Reviews

I remember when I saw The Goonies for the first time. I was 8 years old and saw it at the cinemas and it became my favourite movie. After seeing it my friends and I started our own Goonie club and would go on adventures in the bushland as we lived near a reserve and we would create our own treasure hunts.

Jeff Cohen as Chunk was fantastic and not a single actor was miscast and the scene where Chunk confesses to the Fratelli's the worst things he's done in his life were hilarious. I hadn't seen this for years until it was released on DVD not long ago and when I watched it again, my childhood came flooding back and it hasn't dated at all.

This is one movie that appeals to all ages and I am disappointed that there has been no sequel.

America's Sweethearts would have to be one of the funniest movies I've seen recently.

Julia Roberts as usual plays down her beauty and once again always fails is fantastic as Kiki but Cahterine Zeta Jones really surprised me with her role and it was great to see her comedic skills. She is so beautiful and should be taken more seriously as an actress as she's brilliant.

John Cusack was ok as was Billy Crystal but Christopher Walken didn't disappoint with his small role as a movie director and practically stole the movie.

The final cut of the movie he made was hysterical and it would have been interesting to see Robert Downey Jr in the Hank Azaria role as I didn't think he was really great at all.

If you're looking for a movie to make you laugh, get this one out as it certainly doesn't disappoint.

One rainy day while searching the video store my boyfriend and I came across this movie. Bill Pullman was on the cover so we hired it without reading the back of the cover and we were pleasantly surprised.

It was strange seeing Bill Pullman as the bad guy. He's certainly an underrated actor and this movie works only because of him.

Gabrielle Anwar was dull in her performance but Devon Sawa was great.

Bill Pullman plays a lawyer about to become a judge who tries to seduce his secretary, Gabrielle Anwar. She threatens to blackmail him and he hires Sawa to kill her but there are a few twists involved.

All in all this isn't a bad movie to watch and even though his performance was good, after being the nice guy for so long you have trouble believing Bill Pullman as a baddie.

Return to Paradise is what Brokedown Palace should have been. Joaquin Phoenix, David Conrad and Vince Vaughn are 3 friends on a 5 week holiday in Penang. Joaquin stays behind and the others come home. Forward 2 years later a young lawyer tracks down the other 2 and they find out that Joaquin's character has been in prison for the past 2 years and they have 8 years to decide whether to take their share of the blame.

Joaquin Phoenix is the heart and soul of this movie. His performance is so poignant and real, he has truly come a long way since the 80s.

Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche are brilliant in their roles especially Anne Heche, she really took her character to another level and it was sometimes heartbreaking as her performance was so real.

This is one movie to check out if you haven't seen it. I did not know about this movie until 2 years ago when I saw it on cable and after just watching Brokedown Palace I was skeptical as it was really bad and I was so surprised when I watched Return to Paradise as it wasn't toned down or glossed over and all the principle actors were fantastic.

If you haven't seen it you certainly don't know what you're missing.

I only saw The Vanishing a few days ago on cable and surprised I've never come across it before.

The Vanishing reminds me so much of Breakdown, starring Kurt Russell where the movie plods along at a nice speed, nothing over the top happens or anything.

Sandra Bullock, although on screen for about 10 minutes is brilliant as Diane, girlfriend of Jeff, played by Kiefer Sutherland. They're on their way home after a holiday and they stop off at a gas station and that's the last time Jeff sees Diane.

A few years later, Jeff is determined to find out what happened to Diane and for a first the abductor played brilliantly by Jeff Bridges seeks Jeff out in order to clear his mind of what happened that day 3 years ago.

Nancy Travis is in a thankless role as Jeff's new girlfriend Rita, who is jealous of Jeff's determination to find the truth in Diane's disappearance.

Kiefer Sutherland is brilliant as Jeff and is in all his work and the movie isn't over the top in the scare factors, there a quite a few scares especially when you find out the truth and that's what makes this movie work the fact that it isn't over the top in scaring the audience.

If you haven't seen this movie you certainly don't know what you've been missing, hey it took me 9 years to see it and it's become one of my favourites.

After 12 years Ghost would have to be the best love story in recent years. The story of unconditional love beyond the grave is so beautiful and makes me cry even after seeing this film 30 times.

Patrick Swayze is Sam and Demi Moore is Molly. One night Sam is mugged and killed and is trying to contact Molly beyond the grave as the murderer is in her life. With the help of Oda Mae Brown, brilliantly played by Whoopi Goldberg he contacts Molly through Oda and of course Molly doesn't believe her.

I won't spoil the outcomes for the people who haven't seen this but there are a few twists and turns although one was very obvious and was picked up the first time I saw this as a 13 year old girl.

This is the only film which makes me cry every time I watch it. This movie makes you appreciate exactly what you have and who you spend your life with and not to take that person and each day for granted.

This will always be a wonderful film that will be remembered in years to come.

Coyote Ugly is a enjoyable movie. Piper Perabo plays Violet, a small town girl who moves to New York to become a song writer but ends up working in a bar.

John Goodman plays her father and even though his role is small he is wonderful like he always is in his roles as is Melanie Lynskey who plays Violet's best friend Gloria. Those two are really what makes this movie work.

Aussie Adam Garcia is also terrific as Kevin as is Maria Bello as Lil.

This movie appeals to both males and females - males obviously for the coyotes and women for Adam Garcia. The sound track is brilliant as well with 4 songs performed by LeAnn Rimes and other artists and a definite must have as well.

The Perfect Storm was such a heartwrenching experience to watch, movies based on real life events always are to me and this is no exception.

George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg were fantastic in this movie as was John C. Reilly. Diane Lane was brilliant as well and it's great to see her back in another great movie Unfaithful as she is truly a gifted actress but in this film she was limited but when she was on screen it was magic.

The last hour of this movie is gutwrenching to say the least and always brings a tear to my eye as you cannot even begin to imagine what it must have been like for the people involved and for the people left behind.

The theme song and score is pure magic as well. James Horner is a master at creating beautiful music. He shone with Legends of the Fall and not to mention Titanic, his music always lifts the film to the highest level and brings so much more to the films he works on.

I was 9 years old in 1986 when Debbie released Only in my dreams and from that stage on I was a Debbie fan. How girls today want to be Britney I along with all my friends wanted to be Debbie. We wore hats and 2 watches, not to mention the clothes awwww!!!

This video showcases songs from her first 2 albums and some from her 3rd. After 1992's body mind soul, no more Debbie albums were released in Australia although she's still recording in the US and has performed on Broadway numerous times.

Foolish beat will always be my favourite song and it's hard to believe it was written by a then 14 year old girl, she sings that song so beautifully but then her songs were always written from the heart and were an inspiration.

With the exception of Dances with Wolves, Kevin Costner shines in baseball movies. This is no exception and his best film since well, Dances with Wolves.

John C Reilly gives a great performance as the best friend and catcher of the Indians and Kelly Preston finally gets a chance to show everyone her talents. She had a small but great role in Jerry Maguire and finally gets to showcase her talents as Billy's girlfriend Jane.

For love of the game is pure magic and brilliantly told, while playing his last game, Billy reflects on the past 5 years of his life with Jane through a series of flash backs and it's one of the best films of 1999 and it's only a shame the brilliant John C Reilly didn't have a bigger role to play with as he never disappoints in his movies.

I saw this movie opening day and it took my breath away. James Cameron's fictional story of Jack and Rose entwined with real life occurances was haunting and absolutely beautiful. He is an amazing director and writer that this movie would not have worked without him.

Kate Winslet was stunning as Rose and this movie belonged to her as you couldn't imagine anyone else playing this role.

Leonardo DiCaprio was really good as Jack and he should have had an an Oscar nomination for this role and the ever brilliant Billy Zane didn't disappoint in his role as Rose's fiance Cal. His portrayl of Cal was so evil that despite being an awful person, you couldn't help but feel sorry for him, especially when despite all his doings he loved Rose so much.

James Horner's music was just as haunting and he always lifts the movie he works on to the ultimate level.

Kathy Bates was equally impressive in a small role and provided quite a few of the laughs of the film.

Everything from the special effects, to the sets to the costumes were pure magic.

This would have to be one of the most wonderful films of the 20th Century and one that will never be forgotten.

Very rarely does a movie stand out like this one. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's story is so beautiful that you experience every type of emotion throughout the film.

Robin Williams deserved the Oscar for his performance and it's sad that people often forget that when he does a serious film - he's brilliant. He doesn't showcase that other side of him often enough and he's probably the only actor besides Bruce Willis who can play every type of character imaginable.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were brilliant as well and deserved more recognition at the Oscars other than the win for the screenplay.

I am not a fan of Minnie Driver but her performance is haunting and she really put all her heart and soul into this role.

If you haven't seen this movie you don't know what you are missing.

Cameron Crowe is a master at storytelling, he has a way of making us really care about the characters he creates and then when casting those roles the actors who portray those characters makes us really believe and care about the character they are playing.

I am not a huge Tom Cruise fan, a few of his movies have been really good like Born on the Fourth of July and A Few Good Men but ones like Top Gun and Cocktail fell short of the mark.

This movie really made him stood out and his role of the arrogant sports agent who turns out to have a heart really pulls at the heart strings. He deserved all the acculations he got for this role as it was his best performance since A Few Good Men.

Renee Zellweger was equally fantastic as Dorothy and the look on her face when seeing her screen son hug Jerry was magic. She was the heart and soul of the film and made you really want the best for her character and son.

Cuba Gooding Jr gave a wonderful performance as Rod and absolutely deserved the Oscar. Jonathan Lipnicki was brilliant as Ray and Bonnie Hunt as Dorothy's protective sister was another great performance and it was a shame her character didn't have more of a role to do with.

This is a must see and one to watch over and over again.

I first saw this movie about 8 years ago and seeing Robert Downey Jr portray a drug addict is a little too close to reality. He was brilliant as Julian that it's such a shame to see he's followed the same path as he is a gifted actor.

Andrew McCarthy stood out as well as Clay the best friend who went away to college and comes home to help his friend who betrayed him by sleeping with his girlfriend and a year later comes home to help his friend, but Jami Gertz was a huge let down as Clay's girlfriend Blair as was the usually reliable James Spader who played a character similar to the one he played in Pretty in Pink. He should have had a bigger part and another let down was that how the film ended.

Besides that this is a movie worth checking out as it wasn't filled with the Brat Packers of the 80s.

The only thing unrealistic was that we were supposed to believe that Blair, Clay, Julian and Rip were 18/19 years old.

This is one of Robert Downey Jr's best work, and definitely worth a look even after all these years.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun is the ultimate movie of the 80s. I was 8 years old when this came out and my friends and I would hold our own Dance TV, of course everyone wanted to be Janey but I wanted to be Helen Hunt's character Lynne.

Even though Sarah Jessica Parker had the title role and the hunky Lee Montgomery as her dance partner and boyfriend, this film belonged to Helen Hunt. She was absolutely wonderful as the best friend who helped Janey with her dream of being on Dance TV.

Jonathan Silverman was funny as Drew, Jeff's best friend that in fact the best friends were the one who made this movie more enjoyable.

Shannen Doherty was also impressive as Jeff's little sister Maggie, but a little too old to be playing a 12 year old.

The music is brilliant, though a little dated and every time I see this movie it brings back all the nostaglia of growing up in the 80s.

A definite must see no matter how many times you've watched it.

Ralph Macchio may have been the Karate Kid, but this film belongs to William Zabka and it's such a shame he's not making bigger movies even though he is still acting.

He was brilliant as Johnny and even though he was the bully you couldn't help but like him and I had the biggest crush on him growing up and I was only 7 when I saw this at the movies and watched all his movies until Shootfighter and of course when he was on the Equalizer and he was quiet for a while until High Voltage and Python were released in Australia as not all his movies are released here.

He put so much heart and soul into his performance as Johnny and it was a shame that he was typecast as the bully in his other films but then again, he was the best actor in Back to School.

Elisabeth Shue gave an honest and real performance as Ali but was relogated to the role of girlfriend in her other films until Leaving Las Vegas when again she showcased her wonderful acting ability and Pat Morita was brilliant as Miyagi. It's a shame that the sequel didn't focus more on the Cobra Kais and Ali as after the opening of the 2nd one the movie fell apart from then on.

When Karate Kid 3 was released all I knew then was that Kreese was after revenge and it would have been great if the original Cobra Kais made an appearance other than the arcive footage as the first Karate Kid worked so well when they were on screen that when they weren't the film got a little boring.

Of course Ralph's character in the beginning wasn't a expert on karate and of course the underdog has to win the tournament and the girl but I didn't like his character as he lies to his potential new friends and his sometimes treatment of Ali made you want the Cobra Kais to win, but of course in movie land this isn't possible.

It's hard to believe this movie is almost 20 years old. It hasn't dated funnily enough and is always showing on cable. Teen movies are sure a lot different today than what they were in the 80s. It seems every decade the new generation of teens latch onto those 80s movies and even though the fashion etc are questionable, some of the best movies were from the 1980s and this is certainly one of them.

For 12 years A Country Practice was a regular viewing pleasure in our household. I was only 4 years old when it started but it's still clear in my mind as it was 20 years ago and now it's being shown on tv all over again for a new generation to see.

In 1994 another channel took over the production rights and it wasn't the same, some characters ventured over and some new characters were introduced but it wasn't the same and after a year it was cancelled.

Anne Tenney as Molly was a breath of fresh air and her vibrant personality and not to mention her colourful wardrobe brought humour to us all and from when the show first started in 1981 she was the heart and soul of this series and when Molly died in 1985 I cried my little heart out and the show even though continued it was surely missing Molly.

Penny Cook and Grant Dodwell were another favourite. Their will they/ won't they relationship was so frustrating that when they finally got married, every girl in Australia wanted the wedding dress Vicky wore when she finally married Simon.

It wasn't until 1989 when we got a character as likable as Molly Jones and the character was Lucy Gardiner played by Georgie Parker. When Georgie left the series a few years later again it left a gap in the show and the next 2 years left of the series wasn't the same.

But, there wasn't one bad performance in this series. When Lorrae Desmond left in 1992 it brought a tear to everyone as she was an original, and you couldn't help but love all the characters of Wandin Valley.

Syd Heylen and Gordon Piper as Cookie and Bob were the best friends who were always getting into trouble and were the definite comic relief, to the town gossip Esme Watson played by Joyce Jacobs even though she was a meddler you couldn't help but like her character.

There hasn't been another tv series quite like this and it's one that will be remembered always.

Bridget Jones's Diary is a wonderful film. Renee Zellweger as Bridget gives such an honest and real performance that makes you laugh and cry at the same time.

Hugh Grant was very impressive and it was great to see him in such a role as Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill were too much alike character wise and it was about time we saw Hugh in this light and he definitely had the funniest lines and you could tell he was really enjoying his role as Daniel Cleaver which made the film more enjoyable.

I must admit I have never seen Colin's other movies and was pleasantly surprised by his performance. He gave such a dry humouress performance and that it's hard to pick the standout of the movie as the 3 of them were brilliant.

Jim Broadbent gave a wonderful performance as Bridget's father and the supporting cast were equally as good.

Renee's accent was so real that if you didn't know her nationality you'd honestly believe she was British, not many actresses can do this and Gwyneth Paltrow is another example of who can do the British accent impressively as well.

Definitely a film to watch over and over again and one of Renee's best.

Being Australian I have been a huge fan of Nicole Kidman since the early 80s. Since the 90s she hasn't been able to show the world what she could do as her performances in some Aussie movies and mini series were absolutely mesmerising - Dead Calm, Bangkok Hilton, just to name a few.

Last year she stepped out of the shadows with her brilliant role in Moulin Rouge and now with The Others, she's finally showcasing her talents.

The Others is not a film to watch alone. I love movies like this one where you don't know what to expect or how it'll end and this certainly didn't disappoint and it definitely sends chills down your spine.

The performances of her children were wonderful as well and I think Nicole should've been nominated for an Oscar for this film as well.

Definitely one of the best films of 2001 and one not to be missed.

I have been a huge fan of Sandra Bullock's since before Speed. The past few years her movies, haven't fared too well and it's a shame as I didn't think her last few roles were that bad. Sure the movies could've been better but it wasn't her fault that Speed 2 flopped and I didn't think it was that bad.

Anyway it was great to see Sandra back at her best and Miss Congeniality definitely didn't disappoint, but the only thing Sandra, you cannot play ugly, even at your character's worst you were beautiful.

Benjamin Bratt gave a brilliant performance as Sandra's co-worker and of course potential lover that their chemistry was totally electrifying as well - a movie works so much better when you have that chemistry between actors.

Michael Caine and Ernie Hudson were equally impressive in their roles and not to mention William Shatner and Candace Bergman - she's hasn't lost that comedic skill and the DVD addition of deleted scenes will sure bring more laughter as well.

I'm not going to write the whole plot of the movie and give away certain elements as being a huge fan of movies, I don't watch trailors or read anything to do with a movie before I see it as I want to enjoy the ride and not know what to expect even though you do know the outcome in some movies.

Sandra is definitely, well in my opinion the best actress today and it's great to see her in a role that showcases her talents as I honestly don't think this movie could have worked without her.

I was born in Newcastle where this film was set, and was still living there at the time when this was filmed and when released was very interested in watching it.

All I can say is that Adam Garcia was fantastic and showed his amazing dancing skills - he is also a great singer as well as shown on An Audience with Kylie Minogue last year and he is definitely such a versatile performer and one to watch in years to come.

Seeing areas of where I grew up in Newcastle was surreal and I even recognised some local faces as extras. The theatre they used when Adam's character was in Sydney was really the Civic Theatre which is located in Newcastle.

Sophie Lee has come a long way the past few years and definitely deserves higher recognition - I'm not saying this because she is also a Newcastle girl but I thought she outshone Kate Winslet in Holy Smoke and gave Toni Collete a run for her money in Muriel's Wedding and it was a shame she didn't have a bigger role.

Australian movies are really hit or miss and this is definitely a hit, along with The Dish which was released around the same time. The dancing sequence is heartpounding and this is definitely one film worth a look.

Moulin Rouge! is absolutely breathtaking and takes you on such a wonderful journey that it's one you have to watch a few times.

I've seen this about 20 times as I have it on DVD and every time Ewan McGregor sings Your Song, it pulls at my heartstrings. He's definitely a wonderful actor and you can really tell he put all his heart and soul into the role of Christian and Nicole as Satine was just as wonderful.

Nicole has finally stepped out of the shadows and has shown the world what us Aussies have known since the 1980s.

Everything about this film is pure magic, the first 20 minutes is such a rollercoaster ride and once you get past that is when the heart and soul of the film emerges.

Jim Broadbent is a fine actor and is finally getting recognition - his past few roles in Moulin Rouge!, Bridget Jones' Diary and his Oscar winning performance this year for Iris not only shows us his versatility but also he puts everything into his role.

The soundtracks are amazing as well with the recent release of volume 2 a winner as well and the soundtracks and movie are a definite must for adding to your collection.

I am a huge fan of Cameron Crowe's and this film didn't disappoint. He has a wonderful knack of storytelling and you can't help but love all the characters even the bad ones as they all have soul.

Kate Hudson and Billy Crudup were wonderful as Penny and Russell and certainly deserve the praise they got, but I think this movie belongs to Jason Lee as his role as the front man who was jealous of Russell's popularity brought most of the laughs of this film, everytime he opened his mouth the whole cinema would erupt in laughter.

The soundtrack is outstanding as well and certainly one to add to the collection.

If you haven't seen this movie you don't know what you're missing as it's a pure gem.

No words can describe the impact of The Sixth Sense, that after one viewing at the cinemas I had to go back a few times to see what I missed and how it was missed.

Bruce Willis was amazing as Dr Crowe and finally showed the critics what his fans have known for years that he is brilliant in whatever he does. This was his best dramatic performance since the brilliant and underrated In Country.

Haley Joel Osment, what can I say? except to say that he is only going to keep growing in his future roles and I think it's a sure thing that he's going to be successful in front of and behind the camera - like Ron Howard.

Olivia Williams gave a stunning performance as Anna and brought so much emotion and pain to her role it was heartbreaking watching her on screen as that sense came out so much on screen that your heart broke everytime you saw her.

Toni Collette's chemistry with Haley Joel Osment was magic and this film is a definite must see and seeing all the behind the scenes on the DVD it makes you wonder how you could have missed something when it was so obvious on screen, and seeing how it was done and portrayed you think how did I miss that?

Heartbreakers, without a doubt, would have to be the funniest film of 2001.

It was great to see Sigourney Weaver and Ray Liotta back to form. But, this film belongs to Jennifer Love Hewitt. Finally, this film showcases her acting talent and hopefully she'll get the praise she deserves as her comedic timing is so perfect and the chemistry between her and Jason Lee was electrifying.

This movie is non stop laughs from start to finish and definitely one to watch if you're feeling down and it's definitely one to add to your collection.