Reviews by Kyle Ellis

I have seen a lot of movies from this year, some amazing, some good, some decent, some bad and some truly awful. Hanna for me is one of my favourites of the year and fits in the amazing category. The story is always thrilling and further elevated by slick pacing and expertly choreographed and edited action sequences. Hanna is very well made too, there may be the odd occasion where it might feel overdone, but overall I found the cinematography, direction and editing sleek and efficient. The script is sharp and clever and helps to keep the characters well-defined. Speaking of the characters, I was pleasantly surprised at how exceptionally well-written the titular character was, hard edged yet with a sympathetic side, I loved that. The acting is truly excellent. Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana's characters aren't quite as well written as Saoirse Ronan's but both actors do a splendid job in their roles. Best of all is Ronan who is simply brilliant. All in all, amazing and one of my favourites of 2011 so far. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I have read the book. I loved it, I thought it was both chilling and heartbreaking with a fine story and credible characters. I do think it is much better than the film, which was solid enough but lacking a strong emotional core.

I will start with the film's faults. The story is a very intriguing one, but it is quite slow complete with holes and any parts that strived to be heartbreaking came across as mawkish. The script is quite weak often, particularly with Susan Sarandon's character in the sense that it is never quite sure which direction it wants to go. But what hurt the film most was some aspects of Peter Jackson's direction. Jackson is a good director don't get me wrong, but he does make some decisions that detract from the impact of the story rather than enhance it. Especially with the CGI, not that it was bad CGI in fact it looked quite good, what I mean was that there was a complete overload of it and I think some of it was unnecessary.

However, the film does look absolutely beautiful, with beautiful scenery and cinematography. The score gives a haunting, eerie and intoxicating quality too. While the story is flawed, there is a good atmosphere especially in the more chilling scenes, where they are quite chilling and that's an understatement. Apart from two performances, the acting is quite good. The best performance comes from the very promising child actress Saiorse Ronan, who is just tremendous here. Stanley Tucci is very chillingly effective too, and Mark Wahlberg is surprisingly good. The two performances I wasn't so taken with were Rachel Weisz, who is wasted, and the normally solid Susan Sarandon, who overplays quite badly.

All in all, an okay if inferior adaptation. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Warning: SpoilersNot everyone will like this movie but there are many who do. My mom and I absolutely fell out of our seats laughing when we watched this; my brother, on the other hand, barely cracked a grin. Anyway, with an ensemble made up of people like Bette Midler, Danny DeVito, and Judge Reinhold, what more could you possibly ask for? The way I see it, this is a take-off of any kidnapping story that you will see in the news or on true crime TV shows...only there's nonstop comedy at every turn. As my mom and I have said, this is one movie that is not meant to be taken seriously.

Mr. DeVito plays a husband who desperately wants to get rid of his wife, who is played by Miss Midler herself. Then you have Judge Reinhold, who plays one of the bumbling kidnappers. DeVito and Reinhold concoct a plan that is surely foolproof, right? Not so much, apparently. From the moment that she is kidnapped, Bette tries everything in her power to buy her captors' trust and get out.

Probably one of the most memorable scenes in the movie is when she is on the phone and letting off a string of obscenities that you have to hear to believe. My personal favorite line: "I've been kidnapped by K- Mart!" Every time I hear that line, I can just picture her saying it and then I roll over laughing. In the very end, Bette gets revenge on her husband and her primary kidnapper and walks off into the sunset. Can't go wrong with that, if you ask me.

From start to finish, this is a comedy that you have to see to believe. Granted it may not be for everyone, you may like what you see. Enjoy.

I was in another country once where the only American films they showed in the cinema were either the ultra-violent (Jean-Claude Van Damme / Steven Segal movies) or the ultra-steamy (e.g. "Basic Instinct", "Pretty Woman"). Many parents would refuse to let their children watch these, allowing them only to watch Indian movies. I tried frantically to convince some of the locals that there were many other kinds of American films that they would love. They didn't believe me. So, I rented a video - "Beaches". After watching it, the people around me were shocked and said, "I like American movies now!"

Two unlikely friends meet by chance in childhood and keep up their friendship over the years through ups and downs, crises and victories, and reversing economic positions more than once. They inspire each other and fight over the same men. Hershey plays a girl raised in a rich conservative family while Midler plays an eccentric and poor show-biz wannabe. Midler becomes rich and famous and Hershey rejects her pompous upbringing becoming a poor lawyer working for the A.C.L.U.. But Midler cannot handle the new fame and fortune and Hershey cannot deal with her new lifestyle devoid of pampering. This rare tale of female friendship is a brilliantly-acted tearjerker. (10 out of 10)

I am 16, and I still love this movie. I grew up watching this, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Meet Me in Saint Louis, and I never tire of them. Judy Garland is wonderful as Dorothy, bringing a sense of vulnerability and sadness to the role, making Over The Rainbow more poignant than it already was. Ray Bolger, Jack Haley and Bert Lahr are really entertaining as her three friends. Billie Burke as Glinda, and the Munchkins were great fun too. The wicked witch of the west scared the life out of me here and still does, and even Frank Morgan does 5 roles to great comical effect. The songs are just fabulous, and so is the cinematography and the stunning scenery. True, the film isn't completely faithful to the book, but why does it have to be? If I had one minor drawback, it would be the singing voice of the Lion, but apart from that, this movie is a must-see! 10/10. Bethany Cox

The Road To El Dorado is a fun film from Dreamworks. Is it the best Dreamworks film? No, I don't think it is as evocative or as stirring as Prince of Egypt, as zany or as (quite) original as Shrek, as witty or as charming as Antz, as ambitious or as mature as Spirit or as audacious or as sweet as Over the Hedge. But is it the worst Dreamworks? No, I was disappointed with Shark Tale, which was nice visually but suffered from a meandering script and an unoriginal plot line, and I think it is better than Shrek the Third, which felt tired in comparison to its first two predecessors.

If I had any negatives for this film, they are very few. One was that, the banter at the beginning between Miguel and Tulio came across as a little on the contrived side. My other complaint is that the ending was somewhat abrupt, maybe it is just me but I felt that the film could've done with a more rounded finish.

These flaws aside, there is a lot to enjoy. The animation is stunning, the backgrounds are colourful, the colours are vibrant and the character movements are sharp. The animation of the lost city of gold itself was above mesmerising.

I know people have complained about the songs and the score. We know from the Lion King, which is not only one of my favourite animated films but one of my favourite films ever that Elton John can write good songs. I actually liked the songs here, they were somewhat catchy and memorable. And the score from Hans Zimmer is great. Zimmer is one of my favourite film composers, and while he has done better work, his score is rousing and exciting enough.

Others wrote about the story being dull. Fair enough, but bear in mind people complained about the story of Spirit:Stallion of the Cimarron being dull. The plot here was at least coherent, and while not perhaps the most fast-moving of all plots, does have some humour to keep the kids amused. The script is not too bad, there are some entertaining parts, and while some of the banter is a tad contrived other parts are witty and very humorous. The part with the chief playing ball with the village children was indeed adorable.

The characters are engaging enough, and the voice acting was great. I liked the characters of Miguel and Tulio. Miguel is more light hearted and Tulio while more into wealth than Miguel has real humanity. Both Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Kline did a wonderful job putting their wit across and were entertaining as a result. Chel has to be one of the most vivacious female characters in any animated film, along with Jasmine, Esmeralda, Tzipporah and Odette. She is the seducer of El Dorado, willing to help Miguel and Tulio at a price, and Rosie Perez, a delightful actress was perfect. Then there is the antagonist, Tzekel-Khan, the high priest and speaker and to say he is nuts is an understatement. Armand Assante provides his voice effectively.

In conclusion, a visually audacious and fun Dreamworks film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The horror genre is a genre that has been growing on me overtime, and I genuinely believe The Exorcist is a landmark of it. Not just how much it's talked about or parodied, but also its ability to unnerve and unsettle me even years later. The Exorcist is a fantastic film, both as a film of its genre and of film full-stop. The effects are superb and have held up very well, and the sound is marvellous and adds to the many startling moments. The cinematography and scenery are also incredibly well done. The macabre, obscene demonstrations of manifest evil on display still startle even now, while William Friedkin's direction is one of his best and most intelligent of his career, not just making the scares genuine but also combining these with allegorical religious subtleties. The performances also lift, Linda Blair is really quite startling, and you couldn't have had more perfect support from Max Von Sydow and Ellen Burstyn. Overall, genuinely unsettling and effective. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I have this on VHS, and it is one of my all time guilty pleasures. It has a great cast, a catchy music score and unforgettable satire on monster movies, like Frankenstein. If you haven't seen it already, give yourself a treat! I will warn you though, it is extremely silly at times, but that is all part of the fun. And I seriously don't care whether it's poorly made or not and I don't think so personally, all that matters is that it's entertaining, and that is what exactly RHPS is. The cast is wonderful. Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick do a great job as Brad and Janet, although I didn't know they could sing, which really surprised me. Richard O'Brien is solid as Riff Raff and he also wrote the songs. Also solid are Patricia Quinn and Peter Hinwood. The best performance, however, comes from Hollywood's most underrated actor, Tim Curry, who I must say looks hot in fishnets and heels. He has a great singing voice, that is always overlooked. FrankNFurter is a landmark performance, but Tim Curry has also done other great films such as Clue, Legend,Muppets Treasure Island, Blue Money and It. (which has his career-best performance by a mile.) Voiceovers include Captain Hook, Slagar, Hexxus, Drake, Forte, Von Talon and the Mouse King. The songs are so catchy, especially "Time Warp" and "Sweet transvestite" that I actually wanted to dance to the music, but I am a novice at dancing. The complaint about this movie, which is undoubtedly the best cult movie ever, no matter how many times it's been imitated, is the song "Science fiction" which is not in the same league as the more uplifting songs. Still I am happy, and lets do the time warp again! 9.5/10. Bethany Cox.

Actress: Cameron Diaz
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Blonde
First Appearance: The Mask

Background and Characteristics

Next in our list of sexiest movie characters is the gorgeous, Tina Carlyle, who first appeared in the hit film, The Mask (1994). Played by the lovely Cameron Diaz, Tina is portrayed in the movie as a singer for the Coco Bongo, ex-girlfriend of the infamous Dorian Tyrell, and eventual love interest of Stanley Ipkiss (played by Jim Carrey). Originally characterized as the “main squeeze” of Tyrell (who worked as a mob enforcer), Tina was given the opportunity to work as the primary showgirl at a local nightclub in exchange for her spying on the city bank for Dorian and his crew of mobsters (hero.fandom.com). The arrangements unwittingly places her in direct contact with Stanley (and later the “Mask”) who charms Tina with his goofy mannerisms, sincere love, and genuine personality. Following the defeat of Dorian (with a little help from Stanley’s alter ego), Tina and Stanley later express their love for one another, kissing passionately before throwing the magical mask into the river.

Physical Appearance

In regard to her physical appearance and traits, Tina Carlyle is an exceptionally attractive woman renowned for her long blonde hair, powder-blue eyes, and amazing body. Standing 5’9” in height and weighing nearly 128 pounds, Tina is both tall and curvy in her overall build, with body measurements approaching 34-23-35. In the movie, Tina possesses a number of beautiful traits including a B-cup bust, extremely long legs, and gorgeous hips that are impossible to turn away from. Accentuating each of these features is Tina’s revealing attire that consists of tight dresses, short skirts, and tops that reveal ample amounts of her bosom to audience members. When viewed in conjunction with her sexy voice, seductive eyes, and strong jawline, Tina Carlyle is truly one of the hottest movie characters of all time.

Actress: Margot Robbie
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Blonde
First Appearance: The Wolf of Wall Street

Background and Characteristics

Appearing in our “number eight” spot of sexiest movie characters is the lovely, Naomi Lapaglia, who first appeared in the hit movie, The Wolf of Wall Street. Played by Margot Robbie, Lapaglia is portrayed in the movie as the “gold-digging” wife of scam artist (and stock market manipulator), Jordan Belfort. Characterized as a former model, Naomi is originally charmed by the lavish lifestyle provided by Jordan (and his seemingly endless riches), and uses her body and feminine charm to keep him both interested and committed to their relationship. Despite his best efforts to keep his business affairs under wraps though, Naomi eventually sees through Jordan’s illegal activities and philandering as numerous investigations and police pressure place tremendous strain on their relationship. Following a confrontation between the pair, Naomi later decides to leave (and divorce) her husband before he is arrested and prosecuted by the FBI (allowing her to escape prosecution entirely).

Physical Appearance

In terms of her physical appearance, Naomi Lapaglia is an incredibly hot and attractive woman renowned for her shoulder-length blonde hair, baby blue eyes, and nearly flawless body. Standing 5’6” tall and weighing nearly 126 pounds, Naomi is well-built and proportioned for her body size, with measurements in the range of 34-24-34, respectively. Apart from her B-cup bust, some of Naomi’s most recognizable physical traits include her wide-spaced hips, well-rounded butt, curvaceous waist, and long legs that are well-developed and toned. Accentuating each of these features is Naomi’s signature attire in the movie that is comprised of various bras and panties, extremely short skirts, dark stockings, and cleavage-bearing tops that leave little to the imagination. When viewed in tandem with her seductive charm, luscious lips, and naturally glossy skin, it is easy to see why Naomi Lapaglia is regularly cited by movie-goers and critics as one of the sexiest characters in modern cinema history.