The 50 Word Review

The final instalment of Jason Bourne’s adventures to learn of his forgotten past is intense, yet cool and composed.  By far, the best action-thriller of the decade. I got high on the Waterloo Station sequence. Omid Nikfarjam

This Bollywood movie is a compilation of 10 different stories, which have a flavour of thrill, action, suspense, romance and the occasional morality tale. It’s very different from the regular Hindi-movie format and very beautifully done. Most of the stories are enjoyable, but you may find the odd dud. Neha Kumar

Set in Serbia during and after the war. Richard Gere is a love-lost journalist in need of the biggest story of his life; capturing an infamous war criminal modelled on Radovan Karadžić. Gere’s character manages to find him after only two days, which raises the question, why isn’t Richard Gere on the the UN payroll? Brian Murray

Semi-animated tripe with the ever-beautiful Jolie in the wrath-of-the-witch role. Apart from that, a pointless re-enactment of the classic novel; your time and money would be better spent getting the Penguin Classics’ version and reading it. Brian Murray

Dustin Hoffman, becoming more redundant with each film, stars with the beautiful Natalie Portman - who admittedly is the only incentive to watch this movie. A kid’s story about a magical toy store owned by Mr Magorium, whose lifetime is determined by how many pairs of shoes he has left, and the prodigious pianist-come-store manager (Portman) seeking inspiration to finish her first symphony. More boring than Marietta biscuits - and certainly without the charm. BM

Tale of swordsmanship presenting an aesthetic shamelessly plundered by Tarantino for his Kill Bill films. Bizarrely, after much sword-wielding and slaying, Zatoichi’s staggering narrative closes with a merry tap-dancing choreography, which ought to number among the best dance episodes in film ever.

Sabine Wolf

Superman emerges as the complete-American hero wrapped in the stars and stripes in SII. Clark Kent is on a come down from Superman the Movie - his emotions for Lois Lane get entangled with his superpowers - ‘damn you love’. Meanwhile a trio of unruly miscreants from Krypton nearly steal the show. Essential Eighties nostalgia with ’special effects’ pre-CGI.

JJ

More from contributors; Martin’s five to watch in the season of strategically placed mistletoe and multi-coloured woolly jumpers - in no particular order:

• The Departed - 2006 - Martin Scorsese
• Blood Diamond - 2006 - Edward Zwick
• Reservoir Dogs - 1992 - Quentin Tarantino
• Office Space - 1999 - Mike Judge
• Little Miss Sunshine - 2006 - Jonathan Dayton
  Valerie Faris

MGM announced today plans for two new hobbit films. Die hard fans will be thrilled to know that Peter Jackson is involved, though thus far only as an executive producer. Meanwhile Tolkien purists may concerned or enthralled to hear that there are plans to make a new film bridging The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Both films are expected to be larger than life blockbusters. Here’s a link to a forum and press release (via kottke), and read about the fascinating legal battle that led to this development here.

William Hilderbrandt

Pierce Brosnan plays the eponymous mega millionaire art thief Thomas Crown - a suave gentleman who likes his paintings like his women: old. Renne Russo stars opposite in this re-made glitzy, romantic cat-and-mouse thriller. Next installment due in 2008.

JJ