Film reviews
Men In Black 3
It’s not a sequel that needed to be made, but thanks to the charm of its leads and a tone that harks back to the wit and humour of the original, it’s a pretty enjoyable trip.
Bel Ami
The excellent female support cast saves this patchy effort, which is let down by its leading man and a flat screenplay.
The Dictator
A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.
The Woman In Black
Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.
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The Last Airbender 3D (Film)
Rating: PG
Running Time: 103
Country: USA
Cast: Cliff Curtis, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone
Distributor: Paramount
Release Date: September 16, 2010
Film Worth: $4.00
FILMINK rates movies out of $20 - the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worthWith poorly executed action, wooden acting and a dead script, this fantasy film is a strong contender for a Razzie.
There may be a Razzie coming M. Night Shyamalan's way. The famed The Sixth Sense director's latest film is, to be polite, a $150 million dud. Don't be fooled by the spectacular trailer. The Last Airbender is a failure, and it's the film's ready-made audience - the fans of the popular animated TV series on which this is based - who will possibly feel the most ripped off.
A live action fantasy shot in 2-D but then converted to 3-D, the film is set in an alternative world at war, dominated by the imperialistic Fire Nation. Peace vanished a century ago, along with the Avatar (yes, we know, but the series - Avatar: The Last Airbender - arrived long before James Cameron's little flick). The unifying Avatar can "bend" all the elements, whereas the other inhabitants of this world can only play around with one element, if they're lucky.
The story begins with the appearance of Aang (Noah Ringer), who winds up on a world-saving quest with newfound friends, Katara (Nicola Peltz) and her big brother Sukka (Jackson Rathbone), riding on the back of a flying bison. The bison and the other fantastical creatures are superb, but they, plus a handful of eye catching moments, don't compensate for the poorly executed action, the dead script, or the overall visual flatness.
Then there's the generally wooden acting. It's woeful at times. Yet, apart from his dodgy, sometimes unintentionally funny, faux Tai Chi moves, Noah Ringer is likeable, if not convincing, as Aang, while Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel is truly excellent as Aang's enemy, bringing contrasting shades to his role as the banished Fire Nation prince. But a nice little kid and one good support actor can't rescue this sleep-inducing mess.
Instead of the threatened second instalment, M. Night Shyamalan should be working on the script for his Razzie acceptance speech.
