>> DVD REVIEWS
DOMINO
Release date October
Director Tony Scott
Starring Keira Knightley, Mena Suvari, Christopher Walken, Lucy Liu, Mickey Rourke
From Elizabeth Bennet to bounty hunter, Keira Knightley makes quite a leap from the polite society of Pride and Prejudice to the gritty action of Domino. The wild thriller is based on the true story of Domino Harvey, the daughter of legendary actor Laurence Harvey and a former Ford model, who rejected her privileged Beverley Hills lifestyle for the adrenaline-fuelled drama of bounty hunting. Combine Tony Scott’s trademark mixture of spine-tingling tension, biting comedy and sharp visuals with an impressive cast, and the result should knock you down, just like a domino.
SAW 2
Release date October
Director Darren Lynn Bousman
Starring Donnie Wahlberg, Shawnee Smith, Tobin Bell, Franky G., Glenn Plummer
Jigsaw is back. It’s okay – I’m not talking about the mind-numbingly boring pursuit of slotting together weird shapes to build a picture. I’m talking about the disturbed mastermind hell-bent on another round of blood-curdling life-or-death games. When Detective Eric Mason apprehends Jigsaw for a grizzly murder, he finds himself dragged into the killer’s evil plan. Eight strangers are forced to play out a perilous game that puts their lives on the line, and Mason has no choice but to join in. With nerve-jangling tension and heart-thumping action, this is not one for the tender minded.
DOOM
Release date October
Director Andrzej Bartkowiak
Starring Karl Urban, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Rosamund Pike, Deobia Oparei
Another science-fiction adventure offering a rather gloomy outlook on the years to come, Doom leaps from the computer screen to the big screen to thrill (or perhaps depress) us all with its dark vision. All hell has broken loose at a remote scientific research station on Mars as a legion of nightmarish creatures stalk its tunnels, killing the few people who remain. All hope rests on Sarge, Reaper and their team who must use every weapon at their disposal to destroy their deadly enemy. It’s going to be a horrifying and disturbing ride with thrills a plenty.
IN HER SHOES
Release date November
Director Curtis Hanson
Starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, Shirley MacLaine, Mark Feuerstein
This is the comical yet touching story of two sisters with nothing in common but size 8 feet. Cameron Diaz plays party mad, irresponsible Maggie who moves in with Rose, her ambitious attorney sibling, played by Toni Collette. When Rose discovers Maggie has slept with her boyfriend, she chucks her out of her apartment, forcing her to sleep in the Princeton library. The road to mutual sibling appreciation is a rocky one but, aided by the grandmother they never knew they had, they finally get there, with many an hilarious incident along the way.
SKY HIGH
Release date October
Director Mike Mitchell
Starring Kelly Preston, Kurt Russell, Lynda Carter, Michael Angarano
Sky High is no ordinary high school. Entrusted with moulding the superheroes of tomorrow, it is the only choice of institution for Will Stronghold, son of the world’s most legendary superheroes. But Will doesn’t only have the usual teenage problems of friends, girls and grades to contend with. Starting out with no superpowers of his own, he is relegated to being a ‘sidekick’. As the odds stack up against him, Will faces the challenge of emerging as a hero worthy of the family tradition. Teenage angst with a tantalising twist.
SERENITY
Release date October
Director Joss Whedon
Starring Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin
The man behind the Buffy and Angel phenomena makes his feature film directorial debut. Set 500 years in the future, Captain Malcolm Reynolds, a veteran of a galactic civil war, and his crew, make a living pulling off small crimes on board his ship, Serenity. When he takes on two new passengers, he finds his ship pursued by the unstoppable military force of the Universal Alliance and the savage Reavers. Why? Because one of the fugitives has a secret that no one is ever supposed to find out. Certainly not the calming entertainment the title might lead you to expect.
CORPSE BRIDE
Release date October
Director Tim Burton, Michael Johnson
Starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Albert Finney
Continuing in the dark, romantic vein of classic Tim Burton films Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride promises to be a dazzling and disturbing dose of escapism. The animated feature follows Victor, a young man whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride, while his real bride, Victoria, waits bereft in the land of the living. Though the Land of the Dead might be far more exciting than his strict Victorian upbringing, Victor is desperate to return to his true love. Romance, a sterling cast and even an optimistic vision of the afterlife.
LORD OF WAR
Release date October
Director Andrew Niccol
Starring Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto, Bridget Moynahan, Ethan Hawke
Based on fact, Lord of War is an action-packed thriller that delves into the dark and deadly depths of international arms dealing. The movie follows arms dealer Yuri Orlov as he travels the world and crosses the deadliest war zones. All the while, he struggles to stay one step ahead of a relentless Interpol agent, his business rivals, and even some of his customers who include many of the world’s most notorious dictators. Finally, Yuri must face his most feared shadow: his conscience.
JUST LIKE HEAVEN
Release date November
Director Mark Waters
Starring Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo, Jon Heder, Donal Logue
That heady combination of ghosts and romance is back but I can’t promise you any Patrick Swayze or pottery wheel shenanigans. When Elizabeth appears in David’s apartment and insists it is hers, he assumes there’s been a misunderstanding. But when she disappears as mysteriously as she arrived, David becomes convinced that she is a ghost. Adamant that she is still alive, the pair search for the truth about her. As their relationship blossoms into love, realisation dawns that their prospect of life together is sliding away with time.
INTO THE BLUE
Release date October
Director John Stockwell
Starring Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Dwayne Adway
Yes, it’s another thriller set in shark-infested waters but rest assured, this is no Open Water. Set in the Bahamas, this traces the story of a group of divers who discover the wreckage of a cargo plane on the ocean floor. Filled with millions of dollars worth of goods, their dreams of finding buried treasure might have come true. But a group of merciless criminals are hot on their heels in search of the illegal goods. A tranquil voyage this is not, as the treasure hunters soon become the hunted.
NIGHT WATCH
Release date October
Director Timur Bekmambetov
Starring Konstantin Khabensky, Vladimir Menshov, Maria Poroshina
Night Watch is the first instalment of a trilogy based on Sergei Lukyanenko’s sci-fi novels. Set in contemporary Moscow, Night Watch revolves around the balance maintained between the forces of light and darkness, which is the result of a medieval truce between the opposing sides. But, an ancient prophecy is about to come true: a powerful ‘Other’ will rise up, be tempted by one side, and tip the balance, plunging the world into a renewed war between darkness and light. The result will be catastrophic. Hailed as a fantasy epic by some of the world’s most respected directors, this promises to be a gripping watch.
THE TRANSPORTER 2
Release date November
Director Louis Leterrier
Starring Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valletta, Hunter Clary
Jason Statham returns as ex-Special Forces operative Frank Martin, aka ‘The Transporter.’ Having relocated to Miami, Martin makes a living driving for the wealthy Billings family, including their son, Jack, with whom he has unexpectedly bonded. But when Jack is abducted, Martin must first clear his name before using all his battle-tested combat skills to bring the boy to safety and discovering the kidnapper’s master plan. If a pure action fest full of female villains running around in skimpy lingerie is your thing, then you’ll love it.