Reviews

Advertising executive Ben Barry (Matthew McConaughey) unknowingly bites off more than he can chew when he enters a relationship with journalist Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) who has her own secret. Barry has entered a bet with his boss that he can charm any woman into falling in love with him for ten days, while Anderson is doing her best to demonstrate all the things women should not do when dating for an article for her women's magazine. Realistic the Donald Petrie-directed film is not, but there's plenty to giggle at throughout – some of it predictable and some of it surprising. McCounaughey is all too charming in his role as Barry, having his patience tested at every stage of the relationship, while Hudson demonstrates a surprisingly diverse range with her switch from wholesome city slicker to psychotic girlfriend from hell. Carrying an M certificate, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days contains semi-adult themes and includes a small amount of sexual innuendo. An entertaining romantic comedy with a predictable climax. How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days is one for the girls, although that doesn't mean that boys won't enjoy it too. Just remember to be honest with one another afterwards!

The film chronicles the honeymoon of a perfectly matched American couple, Tom Leezak (Ashton Kutcher) and Sarah McNerney (Brittany Murphy), who head to Europe on honeymoon, where things take more than a turn for the worse. By the end of the honeymoon, due to a number of overreactions from each, a lack of communication and the keeping of a few secrets, the couple are at each other's throats. By the time they arrive back in America, as depicted at the start of the film, the pair have their hearts set on divorce. The problem, according to McNerney's rich family, is that she married somebody below their social standing when she tied the knot with Leezak. As far as he is concerned, she still has a thing from her ex-boyfriend. As the distracted Leezak goes back to work, at his regional radio station, he begins reminiscing about all the good times the couple had before they were married and the disaster of the honeymoon. Whatever happened, he asks himself? What is shown is a set of events which, seen from outside of the relationship, are nothing but slapstick. From within the relationship they are utterly disastrous and totally destructive. The honeymoon goes from farcical to heart breaking when McNerney's ex-boyfriend Peter Prentis (Christian Kane) shows up in Venice. A foolish decision on her part leads to her husband to jump to the wrong conclusions and sends the relationship into a nosedive. Leezak eventually, seeks solace with his father (Raymond J Barry) when he returns home. As father and son look back on happy times in a photo album Leezak is told that every marriage needs working at and none is perfect. The good times in a marriage, he says, are always shown in a photo album and the bad times often occur in between. What's important is how the couple deal with the bad times to get them through to the good times. In this modern age of crumbling relationships, where people wander aimlessly from one partner to another, it is refreshing to see Hollywood produce a pro-marriage film. Watching the chemistry between Kutcher and Murphy is a real treat, as both put in excellent performances which are both comic and serious with the right bent at the right time. Kane, too, delivers a solid performance as the sort of ex-boyfriend that viewers love to hate. He's smarmy to a T, but who gets the girl? Just Married (M), written by Sam Harper and directed by Shawn Levy, is now showing at The Regent Theatre in Te Awamutu.

The Rob Marshall directed musical, in the vein of Moulin Rouge but far less superior to it, won best picture, best supporting actress, best film editing, best sound, best art direction and best costume design at this year's Oscars. What Chicago lacks is any character's who the audience can sympathise with, or any characters that the audience can aspire to be like. It preaches the message that its alright to do anything and manipulate anyone if you can come out on top and who cares if someone is killed along the way. The film opens with Roxie Hart (Rene Zellweger) killing her lover in cold-blood and trying to get her good-hearted husband Amos to take the blame. Inevitably she ends up in prison, alongside former club singer Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) herself awaiting trial for the murder of her own husband and sister who were having an affair. Both are greasing the palm of prison Matron `Mama' Morton (Queen Latifah) who arranges help from Chicago's highly immoral lawyer, Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), who is prepared to falsify evidence in order to win a case. The only character with an ounce of decency is Amos Hart (John Reilly), who pulls out all the stops to save his wife who cares so little for him. From an artistic standpoint the musical is superbly produced, the songs are wonderfully sung, the costumes are suitably eye-catching and the direction is top class. On the whole the film is enjoyable, but only if you don't get sucked in by its message.

Director Jon Amiel's film The Core (M), now showing at Te Awamutu's Regent Theatre, explores what happens when the USA creates a seismic weapon capable of creating earthquakes or, more specifically, the unexpected side effects of the weapon. The core of the planet is destabilised threatening the world with natural disaster after natural disaster and eventual annihilation. Enter scientists Dr Joshua Keyes (Aaron Eckhart), Dr Conrad Zimsky (Stanley Tucci), Dr Ed Brazzelton (Delroy Lindo) and Dr Serge Levenque (Tchéky Karvo) who come up with the ultimate solution - journeying to the planet's core with a series of nuclear weapons to restart the core. A crazy solution to a crazy problem. What's more interesting than the cataclysmic plot, which sees space shuttle pilot Major Beck Childs (Hilary Swank) take the helm of a specialised tunnelling ship, is the human drama that takes place between the characters. Keyes is married to his work but, probably for the first time in his life, is distracted by the brilliant Childs. Childs, the youngest person to go into space, learns a few hard lessons about the responsibility of leadership - taking responsibility for the failures as well as the successes. Zimsky has an ego the size of the core, and stole some of Brazzleton's work two decades before, while Levenque can't get his head around saving the world so, instead, focuses on saving his family. There's very little bad language (I remember one expletive) or violence (there's one unavoidable altercation). The Core is definitely not Shakespeare but then it's definitely not another Deep Impact or Armageddon either. It's more like Contact. The main characters, who must learn to overcome their weaknesses for the sake of their mission, act like real people rather than action heroes. Far superior to Matrix Reloaded, with a more definable message, The Core is a must for those who love science fiction as well as those who enjoy films that make them think. Don't wait for it to come out on video as this one is a must for the big screen.

Whale Rider (PG), now showing at The Regent Theatre in Te Awamutu, is quickly becoming the must see movie of the year and it's only February. At the heart of the film is the story of Paikea (Keisha Castle-Hughes), a young Maori girl whose east-coast iwi claim they descend from Paikea the Whale Rider. In every preceding generation, for the last millennium, the first born male to the chief inherits the title. The only problem, for Paikea, is that she is a girl and her twin-brother and mother died in childbirth. These events forever scar her relationship with her father, Porourangi (Cliff Curtis), who takes off to Germany to escape his grief leaving her in the hands of her grandparents Koro and Flower. If her relationship with her father is marred by his absence, her relationship with her grandfather (Rawiti Paratene) – a koumatua – is at best distant due to his single-minded desire to have a grandson to lead the tribe. The warmth of her relationship with her grandmother, Flowers (Vicky Haughton), in some ways makes up for this. Despite all of this nothing, in Pai's eyes, will match the love and approval of her grandfather which turns out to be hard earned and involves a huge sacrifice. Castle-Hughes has come out of obscurity to put in one of the most weighty performances of a child actor mixing charming innocence with determination to win the hearts of more than just the audience. Curtis' performance, too, gets the sympathy vote as the heartbroken father who chooses to reject Maoritanga as well as his family for another life. Paratane's turn delivers the type of obsessive determination that is often seen in dictators and despots and the audience never knows how to respond to him or what his reaction to different situations is going to be. His performance is balanced out by Houghton's warmth which Pai, and the audience, are forced to cling to throughout. Focusing on the dynamics of modern Maori life, the film takes on almost documentary qualities as it reveals life on a modern Maori and challenges Maori to embrace their roots rather than abandon them, as Porourangi does at the beginning of the film. Directed by Niki Caro and based on the novel by Witi Ihimaera, Whale Rider is up their with the Lord of the Rings trilogy as a must see Kiwi film. It will be interesting to see if this film does as well in the overseas market as it will do here. It's got everything going for it.

In director Gore Verbinski's horror/thriller flick a young journalist called Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) is forced to investigate a mysterious video cassette which is believed to have caused the death of her niece. Helping her solve the mystery of the ring, which appears on the short video, is her former partner Noah (Martin Henderson) who also happens to be a video expert. To top it all off their son, Aidan (David Dorfman), is receiving strange messages from beyond the grave. Nothing is as expected in this unusual film – a remake of the 1998 film Ringu. Watts performance as Keller is entirely believable, with the audience wondering what fate may befall her following her viewing of the video, although her skills as a journalist leave a lot to be desired – I may have missed it but I didn't even see her carrying a notebook. Henderson, too, delivers a good performance eventually having the audience eating out of his hand. Dorfman's turn as Aidan is nothing but spooky. The film mixes horror, as it opens with the death of the ill fated teen, before turning into a thriller, with the search for the origin of the tape, including elements of the mystery genre too, as to how and why the child is receiving such messages. There's a stab or two at moral responsibility, when the true parentage of the child is revealed, but otherwise the film is fairly dark with plenty of sinister overtones. Not recommended for the feint of heart. The Ring is now showing at Te Awamutu's Regent Theatre.

The duo pair up in this Betty Thomas directed film, now showing at the Regent Theatre in Te Awamutu, to track down a missing stealth jet which has fallen into the hands of a Budapest-based criminal Gundars (Malcolm McDowell). To get Wilson's bumbling spy, Alex, into a celebrity packed boxing match hosted by Gundars, where some dirty dealing is predicted, the US President calls up Murphy's top boxer Kelly. There's a clash of cultures as Alex tries to fit in with Kelly's all black posse and track down one of the world's toughest criminals at the same time. He is hindered by his spy equipment which is far from Bondesque, complaining that arch rival Carlos (Gary Cole) gets all the best gadgets. What transpires is a hilarious film filled with all the explosions and stunts you would expect from a 007 film coupled with a hilarious pairing which has the most vehement anti-Eddie Murphy viewer (like me) engulfed in waves of enjoyment. There's more than a guest appearance from Famke Janssen as fellow spy Rachel whose actions throughout are so inconsistent it's hard to know which side her bread is buttered. I Spy is a fun, but lightweight film, with a lot of entertainment value.

The first surprise is that the film, set at an Australian bowls club, attracts more than bowling fanatics. While players of the noble game will appreciate the comedy, which features Australian comedian Mick Molloy in his first feature film role, there's plenty for all ages. Molloy plays opportunist Jack, who joins the club as a non-playing member in order to rent out his club parking space to colleagues for large wads of cash. When the club hits rock bottom Jack is forced to mix with the aging members and play to keep his parking space. When friendships are struck up he ends up playing for far more. He meets the world weary journo Nance (Judith Lucy) who has been relegated to reporting bowling tournaments after turning down the advances of her editor. Frank Wilson is more than gentlemanly in his role of club president Len, Bill Hunter puts in a sterling performance as Stan, who takes Jack under his wing, while female support comes from Monica Maughan, Esme Melville and Lois Ramsey. In fact the cast reads like a Who's Who of Australian film. John Clarke appears as bowling-big wig Bernie bent on buying the club and installing pokie machines, much to the charign of members.

While bowls has been in the public conscience since Elizabethan times when Sir Francis Drake insisted in finishing a game at Plymouth Hoe, on the south coast of England, before defeating the Spanish Armada, this film will put it back on the map. Crackerjack, now showing at Te Awamutu's Regent Theatre, made me laugh out loud as well as Richard Wallace (who was sat behind me). It's a must see for Te Kuiti and Otorohanga bowling club members as well as those who loves films like Dalkeith, Brassed Off and The Full Monty.

At the head of the X-Men, as they are called, is Professor Charles Xavier, played by none other than Patrick Stewart, who has played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation since 1987. Going up against him, and his band of unusual superheroes, is supervillain Erik Lehnserr AKA Magneto, played Sir Ian McKellen, known to many New Zealanders as Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. For a science fiction flick the film relies little on science, although there are some referenced to evolution, and has plenty of morals - even Christian ones. The most obvious morals come from Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner, the German mutant otherwise known as Nightcrawler who prays when he's in a scrape and is constantly talking about his faith in Jesus - refreshing for a film that could so easily have relied on technobabble. At times the film, now showing at Te Awamutu's Regent Theatre, was difficult to follow with the plot leaping all over the place - perhaps a result of not having seen the first film. The cast, including New Zealander Anna Paquin as Rogue, delivered a sterling performance and made me want to hire the original from the video store. I'm particularly intrigued by Wolverine's (Hugh Jackman) back story. If you love comic book adaptations then you're bound to love X2.

The good guys are clean shaven, clean living sorts and have names like Ben or Dave. The bad guys are either too suave for the liking of the audience or wear goatees and tattoos and have names like Kingpin or Bullseye. Being a comic strip adaptation, in the same vein as Batman, Daredevil's plot is simple but effective. By day Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck) is a blind lawyer, taking on the cases of the innocent who could not otherwise afford legal representation. By night he is Daredevil and exacts his own form of justice when the legal system fails. The crime fighter, who has his own peculiar streak of darkness, was blinded as a child in a freak accident involving hazardous waste. As his other senses mutate his sight is, somehow, replaced with radar-like vision seen through his mind's eye. He takes on the criminal underworld after his father is killed by a city lowlife. It is inevitable that his quest will lead him into conflict with the man who killed his father – the Kingpin or Wilson Fisk as played by the hulking Michael Clarke Duncan. Dragged into the fight is the beautifully stunning and fabulously rich Elektra Natchios (Jennifer Garner) who grabs the heart of Murdock during a seriously amusing fight scene. Nobody knows his true identity, and only reporter Ben Urich (Joe Pantoliano) suspects it. Daredevil (M), now showing at the Regent Theatre in Te Awamutu, is a must see for anyone who liked Batman but is darker and more sinister than other superhero flicks like Spiderman and Superman. Bullseye (Colin Farrell) kills indiscriminately throughout the movie, with a variety of sharp objects, and takes a perverse pleasure from the job. Daredevil, too, has a few killing methods that would make you flinch. That aside, Daredevil is typical comic book fare. Expect no more or no less.

Longfellow Deeds, as played by The Wedding Singer star Adam Sandler, comes to find that money truly has the power to change things, but it doesn't necessarily need to change him. The small-town pizzeria owner and poet, who would do anything for anyone if it might improve their day, finds himself unwittingly inheriting a staggering $40 billion fortune from his late great uncle. Moving from his unheard of home town of Mandrake Falls in New Hampshire to the big city of New York, Deeds finds himself gaining unwanted attention from TV news presenter Mac McGrath, played by English actor Jared Harris, with the aid of junior journalist Babe Bennett (Winona Ryder). Deeds, as he prefers to be called, soon teaches the suits who now run his great uncle's company that he is more than capable of living up to his name by doing good with money without allowing it to corrupt him. But not all ends up as predicted. What is predictable, for an American film like Mr Deeds, is portraying one of the main villains as an Englishman in the form of Mac McGrath. Also predictable, within the scenario the film establishes, is how Bennett goes undercover to get her story – and how she falls in love with the genuine Deeds as a result. But will it work out? For the most part the characters are a little one-dimensional, but comic value is achieved with the use of sneaky butler Emilio Lopez, played with glee by John Turturro, and the grotesque character of Crazy Eyes, played by the kooky Steve Buscemi. The 96-minute movie, directed by Steven Brill, is little more than a light comedy with a moral message accessible to all ages.

The film, currently showing at The Regent 3 Theatre in Te Awamutu, mixes a timeless English classic with an international cast to put an interesting spin on the play. Two young Victorian English gentlemen, Algy and Jack played by the superb English actors Rupert Everett and Colin Firth, use the name of Earnest on the sly for their own mischievous ends until they are found out. As the ludicrous plot unfolds both men fall in love with women who have always dreamed of loving a man named Earnest. Jack falls for Algy's cousin Gwendolen, played with charm by Frances O'Connor, while Algy falls for Jack's ward Cecily, played alluringly by Reese Witherspoon. But all goes horribly wrong when the women think they have fallen for the same man. Director Oliver Parker, who also directed a film version of Wilde's An Ideal Husband, has gone beyond the text of the play to add more scenes and settings and even a few jokes of his own. He is also very effective in portraying what is going on inside the main character's heads with flashbacks and daydreams seen on screen, again not alluded to in the original play. The award winning Dame Judi Dench is great as she plays an absolute dragon in Gwendolen's mother, Lady Bracknell, which produces the occasional laugh, but most of the comedy comes from the sparring between Algy and Jack. There is also a humorous subplot involving the local rector, Dr Chasuble (Tom Wilkinson) and Cecily's tutor Miss Prism (Anna Massey). An absolute must for English literature fans, The Importance of Being Earnest is also a period comedy drama of the highest calibre.

Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson starred in the American spoof, I Spy, which was screened in Te Awamutu in February. Now it's the turn of rubbery-faced English comedian Rowan Atkinson to take on the role of bumbling secret agent Johnny English in this far superior spoof of the Bond movies, directed by Peter Howitt. The film sees the bumbling Johnny English promoted to the role of secret agent after his lack of security training inadvertently causes the deaths of Britain's other secret agents. After Britain's crown jewels are stolen by the lunatic Frenchman Pascal Sauvage, played with a comical French accent by American actor John Malkovich, English stumbles upon a plot where the Frenchman will turn the UK into a gigantic prison colony after being crowned king. Only English, his subordinate Bough (Ben Miller) and the mysterious Lorna Campbell (Natalie Imbruglia) can stand in his way. Atkinson's antics as Blackadder and Mr Bean are now world famous and many of the situations English lands himself in would seem at home in either serial. While the film is far cleaner than any Blackadder episode it's far funnier than any Mr Bean instalment. There's a particularly Blackadderesque scene when English battles a non-existent assailant in the Tower of London. While Atkinson really plays himself, the true comic moments come through his interaction with the straight-laced Bough, who delivers every line with deadpan seriousness. Australian-born Imbruglia, of course, provides a love interest for English in her big screen debut, but whose side is she on? Johnny English is bound to do little for Anglo-Franco relations, with a radio announcer suggesting the Brits ring in with the ten things they like most about the French during the lead up to Sauvage's coronation. `So far we've had no calls,' he says. Johnny English (PG) is a rollicking good laugh for all, but will be most appreciated by the English viewer who will see it in its real context. The film is now showing at The Regent Theatre, Te Awamutu, and is a must for any Blackadder or Mr Bean fan. Don't forget to sit through the credits for a final laugh.

It has a big name director, in the shape of Steven Spielberg, as well as an all star cast, in the form of Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio and two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks, and it has wonderful music from one of the movie industry's foremost composers, John Williams. Catch Me If You Can is the amazingly bizarre true story of a real life cat and mouse game between DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale Jr and Hanks as FBI agent Carl Hanratty. Abagnale comes to US Government attention after posing as an airline pilot to cash a series of forged cheques. Running with the money, he boards a series of planes in uniform to get a free ride, cashing millions and travelling more than two million miles for free. All this before he can turn 18. DiCaprio, who is approaching 30, is stretched to his acting limits as he plays a young character impersonating older characters including a doctor and a lawyer . He also plays the character at various stages of his life. A memorable scene is when Abagnale, posing as a Mr Fleming, has a tailor copy a suit he had seen on Sean Connery in a James Bond movie. He drove away from the scene to the 007 theme. Ian Fleming, of course, wrote the James Bond books. Hanks, who is one of the best actors in Hollywood today, is superb as the disgruntled FBI agent who is always one step behind his quarry. Hanratty is irked by Abagnale's baiting, which is hilarious, and Hanks plays a complex character who often refuses to show his humanity – until he catches up with Abagnale. There's also a weighty performance from Christopher Walken as Frank Abagnale Snr, DiCaprio's character's father, whose portrayal is complemented by that of Nathalie Baye, who plays his mother Paula. Almost everything about this film is right. From the opening credits, reminiscent of the classic TV shows of the 1960s, to the authentic wardrobe and John Williams' wonderful score. The only thing wrong with the film are the moral choices that Abagnale makes when pretending to be something that he is not. Catch Me If You Can is all about taking responsibility for your actions. When Abagnale is caught he must serve time. But it is not the end of his life but rather the beginning.

When it happens to Marisa Ventura (Jennifer Lopez) in Maid In Manhattan (PG), a lowly hotel maid at a New York hotel, it is by a highly important guest, a senatorial candidate named Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes). The only problem is that Marshall, who is charming to the last, thinks that drop-dead gorgeous Ventura, is another guest. What follows is a rags to riches story reminiscent of Cinderella, where love knows no bounds – that is until Ventura is found out after a media frenzy. Both leads deliver a believable performance, with Ventura's son Ty (Tyler Posey) stealing the hearts of both the audience and Marshall in one fell swoop. The magnificent Stanley Tucci provides more than a hint of comic relief as Jerry Siegal, Marshall's personal assistant who is obsessed with the media and keeping his boss out of embarrassing himself. Simple, beyond belief, Maid In Manhatten is one of those films that sells the message that it is possible to break out of the mould and achieve great things. Although a tad sentimental, the movie has plenty for everyone. Maid In Manhattan is now showing at the Regent Theatre in Te Awamutu.

In The Tunnel the audience is dragged down to the depths with a group of Germans so desperate to get their loved ones from East Germany in 1961 that they are prepared to dig a tunnel under the infamous Berlin Wall. The tunnel takes a year to dig, is seven metres deep and 145 metres long.

The story of The Tunnel is really the story of Harry Melchior (Heino Ferch), an East German champion swimmer who escapes to the west disguised as a tourist. Before leaving the state which has imprisoned him for four years he promised his sister, Lotte Lohmann (Alexandra Maria Lara) that he would do his best to rescue her from the oppressive regime. Joining him in his noble mission is Matthis Hiller (Sebastian Koch), an engineer with the knowhow if only the rest of the gang will listen to him. He wants to rescue his wife and unborn child. Also on the team is Friederike 'Fritzi' Scholz (Nicolette Krebitz). Her intended is trapped on the other side of the wall, but does she really love him? There is a whole host of other characters who have their own motivations for helping out, but who can be trusted and who is a spy? All the actos put in superb performances, transporting the viewer back to those troubled times. What makes The Tunnel such compelling viewing is not it's high production values and suspenseful story, although it has both in oodles, but the very fact that it is a true story. Directed by Roland Suso Richter and written by Johannes W Betz, The Tunnel is filmed in the original German with English subtitles. But the subject is so enthralling that you soon forget you are having to read each line. While it is three hours long it doesn't even feel it. The Tunnel began its run during the Te Awamutu International Film Festival at The Regent cinema but is to continue showing.

Things turn sour for Bond (Pierce Brosnan) before the latest film's opening titles, when he is captured on a mission in North Korea and tortured for months before the authorities bargain for his release. In return for Bond, British and American intelligence give up North Korean terrorist Zao (Rick Yune) who was severely deformed in an explosion caused by Bond seen at the film's start. With Zao on the loose again things soon start to hot up when Bond is forced to take matters into his own hands after being incarcerated by MI6 after being framed by a mysterious double agent. Joining forces with him, after he escapes his boss, M, played magnificently by Dame Judi Dench, is American agent Jinx, played by Halle Berry. The pair turn up in Iceland where the mysterious multi-millionaire Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens) has built an ice palace. Graves, one of the most bizarre Bond villains yet, is aided by the suitably named Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike). With Kiwi director Lee Tamahori at the helm it's hardly surprising to see Lawrence Makoare in the role of Maori muscleman Mr Kil – another fittingly named character. The best scenes, as with most other Bond films, come when Bond steps into Q's lair at a disused London Underground station to get geared up for his mission. John Cleese, who appeared as R in the last film, does a wonderful job as the gadget man from the ministry, filling the shoes of the late Desmond Llewelyn with respect. It's great to see the comedy develop between the pair, and some of the one liners Q dares to throw at Bond. Die Another Day is the grittiest Bond film to date, with plenty of action.

The story of how the mouse, Stuart Little, has fitted in with his adopted human family is one that will appeal to children and adults alike. Children will love it because of its fantastical premise, while adults are drawn in by the innocence and charm of Stuart Little and his adopted family and their pet cat. What's more, there is not one word of bad language uttered in the movie. The storyline is rather simplistic with Stuart Little, voiced by Back to the Future star Michael J. Fox, setting off across New York to rescue a bird friend Margalo (Melanie Griffith) from the clutches of the dreaded Falcon (Steve Zahn). Along for the ride is the Little's pet cat Snowbell (Nathan Lane) who, ironically, steals the show without even trying. It's also heartening that Michael J. Fox is still involved in movies despite being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease last decade. Director Rob Minkoff faultlessly mixes the actors playing the Little family with the animation bringing a real-life feel to the story, which is fun the whole way. MENSA queen Geena Davis plays Mrs Little while former Blackadder star Hugh Laurie wrangles an American accent as Mr Little. Stuart's older brother, George, is played by Jerry Maguire star Jonathan Lipnicki, whose fickleness gets Stuart into trouble. There are plenty of comic moments in the film, particularly those involving Stuart's radio controlled car, which he drives to school each day. His handling of George's remote controlled bi-plane is also a priceless scene with plenty of action and drama. Stuart Little 2, now showing at The Regent Theatre in Te Awamutu, is a movie that should not be missed and is the ideal school holiday treat for children and parents alike.

Very Annie-Mary (M), now showing at The Regent Theatre in Te Awamutu, is not only packed with laughs but takes the audience on a roller coaster ride of human emotions. Inspiring feelings of amusement, hope and joy the film also has moments of utter clarity, deepest despair and complete regret - it's guaranteed to break your heart before restoring your faith in humanity. Thirty-year-old Annie-Mary, played by Six Foot Under star Rachel Griffiths, has never left her Ogw home in the Welsh valleys and is under the thumb of her father. The dizzy girl, who won a prestigious Welsh singing competition in her teens, still dresses as though she were 16, secretly smokes and cannot cook – quite an irony as she works for her father. She secretly dreams of leaving home and setting up with her best friend, the terminally ill Bethan Bevan (Joanna Page), who is half her age, as well as marrying Colin Thomas (Rhys Miles Thomas), a candidate for the Baptist ministry and the only man in the valley under 60. When her music-loving father Jack Pugh (Jonathan Pryce) suffers a stroke during a charity recital Annie-Mary is forced to grow up and take on some responsibility – the only problem is she has no idea about life in the real world, keeping her money in a piggy bank. She's so clumsy that she walks into doors. The film delivers a believable portrayal of life in a Welsh village, something a frequent visitor to Wales like me is qualified to say. Hornblower star Ioan Gruffudd goes back to his Welsh roots to make an appearance as gay confectioner Hob while former Hi-de-hi star Ruth Maddoc plays Pugh's love interest, Mrs Ifans. While the film contains some sex scenes, which are far from graphic, there is also a smattering of offensive language. This aside, Very Annie-Mary is one of those films that sees you leaving the cinema riding on a cloud. The music is just great too.

I had known about some of themes that surface in the outrageous comedy The Guru (M) I might never have seen it. All I knew about The Guru, before seeing it, was that it was being marketed as a Bollywood meets Hollywood film and featured a collision of cultures. Expecting something like Monsoon Wedding I was both shocked and surprised at what I saw – all within two hours. The film tells the story of Ramu Gupta (Jimy Mistry), an Indian dance tutor who gives up his comfortable life in India to head for the USA to make his fortune as an actor. Growing up on films like Grease, Ramu hopes to become the John Travolta of the 21st century. No shocks or surprises there. Ramu's cultural ignorance and over enthusiasm for any part leads him to unwittingly audition for an adult movie. He is thrust into the studio to appear alongside Sharonna (Heather Graham). The speed at which that happens in shocking, both for the audience and for Ramu, who becomes embarrassed at the awkward situation he has put himself in. Sharonna explains she's only in the adult film industry for the money and her dream is to be able to afford a huge white wedding and the perfect house. No doubt the story of many. During their conversation she gives away some of her secrets and Ramu regurgitates them at a party where he is pushed into acting the part of a guru. This is amusing as well as shocking. In the ensuing chaos Ramu is hailed as a guru by New Age crackpot Lexi (Marisa Tomei) and thrust into the limelight. He is forced to track down Sharonna for more advice which he can pass on to the masses. The only thing is that she thinks she's grooming him for the adult film industry. This, too, is shocking and amusing. The surprise came when the main characters let their masks slip and Ramu gets to know the real Sharonna and discovers she's in a self-set trap. He helps her to realise that money is not everything. The other surprise is Ramu's reaction to fame and fortune, as well as the film's conclusion. Despite the semi-adult theme there are no explicit scenes, although there is plenty alluding to it. What the film is really about is breaking free from what people expect of you to accomplish your dreams and that message comes through very strongly. The Guru, written by Tracey Jackson and directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer, is now showing at The Regent Theatre in Te Awamutu.

Based on the classic adventure story Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson, the animation team at Disney have put a fresh spin on the story by setting it in space. But this is not some futuristic retelling of the story as sailing ships haven't been replaced by rocket ships, rather they have been elevated to sailing the solar winds. The old Benbow Inn, home of Jim Hawkins, looks like it came straight out of the 18th century novel, as do the character's clothes. The fatherless Hawkins, voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is still at the fore of the adventure and his protagonist is still a one-armed and one-legged pirate named John Silver (voiced by Brian Murray). Plenty goes on between these two characters and there's lots to learn about the fate of fatherless children. The movie is worth seeing for this relationship alone which is not all that it seems. The ship's captain is a female feline called Captain Amelia who is superbly voiced by British trouper Emma Thompson who gives the character a fabulous aristocratic air. Martin Short provides the voice for the Bio Electronic Navigator (BEN) who lost his electronic mind after being marooned on the Treasure Planet while The Prisoner's very own Patrick McGoohan gives Billy Bones his voice. It may be animated, but there are some breathtaking special effects in this film that would rival some of this year's top special effects extravaganzas. Far better than the latest or previous Harry Potter films, Treasure Planet is a great family film. Parents wishing to introduce their children to reading and want to choose something other than Harry Potter could not do better. They could take their children to see the movie and then encourage them to read the original, discussing the many differences as they go.

Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, Treasure Planet is a must for animation fans, those who love the original Treasure Island and those who enjoy films of the science fiction and fantasy genre.

The film, now showing at the Regent Theatre in Te Awamutu, carries a PG certificate and rightfully so as the story features the petrification of countless characters and writing on the wall in blood! These scenes occur following an encounter with the beast let loose from the dreaded Chamber of Secrets. The whole plot revolves around the fact that the millennium-old chamber has been opened in an attempt to rid Hogwarts School of Witchcraft from mud bloods - those students whose ancestry includes non-witches. It's up to the main cast, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), to conduct the investigation into who has let the creature out, breaking all the school rules in the process. Witchcraft is practiced aplenty throughout the film and there are all sorts of nasty consequences, including a scene where a spell backfires consigning Weasley to eat slugs. The chemistry between the trio, directed by Chris Columbus, is believable but all three have visibly grown since last year's film. All three are much taller and the voices of both 13 year-old Radcliffe and 14 year-old Grint are beginning to break. There's even a hint of stubble on Radcliffe's face during one shot and a subtle hint of romance between Weasley and Granger, played by a 12 year-old. The larger cast read like a who's who of the British film industry with the likes of Shakespearean actor Kenneth Branagh doing a turn as the Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher Gilderoy Lockhart, Maggie Smith as colleague Minerva McGonagall, the late Richard Harris as head teacher Albus Dumbledore, traditional heavy Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, Scots favourite Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid, former Monty Python star John Cleese as the ghost of Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, also known as Nearly-Headless Nick, and Educating Rita star Julie Walters as Molly Weasley. No doubt Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets will be a hit with fans of the JK Rowlings books.

But the film, which begins its run at the Regent Theatre in Te Awamutu today, turned out to be far more than that. Set on the Hawaiin coast Blue Crush, directed by John Stockwell, tells the story of Anne Marie Chadwick (Kate Bosworth) a dedicated surfer who falls for Matt Tollman (Matthew Davis) a professional American football player in the days leading up to a huge surfing competition. But her flatmates Eden (Michelle Rodriguez) and Lena (Sanoe Lake) have different ideas as they play surrogate mother to Anne Marie's younger sister Penny (Mika Boorem). There's plenty of action, with huge crashing waves, as Anne Marie abandons her training to teach Matt to surf. But is it just a holiday romance? Will she be too distracted to make the competition? Ultimately the film is about overcoming your fears. Anne Marie fears a major surfing accident and is cautious beyond measure when it comes to riding the waves. Later, she develops a fear that Mat might just be using her for a holiday romance. Blue Crush is the ultimate surfie movie and bound to be a huge hit in New Zealand this summer.

The film, directed by Mira Nair and written by Sabrina Dhawan, examines Indian traditions as Aditi Verma (Vasundhara Das) prepares for her arranged marriage to an Indian businessman living in Texas. There's not much of a main plot, but neither is there meant to be. As the film's title suggests the focus is a wedding during the Indian monsoon season – simple as that. But there are plenty of subplots involving one of the couple in an affair with a prominent television personality, the mayhem of extended Indian family arriving from all over the world and the horror of discovering that one of the guests has an unhealthy attraction to children. There is even a semi-comic sub-plot centred around the semi-tragic wedding planner, PK Dubey (Vijay Raaz), and his affections for the housemaid Alice (Tilotama Shome). Monsoon Wedding is a highly colourful film with plenty of cultural content and is most enjoyable.

It's the story of a young football fanatic who practices in the London park whenever the chance arises and recounts the days events to a poster of English soccer captain David Beckham every night. What's so different about this film is that the football fan is Jesminder Bharma - a girl and an Indian to boot. Jessie is forced to rebel against her family, who are preparing for a big Indian wedding, and all that she knows to pursue her dream. Playing with the all girl Hounslow Harriers football team is all she lives for until she is offered something bigger – and it clashes with her sister's wedding. Under Gurinder Chadha's direction Parminder Nagra is utterly believable as the football fanatic, delivering a touching performance that will have the person most uninterested in soccer routing for her. Also scoring top marks for her performance as Jessie's friend and team mate Juliette Paxton is Keira Knightly. Their coach, Joe, is a bit of a rough diamond and played accordingly by Dublin-born Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. Bend It Like Beckham is one of those films that leaves you feeling good about life and inspires you to pursue your dreams despite the odds.