranged, dysfunctional family, then as he meets Molly’s fighter pilot ex who presumes Kirk is her new gay friend. It’s the presumptions of others that Kirk has to deal with if he’s to win Molly’s heart and his struggles with his deficiencies are very funny. Baruchel plays essentially the same character he played in the Judd Apatow produced TV series Undeclared and makes for a sweet, amiable lead. Actor-turned-first time director Jim Field Smith has cast the roles solidly and draws the characters well enough to provide some decent moments of comedy. Its final moments settle into formulaic rom-com territory and the dynamic of Kirk’s friends giving him unreliable relationship advice seems to be lifted straight from The 40 Year Old Virgin but it’s still an enjoyable ride with a cheerfully funny and realistic edge.

HARRY BROWN

Directed by Daniel Barber
Written By Gary Young
Stars: Michael Caine, David Bradley, Emily Mortimer, Charlie Creed-Miles

When vigilante scenarios are realised on film, they either appeal to our own sense of justice by legitimising the vigilantism (Straw Dogs, Mad Max) or emphasize the slow death of the soul that revenge inevitably brings (The Brave One, Dead Man’s Shoes), either way it’s by definition an exploitative genre, designed to pleasure an audience by letting us wallow in our own sense of righteous vengeance. Ad Director Daniel Barber tries his hand at it, setting the scene on a housing estate in South London’s Elephant and Castle, where widower, ex-marine and old age pensioner Harry Brown (Michael Caine) spends his days sitting with his dying, comatose wife and drinking pints at the local pub with his old mate Len (David Bradley). When the frail Len is murdered by local youths dealing crystal meth on the estate, Detective Inspector Alice Frampton (Emily Mortimer) fails to secure convictions. Harry snaps, buying handguns from psychopathic addict Stretch (Sean Harris) then unleashing his old military training as he brutally brings the killers to justice. The gritty cinematography lends an air of Nil by Mouth meets Death Wish but the shockingly predictable script is populated with such cardboard characterizations, it’s all curiously unengaging. Caine delivers a terrific performance and it’s always a pleasure to see him back in Get Carter territory but there’s a deep disconnect between the film his performance belongs in and the one the filmmakers have made.