Greengrass and DP Barry Ackroyd have recreated a tremendously authentic Iraq; the numerous wide shots are simply splendid, assumingly using understated CGI to give it a gritty, war-torn atmosphere. When in close quarters the resonant sound design – punching gunfire, scratchy voices over the comms, thumping footsteps, humming of distant helicopters – that accompanies the intense set pieces add an additional level of immersion that’ll have you on the edge of your seat. The action itself is of the same high standard we have come to expect from Greengrass: fast, hard-hitting, unrelenting, genuine and exhilarating. Whether on foot or on wheels, Greengrass has a deft touch for creating suspenseful and convincing sequences that feel exactly like they would if occurring in real life.

If the story strikes you as slightly idealistic – all characters here are depicted as a clear cut good or bad, no ambiguity at all – that’s because it is. The protagonist Miller is the main focus of the piece and as such is given that extra profundity not afforded to the others and Damon reliably makes the most of this, delivering yet another solid performance. The rest of the cast are chiefly one-dimensional, but let’s face it, how much more fun is it when the hero screws over the political scoundrel or the haughty Special Forces Captain when we know without doubt they’re bad people? It’s credit to the seasoned talent of Isaacs, Gleeson and Kinnear that they provide entertaining caricatures that sneer, growl and smarm all in the right places.

As you’ve probably heard, the visuals in this movie are amazing. Just like in Avatar, the visuals alone justify reason enough to see the movie. Again like Avatar, this movie’s major weakness is in its story. In fact, the fairytale type of story is barely there; it mainly exists just for Alice to have a primary goal.

Other than the visuals, a major strong point are the performances. Saying that Johnny Depp (as the Mad Hatter) is a good actor is a gross understatement. He is one of the greatest actors working today, and he shows it here.

Helena Bonham Carter gets laughs as the Red Queen, Alan Rickman’s voice work is immediately recognizable as the Caterpillar, and Stephen Fry adds another level of creepiness to the Chesire Cat. By contrast, Anne Hathaway and Crispin Glover seemed a bit dull in their roles. Also of note was how surprisingly good newcomer Mia Wasikowska was as Alice. She has a great screen presence and holds her own against the rest of the pros.

I’m a great fan of Tim Burton (the director) and most of his movies, but this one seemed to lack a certain heart, soul and excitement that needed to be there to make this film truly great. Visuals and acting can only do so much; without a strong story and high energy, this film sadly never reaches its full potential.

All that said I have to say some lines and sequences are actually quite enjoyable, due to the sort of B-movie feel. The gruesome evisceration of people stops being horrible and quickly becomes comical, when viewed with a sense of satire. In fact, some of the performances, specifically Anthony Hopkins’ and Hugo Weaving’s, one could get the vibe that they weren’t really trying and were going more for a fun depiction of their characters and less of complex ones.

So, overall, when watched like a B-Movie it’s more fun. My understanding was that it was going to be a dark, complex, visionary re-telling of a horror classic. And it could be that therein lies the problem…

From what I understand, previews for the film give off more of a serious tone. People expecting that will be truly disappointed, perhaps even appalled. People willing to watch it for a fun, just-for-kicks gore-fest, may be more satisfied.

Bottom-line: Don’t expect a classic. Expect a popcorn horror flick, and MAYBE you’ll like it.

Telling of the hypocrisy and nearly despicable life we lead everyday because of what corruption does and how far it goes up in our society, Food Inc tackles the subject of the food industry in a way I’ve never experienced before. There are so many important points that the picture makes, telling them in a film review wouldn’t be enough nor do it justice. I can’t explain it thoroughly or good enough for any of you to understand. Just know, according to the film, we are living as prisoners in a very scary country. The economy is bad but this has been going on long before it turned downward. This will definitely make you think twice before placing another piece of anything in your mouth.

The film, directed by Robert Lenner, explores all sides of the spectrum. Forget Democrats, Republicans, all of them, this film shows how everybody’s hands are dirty. From a death of a child, to a certain governor of California vetoing something that could have changed our perspective on food forever, Food Inc. Tells it all. In the most beautiful and simplistic style of documentary film-making I have seen all year, Kenner’s keen eye to detail and structure of the picture is extraordinary. The Documentary Oscar SHOULD belong to Food Inc. period.

Food Inc is so brutal in its delivery yet it remains fundamentally important the entire film. Cheaper food is not the bargain but this food for thought is. Food Inc. is one of the best films of the year.

The central problem with the story is its appalling lack of originality. The plot, and moment after moment in this film, is ripped from previous movies with reckless abandon. No person who has seen such movies as Dances with Wolves, the Last Samurai, Pocahontas (Dis.) or any number of other movies should be surprised at any part of the story here. The plot is simply an excuse to string together a beautiful canvas of rich, detailed digital fantasy art. Soldiers are portrayed here either as self-hating pansies or narrow-minded bad asses. The Na’vi are portrayed as a race in perfect balance with the world around them, rather than as products of natural selection with their own defects. Count me as someone who wanted to see a story which had real characters with real people in them, or a twist in the story I didn’t see coming. I have a few moral qualms with the story as well, which plays out not as a message about tolerance of differences or peaceful coexistence, but as a racist ballad where the sacred Na’vi have been perverted by contact with the infernal humans and it is the humans that need to be eradicated or exiled.

This is a movie you will want to see if eye-popping visuals and vivid detail at all appeal to you. But if you’re looking for a compelling story that you haven’t seen before, look elsewhere. As sci-fi, District 9 is a much better movie, and I would say even Star Trek has the edge on a compelling story line.

There are scenes and individual shots that pop with ethereal beauty. It’s worth seeing for that reason, but I don’t think it’ll be as fun after multiple viewings. The great thing about “Star Wars” was the characters: Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, R2-D2, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and so on. They embodied the other-worldliness of the story, taking the weight off the effects.

In thirty-two years, I don’t think anyone will remember “Jake Sully.”

The first part of the film obviously introduced the main character (Eric Bana), his condition, and the love interest. This was done very cleverly, as she had known him for many years, but it was the first time he had met her. This is because it was an older version of him that travelled back to her childhood and earlier years. This broken timeline continues throughout the whole film, meaning that it could have easily been an incoherent muddle, but the director has controlled things carefully; sometimes following the traveller’s timeline, so everyone around him changes age suddenly; sometimes following everyone else’s timeline, so the traveller appears to suddenly age/become younger.

The plot was kept on a low level; no one has to save the world in this film; it’s just about a couple trying to live a normal life given the bizarre condition the husband has. The time travelling is played to various effects throughout the story; there are a few scenes of comedy, some extremely touching emotional scenes and some genuine shocks. A fair few plot twists come as a surprise, at times drastically changing the tone of the movie, but never coming across as contrived. While there is little to no action, the characters are certainly interesting enough to keep you in this movie, the cast played their parts perfectly; most importantly and everyone acts realistically which really adds to things.