Reviews

Michael Myers has returned, again! But this time it's personal. Halloween II is the brainchild of Rob Zombie who directed the remake of the 1978 John Carpenter original.

However, in this, the first sequel of the rebooted slasher series, Zombie has been able to splash his creative wisdom all over the celluloid with somewhat successful results.

By now, we all know that having Sheri Moon in a Rob Zombie film is a given, but her role here is perhaps slightly too implausible for even the most hardened critics to understand, playing schizophrenic Michael's dead mother. Unfortunately, the idea, which whilst being excellent at the production stages as an idea, is badly executed on screen and what we're left with, is a mess of a storyline that doesn't ever know which way it is going; supernatural one-minute and slasher flick the next.

Regrettably, Zombie has made some horrific choices concerning Michael's character. In this film he grunts as he kills, he doesn't use a knife to kill very often and the biggest sins of all, the iconic mask is removed in what could be a historical cinematic moment and John Carpenters musical score masterpiece has been completely removed. For these reasons alone, it doesn't feel like a Halloween film.

Negativity aside, the story is pretty much the same as last time around, though Zombie has focused in on Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor Compton) and the way her character changes from the events of Halloween night. As with giving the characters a back-story in the 2007 Halloween, this storyline change really does work.

The acting is superb; Compton is much better this time around and really brings a whole new side to her character. On the other hand, Malcolm McDowell's iconic Sam Loomis has been shoddily turned into a greedy, fame-obsessed man whose objectives are simply to make as much money as possible. This doesn't suit the role and leaves McDowell wanting.

Overall, Halloween II is a decent stab at recreating the old franchise; Zombie has made it work on so many levels and it certainly moves the game on. Unfortunately, he has tried to pack too many elements into the film and the pay off for that is a messy looking cinema experience. Enjoyable as a film, but the jury is still out on whether this deserves a spot on the Halloween collector's shelf.

From a rather unremarkable cast, to a rather unremarkable set of trailers. At first glance, it seems like director Marc Webb went into the 500 Days of Summer project rather half-heartedly and without fully understanding just how to market a big summer rom-com.

However, woe-betide you if from these rather uninspiring first impressions, you decide not to see it. You may just be missing one of the finest moments of cinema this year.

Zooey Deschanel (The Happening) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Halloween H20) star in this wonderful and uplifting tale of a man's journey through the pleasure and of course pains of love and dating.

The artistic flair in Webb's direction may, at first be confusing to some, but settle in with popcorn and a cold drink and it soon becomes apparent just how the film is made; making it an unconventional but thoroughly enjoyable portrait of love.

The acting from the leads can only be described as lovely, in the blue corner, we have Gordon Levitt's character Tom Hansen; working in a greetings card factory, he dreams of being an architect, though those dreams seem to have outreached his grasp. He practically leaps off the screen in a soft, gooey manner, showing perhaps that men aren't as heartless as they are sometimes seen. In the red corner we have Deschanel playing Summer. Her cutesy looks and charming persona make the two actors have a wonderful chemistry, matched by only a few in the past decade.

Webb has done exceptionally well turning what could've been a formulaic love story into something interesting, original. It really is a mesmerising 95 minutes. All in all; it is practically faultless.

The Final Destination series started what feels like eons ago with a small budget, big terror first movie. The success of said movie was completely unprecedented and of course it spawned two more sequels; the first of which directed by David R Ellis matched and bettered the original film, with a brilliant storyline and excellent special effects.

Unfortunately, the franchise fell flat on its face with a disappointing third instalment directed by James Wong, the brainchild behind the first movie.

Fast forward 3 years to 2009 and Ellis is back with what would be Final Destination 4. However, as this is possibly the last film in the tired series, it has been named The Final Destination; and oh yes, it's in 3D.

People have come to expect gore by the bucket full from these films, and the 4th instalment is definitely no exception; with more deaths than any of the other films. Bobby Campo stars as Nick; the unlucky SOB who sees the grisly and uncompromising deaths of his friends.

The major scene at the beginning of the film matches the first movie for sheer terror and special effects, but falls short of the pure heart-stopping, jaw dropping motorway pile up from Final Destination 2.

Unfortunately, the faults don't stop there; the acting leaves a lot to be desired, the leads do well in the roles they are given, but the dialogue is very contrived, one scene in particular is remarkably cringe worthy, given it's just the character speaking their line.

The deaths are becoming more and more imaginative with each film of the series, this episode though, you end up wondering how on earth people had managed to think of deaths are vicious and gruesome as the ones found here. The 3D effects in this film are good, but not at the same shock quality of the remake of My Bloody Valentine.

Overall, The Final Destination is a good way to pass a very short space of time, but it falls short of the first two films, instead making itself a passable, but not thoroughly recommendable addition to our ever-growing horror library.

David Twohy has an unusual collection of films to his name. The Chronicles of Riddick is perhaps his biggest blockbuster, but let us not forget Pitch Black, the space age film released back in the millennium! Well those films worked pretty well on certain levels, but some left feeling disappointed. Twohy is back this year with A Perfect Getaway.

This isn't a film for the young, or the action cravers; it starts out slow, perhaps intolerably slow for some. For a horror/thriller it goes about character development like nothing I have ever seen.

The acting from all corners is excellent and the cinematography is absolutely wonderful, showcasing all Hawaii has to offer it's tourists; though in some parts, I felt I was watching an advertisement for the Islands.

The final half of the film really packs up the momentum, definitely making up for a dreary first act. The final twist wasn't outright obvious, and worked well.

All in all, it's a good stab at the genre, and there aren't many who have done it better.

The sixth instalment in the internationally loved wizarding franchise has been perhaps one of the most awaited films of the decade; even more so considering the gruelling year fans have had to wait since it was decided to push the film back 12 months.

David Yates is once again at the helm, which after the fifth film is somewhat of a surprise to many critics. With rumours speculating the return of Alfonso Cuaron as director, I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking perhaps we could get things back on track.

Alas, it was not to be. After two disappointing instalments, a third would be disastrous, though unfortunately, it seems to be the case here. Yates' films just refuse to hit the spot, delving into unnecessary story lines that really don't progress the film further. Take for example the climatic finale of the book atop the astronomy tower; well it's been cut, replaced with an hour or so of non-stop snogging… ridiculous? I have words much stronger than that to describe it, but yes, ridiculous can do for now.

It would be silly to expect things to be perfect, but a little cohesion would have been welcome; to people who have not read the books, these films are starting to get incomprehensible and even to those that have, it still isn't an enjoyable experience. Remember the chapter where The Burrow blows up? No? Well that's because there isn't one, but it's been added, for explosions sake.

The Dursleys are cut, Dobby – cut, Dumbledore's funeral – cut, Kreacher – cut, Bill and Fleur - cut, in fact most of the important things from the book; have been cut.

Happily, there is a rather small pot of gold at the end of this murky rainbow. The acting from most is absolutely excellent, Daniel Radcliffe has grown into his role brilliantly and Michael Gambon seems to finally have chosen the right moods for Dumbledore and his character. Newcomer Jim Broadbent is superb in his role as potions master Horace Slughorn and Alan Rickman is as usual glorious and fully able to spread his wings in the larger role he has been given in this film. On the negative side, Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley hasn't developed into her role well, with her acting still being stilted; unfortunate, as her part is much larger in this film than the others.

Unfortunately, just like the previous two films, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince really hasn't hit the spot, it seems the larger books of the boy wizards saga have in reality stumped their respective directors, ending up as a complete mess. It certainly has its moments, though at 153 minutes it should have; but it seems the best film from the 8 has been made slightly too prematurely. Film number 7, come on down!

The good, the bad, and the down right ugly return in the sequel to Michael Bay's 2007 summer blockbuster, Transformers. Revenge of the Fallen picks up 2 years after the events of the first film and really shows why Michael Bay was again the perfect choice to helm this franchise.

Speculation about how long the film was going to be has finally been answered. 2 and a half hours for the uninitiated would seem a terrifying prospect as characters are introduced from all corners; but for fans of the bots, it's a thrill ride from the very start, right up until the end credits role.

Shia Le Beouf and Megan Foxx return as Sam Witwicky and love interest Mikeala in a sequel that's as loud as it is long. As with the first film, the story is a little thin on the ground, but thankfully there is enough here to satisfy even the hardest to please. The Decepticons (the bad guys) are mobilizing once again to take control of Earth, while the Autobots (the good guys) working together with human intelligence try to destroy their feared rivals.

Special effects are again outstanding with a finish on them that not even the first movie could hold a candle to, the transformers once more look 100% realistic in their presence, though with a $200m budget, outstanding was the least to be expected. Unfortunately, the action sequences sometimes can look messy, with a mash of metal making it hard to distinguish who is attacking who or who has fallen; one heart wrenching scene in particular makes this point even more evident.

Peter Cullen does an excellent job as the voice of Autobot leader Optimus Prime, with the same gravely texture that made him such a hit for the cartoon series in the first place. Hugo Weaving also returns as the voice of arch nemesis Megatron.

Bay packs on the slapstick in this sequel, perhaps going a little too far with the humour; after all, it isn't supposed to be an outright comedy, though some of the funny touches are out-and-out hilarious.

The finale is, as with its predecessor a little short and to the point, though many would say it was 'succinct', but any longer and the film would have started to drag, Bay obviously learning his lesson from the mess that was Pearl Harbour.

Overall then, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is an excellent sequel to what promises to be an exciting future for the franchise. Whilst it may not match its predecessor in terms of story and plot, it surpasses it in so many different ways. It's a must watch for all action cravers.

Bolt is a fresh, light hearted family movie. Unfortunately though, it never raises itself above that level, it never delves into the greatness of Finding Nemo or Monsters Inc.

However, it does show promise from the outset with fresh animation and a brilliant cast, perfectly pressed into the moulds of their characters. John Travolta is by far the stand out as Bolt, the naive canine, he provides the character with a depth that not many animation films seem to have nowadays.

Miley Cyrus is, surprisingly, good in her role as Penny, the dog loving kid who can't stop until her four legged friend is found.

The story is adequate, again with depth which isn't at the moment a necessary feature of an animated flick.

Apart from a good cast and a decent storyline, Bolt falls somewhere in between Monsters Inc and Cars; whilst it may do its job as a good family film, it won't set your soul alight.

2009 is the year of Horror, or that is what we've all been told by the media. I thoroughly enjoyed 2007's edition to the Halloween franchise; the film, directed by Rob Zombie added something new to a dying breed of films: suspense! 2009 arrived, with titles like Final Destination 4, My Bloody Valentine and Saw 6 on the horizon, as well as a sequel to Halloween; entitled H2, it promises to be a good year for the genre.

Friday the 13th follows in the footsteps of the Halloween franchise, a classic horror being remade to ensure that 21st Century audiences get a taste of Jason Vorhees, as has already been done with Michael Myers.

Obviously, no remade film can match the simplicity and clarity of the original, but Zombie's Halloween certainly got close to John Carpenter's masterpiece.

Unfortunately, Friday the 13th didn't come within a stones throw of the original; all that was there was a repackaged Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but being from the same family as that remake, I was expecting some similarities. However, the amount of them was completely unforgivable. Jason was lost in a mess between trying to get it like the original and Texas Chainsaw.

The young actors/actresses performed well in their limited roles and there was a deal of suspense, not a lot; but enough for a few shocks every now and then. On the other hand, the amount of nudity in the film was completely unnecessary; one scene in particular was not needed.

Jason himself was impressive, very well made up and Derek Mears performed very well. Unlike the Halloween remake, F13 decided to stay well clear of giving the character a back-story so that Jason didn't get too much sympathy. There are scenes that show he isn't just a non-stop machine however. Unfortunately, I think a back-story would've given the film much more depth.

Overall, F13 is everything a modern horror film shouldn't be; messy, disorganised and lacklustre in nearly every way possible. You're probably wondering why from my review it got a mark of 4; that's because the effort put in to making the film shows on screen, unfortunately it just doesn't work.

Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale star in Vacancy, one of the best horror suspense thrillers to come out of this decade.

A fittingly disturbing Frank Whaley provides most of the tense moments in the film as the creepy motel manager, whilst the masked intruders provide shocks galore in a feast for the eyes and ears.

The simplicity of the film, is, unusually a strong point for this movie, the suspense is cranked up as the unsuspecting couple arrive at their rooms; the audience seemingly following their innocent trek.

Acting, from all corners is exceptional, Beckinsales limited dialogue is used to good effect, with the sweat from her face adding extra tension to an already horrifying film. Wilson is good, but it is nice to see a lead female in a horror film.

What makes this different, is the sheer lack of horror elements, no nudity, no gore, just genuine scares with genuine suspense.

Overall, it's a must watch for any horror fan; just don't watch it alone.

Horror films seem to be taking a turn for the worst at the moment, there have been only a few films in the last decade worth noting and a whole stream of ones that are forgettable.

The Hills Have Eyes is definitely one you will remember, but perhaps for all the wrong reasons.

The acting is one of the best parts of the entire film, which really isn't saying much as the characters seem deeply uncomfortable playing their roles. More so than they should be.

Positive things stop there. It seems that many horror directors realise that their film simply isn't scary enough so they turn it into a sick gore fest. The Hills Have Eyes is an example of this. Scenes in this film are too brutal for even the hardest of stomachs.

The effects are decent, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Overall, brace your stomach and brace your patience, because The Hills Have Eyes is instantaneously dull.

Horror films are falling back into decline, just like they were in the early 80's with trashy sequels to Halloween and Friday the 13th.

2008 has been a decent year for good horror movies; The Strangers was excellent and Saw V is being released very soon. Mirrors seems to have been lost in the background between these two movies and never really got the recognition it deserved.

An excellent start to the film is met by an equally good middle half, and only the final 20 minutes spoils the scene. Acting by all the leads is brilliant, especially from the children who really can send a chill down your spine. You'll see what I mean.

Unfortunately, that bad ending really ruins the entire film for me, it turns into an action movie instead of ending at a point which would've made it the best horror film of the past few years.

A few details make mirrors a good watch, but not a must see.

Take two classic horror villains that have dominated our silver screens for decades, put them together with a group of horny teenagers and what do you get? Freddy vs. Jason is a classic misuse of the horror genre, not once did I feel terrified in my seat as both titans of horror made their duet debut.

One other reviewer raved on about the film saying how he laughed from the films black comedy, but this is the fundamental flaw with this film, horrors are not supposed to be this funny, perhaps a dash of humour now and then, but I didn't flinch once.

The Halloween franchise in my opinion has faired much better than these two simply because it is kept scary, Michael Myers kills someone and a lifelike amount of blood will seep from his victims.

Jason kills someone in a not so memorable scene in this movie and the amount of blood is unbelievable.

The acting is appalling, Kelly Rowland in particular is dreadful in her role. The story and plot are decent but direly done, some scenes are exceptionally confusing until you actually realise what is going on.

Cinematography was excellent however, the shots and camera angles used really made the film stand out from other horrors.

If you fancy a laugh at the directors expense, by all means, rent this movie out, a much better idea would be to watch Halloween perhaps one last time.

Here's an idea... Micheal vs. Jason.

The Strangers is a classic horror movie, terrifying in every sense of the word. After hearing good reviews from a fair few critics, I decided to give it a go; after watching it however, I felt slightly disappointed.

It lacked an outright story, instead; making use of a jumbled up mess of plots from other horror films, namely Halloween, Psycho and other classic slashers. This was somewhat disappointing as the trailer looked promising to say the least.

However, what it lacked in plot, it made up for in sheer terror, this is not a film for the fainthearted, not gory; just genuinely scary. I jumped numerous times in the film, one scene in particular, but figure out for yourself which one that is.

The acting was decent, though Liv Tyler looked particularly bored with her role and didn't really match up to expectations.

Ultimately, this is an old fashioned, genuinely scary horror film which is something that is hard to come across in the 21st Century. Whilst it lacked some fundamental points to make it an entirely successful film, it is certainly a good watch.

After seeing Johnny English countless times, I thought that this would never be able to match up to the wit and sheer enjoyment at watching Rowan Atkinson making blunder after blunder.

However, I was pleasantly surprised, whilst it was fairly immature in some respects; Get Smart had a depth which the English film lacked. The acting was also much better (Anne Hathaway - Natalie Imbruglia for instance.) The story also seemed to be much more substantial, with each scene being necessary for the continuation of the film.

Fantastically funny is the only phrase I can use to describe Get Smart, I was in hysterics for at least half of the film, Steve Carell was leaps and bounds ahead of Atkinson in his performance; and even Dwayne Johnson provided a decent turn of pace.

The only downside with the movie was the overwhelming sense of sentimentality towards the finale, but that is only a minor consideration.

A huge success in every respect!! A must see!

After watching Hairspray on the big screen I decided to give Mamma Mia a go, not being a big fan of ABBA it could've been a horrible experience.

However, i left my cinema with a sense of joy at what i had witnessed, not only is this one of the best films of the year, it is possibly one of the best films to come out of the '00's' Meryl Streep, though a little old for her part was as usual, on top form with an amazingly powerful and emotional voice. Her acting, whilst not on a par with The Devil Wears Prada, was excellent.

Amanda Seyfried was a joy to watch, her voice was again excellent and she played her part with a great finesse that no other young actress could've brought to the screen.

Unfortunately, Brosnan was slightly miscast with his voice being pretty average in relation to the rest of the cast. Julie Walters did Britain proud with her best role for years & a rather unusual looking Christine Baranski provided her fair share of laughs.

Whilst having a fairly thin storyline, the cinematography and the execution of the entire film was brilliant.

This is a complete joy to watch.

I was slightly reserved about going to see this film after watching other examples of M. Nights work. The Village and Lady In The Water were both simply awful.

However, I was hoping that this latest outing would bring back the greatness of Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. Unsurprisingly, it was not to be.

Unfortunately, all I was given was a poorly directed mess of a movie with 2D characters I couldn't care less about. The problem that is blighting many recent horror films.

The acting was absolutely atrocious, no emotion, no feeling, nothing. Wahlbergs performance was at best, terrible. Zooey Deschanel was laughable in her cringingly lacklustre role. The best way to describe all of the performances in this film is by calling them wooden. No-one stood out and even characters with precious little screen time acted like they couldn't be bothered.

The dialogue was simply inexplicable, some of the lines spoken in the film were jaw-droppingly abysmal and it wasn't scary, not one scene of this mess was in the least bit horrifying. Though the UK version being cut probably didn't help matters.

The premise of the story was brilliant and could've been done successfully, but this is a complete sham of a movie and I wish I had thought with my head instead of my heart.

Terrifyingly awful.

The current economic climate is something which has sparked a revelation in the minds of Brits and other people around the globe alike. It seems that the dire state the planet is in at the moment has given way to a host of soft-centered, enjoyable family films.

Hairspray came just before the recession hit us hard, but nonetheless it still made a huge impact around the globe. The original film released way back yonder was a crude representation of 60's life, whereas this smacks you straight in the face; but for all the right reasons.

Adam Shankman is at the helm this time and brings a world of colour on to the screen. The casting by any standard is superb. John Travolta leaps off the screen as Edna Turnblad and Michelle Pfeiffer is also excellently realised as the greedy TV station manager.

The lovable Christopher Walken, hunky Zac Efron and bubbly Queen Latifah also star alongside newcomer Nikki Blonsky, who nearly steals the show, were it not for her character's mother (Travolta).

Overall, Hairspray will set your heart alight with a warm glow, it's a must watch if you're feeling blue!

I'm not a big fan of the Vampire genre but was really surprised at how impressed I was by this film. I was slightly apprehensive of this movie at first, but 10 minutes in, I new I had struck gold.

The horror genre has been doubled over so many times, i'm starting to lose count of how many similar films are all out there, borrowing plots and ideas off each other. 30 days of night was refreshingly different, a welcome change of pace. Where most Vampire films show the creatures as humans with a different, emotional side to them; 30 days showed them as vicious creatures who don't want anything but food and death.

The special prosthetics used on the actors to turn them into blood-thirsty monsters were simply excellent, leagues ahead of the CGI used in the $150m blockbuster I Am Legend.

The acting was pretty inspiring, Josh Hartnett & Melissa George were excellent in their quite basic roles. They played their parts with a finesse matched by only a few actors of 2007.

My only real gripe with this film is that it is slightly too long for a horror movie and the ending is a bit too sentimental.

The only horror film to beat it of 2007 was the new remake of Halloween by Rob Zombie. Overall, an excellent, tense movie which is also a visual treat for any viewer.

After putting myself through the pain of the first Wrong Turn, i decided to rent this on DVD to see if it could improve. The first tell tale signs that it wouldn't were in the fact it was a straight to DVD release.

The outset was promising, though the premise had been done numerous times before; though that doesn't really matter too much with horror.

After the film had ended, i sat with my mouth open at what i had just seen. The acting, the dialogue, the special effects and the overall direction of this film was at best; amateurish.

The whole film felt like it was supposed to be a cheesy, student project that would be used in University; are people really meant to take this film seriously!? After watching this piece of trash, i completely lost faith in horror films at this time, because all of them seem to be so basic and dull.

I never thought it would be possible to hate all films in a single franchise, i also never thought it would be possible to hate this film more than i did the first - you know something? I think i just did.

Michael Myers returns once again in this, the 9th instalment of the Halloween franchise. Rob Zombie is at the helm of this half prequel, half retread of John Carpenters 1978 masterpiece. Daeg Faerch and Tyler Mane star as Myers young and old respectively. It is certainly Zombies best film to date, but that isn't saying much.

Where John Carpenter brought us subtle, almost invisible horror elements, Zombie smacks us right in the face with brutal violence. The jump tactic has never been used to such an extent in any horror movie I have seen in recent times. It is most deserving of its 18 certificate.

If you have seen the 78 original then you will notice how this is not just a simple remake. Zombie recreates and pours his own vision into what had become a very bland and tired franchise; he has injected a new lease of life into Myers.

The first half of the film is a prequel; nothing more, nothing less, showing why Myers became such a sadistic killer and without giving too much away, it is shockingly brutal in such a way that some scenes can become impossible to watch. Despite this, it works; we finally get to see the boy behind the iconic mask and begin to show sympathy for a character we never thought that would be possible for.

Daeg Faerch is an excellent choice as young Myers; his sly, almost slimy character makes sure we never forget whom he truly is. His acting is also excellent, in comparison to some other young actors of the year; he is a league ahead.

Malcolm McDowell is the perfect choice for Dr. Sam Loomis; he plays his character with a finesse that would make the late Donald Pleasance exceptionally proud. He however, does not play Loomis as a gentle and subtle character, as with the rest of the film, he is an in your face, loud and potentially obnoxious character who's real comfort is not the plight of his patients, but the money.

It's all going pretty well for Zombie right up until Myers becomes the character we all know and 'love'. The second half of the film lacks the imagination and ultimately the scares of the original, there are one or two jumps here and there and the violence doesn't cease to come fast and thick, but gore does not create a scary film.

His mask on the other hand, works wonderfully with the sheer size of Tyler Mane as Myers and puts the William Shatner original to shame. This is the mask that will stick in your mind out of the 9 movies that have been made.

Unfortunately the good news stops there regarding the second half, the characters we see in this half of the film are direly under-developed and we care more about Michael treading on the neighbours begonias more than the death of one of the lead characters. Example, Scout Taylor-Compton plays the famous Jamie Lee-Curtis role of Laurie Strode but her character doesn't really get to do much apart from scream and talk about sex. Her acting isn't up to par with Curtis.

Zombies other movies, forgettable as they may be, were praised for their vast use of 70's music. Halloween is no exception; if you're a huge fan of the decade then this is definitely a treat for your ears, whether or not you like the horror genre. If you're not a fan, then your ears will certainly take a battering.

The films plus point is that it never retreats its pace, it is mercilessly fast and efficient, while making sure that all the major details are carried over onto the screen. Whilst being shockingly brutal, noisy and fairly void of soul, this is a definite yes on any Halloween fans shortlist.

Zombie deserves credit for the way he has recreated a horror legend in such a way that over 30 years after the originals release, he has managed to resurrect this monster from the Hollywood grave where it has spent the last 20 or so years.

One can only hope that if a sequel is necessary, it be better than the ultimately lacklustre effort made by Rick Rosenthal in Halloween 2.

Remakes of old cult Horror films are about as common as clouds in the British sky at the moment. There was Halloween, remade by Rob Zombie into a brutal, but effective display of violence, The Hills Have Eyes I & II which massacred all that was good about the original franchise.

Prom Night was never a huge film when it was first released over 20 years ago, so the reasoning behind this remake is not all that clear. All that can be said however, is that it is hugely disappointing.

What starts off as a predictable, done 1000 times before type of premise seems to evolve into something much better within the first half; the acting is by and large good, the cinematography is also good and the plot actually has just that, a plot.

Unfortunately, after reaching the half way point, it seems the director has run out of fresh ideas, using the same shocks over and over again; any gasps from the audience simply discussing the fact that it seems to have a terrible case of deja vu.

Brittany Snow is memorable for her role as Amber in Hairspray, she will not however, be remembered for her role in this OK, but could do better; horror flick.

Transformers is a rare thing. A film totally dominated by special effects that completely works and works well. Jurassic Park was one of them and Spiderman was another.

Michael Bay pours his heart and soul into this film and in the process makes the best film of his to date. Steven Spielberg is also present to inject some of that well known sentimentality that we all know and love from his films to make it a little more realistic.

The transformers themselves are fully believable in their performances and definitely steal the show. Their glistening metal bodies compliment the subtlety of the actors voices perfectly.

Shia Le Beouf is once again on top form in his role, which is perhaps slightly thin on the ground, but interesting none the less. His comedic edge to the character he plays will appeal to most. Megan Foxx is also excellent as his love interest.

Overall, Transformers is an excellent summer blockbuster, brilliant special effects and an engaging storyline. You couldn't ask for much more.

A must watch.