Harry Brown

An elderly ex-serviceman and widower looks to avenge his best friend's murder by doling out his own form of justice.

Harry Brown opens with a truly striking first ten minutes, a giddy array of shaky mobile phone footage of a young English gang followed by an un-forgettable act of violence which will shock. Although this does not quite set the tone of the film it does gives a wake up call to youth city violence.

The film has a good supporting cast from its mainly young leads, a nasty group with the well structured police integration scene showing how far verbal violence can shake an audience with both fear and dread. Still this is the Michael Caine show. It is rare for Mr Caine to get leads now days, the actor is one of the most famous English actors and is truly wonderful in the title role.

What is truly wonderful is the creation of the Harry Brown character from a loving old guy next door, including a highlighted tender scene of a one to one with a friend in his local pub after the death of his daughter, to transformation to a re-activated old solider to a killing machine, as Harry Brown takes vengeance for the death of a friend, out on the local young gang.

Violent, and a bit too much Hollywood styled 'Death Wish' in places Harry Brown' is still a thrilling, tough, and thought provoking British thriller. Well directed and a great central performance from its lead.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs

When Flint Lockwood's latest contraption accidentally destroys the town square and rockets up into the clouds, he thinks his inventing career is over. Then something amazing happens as delicious cheeseburgers start raining from the sky. His machine actually works! But when people greedily ask for more and more food, the machine starts to run amok, unleashing spaghetti tornadoes and giant meatballs that threaten the world!

'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' is the wackiest animation of 2009. Where 'UP' won over with its big heart, and 'Coralline' with technique wonder, 'Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs' is just out there silliness, with great food destroying set pieces, a number of inspiring film in jokes and lovely visuals. Including a jelly and ice cream set of scenes which are just beautiful. Another plus are the inspiring set of voice overs including a standout from MR T as the local policemen.

'Cloudy' gets caught up too much with what’s visually on screen, sometimes hurting the story and characters at times, still the animated adventure is one of the most original and exciting and clever animated features to come out in a number of years.

Surrogates

People are living their lives remotely from the safety of their own homes via robotic surrogates, sexy, physically perfect mechanical representations of themselves. It’s an ideal world where crime, pain, fear and consequences don’t exist.

Director Jonathan Mostow follow up to I-Robot has a similar feel to his Will Smith Sc-Fi, with robots taking centre stage. The idea of surrogates replacing an alternative older more appearance, and social sensitive human society is a good one. Still the central story is tiresome, and the feeling of been there done that, is too evident. Surprising the films second side story of the Bruce Willies character Tom trying to get his wife to become more at peace with her human body over the robot surrogate, is touching and has more heart than the generic sc-fi formula story taking centre stage.

Surrogates is ok, and come alive with some well staged if to brief action set pieces. Still the pacing of the film is an issue, the film never really hitting full stride. Mostow has done much better in the Sc-Fi department before, with the far superior I-Robot.