Komodo (1999)
Feb 14, 2010Giant Lizards Amok
CGI monster movie with a family under attacks by over-sized komodo lizards
Billy Burke
Untraceable (2008)
May 25, 2008Murders Live on the Internet
Gregory Hoblit has proven a fine director but this film about a site showing murders live on the internet feels like an hysterical rant about the dangers of the internet masquerading as a thriller
Twilight (2008)
Jan 1, 2009Vampire Romance
Before the teen idol phenomenon took over, the original in the massively popular Young Adult series works as an earnest romance where all involved are clearly making an effort to play with a conviction
New Moon (2009)
Nov 30, 2009Twilight Sequel/Vampire Romance
The second of the Twilight films where the moderately grounded original is blown up into the near laughable with the ridiculously over-the-top hyper-sexualised posturing of its male leads
Luster (2010)
Jan 22, 2015Man at War With His Split Personality
British director Adam Mason has been a rising name of note in recent years. Here he makes a Jekyll and Hyde story with Andrew Howard as a mild-mannered man at war with his own evil half. A good idea that seems to go astray in the film's pandering to the improvisations of the cast
Eclipse (2010)
Jul 4, 2010Twilight Sequel/Vampire Romance
The third of the Twilight films. This extrudes the dramatic irresolution of the last film’s cliffhanger – should Bella marry Edward or does she really love Jacob? – with over-padded momentousness
Red Riding Hood (2011)
Mar 13, 2011Adult Fairytale
Catherine Hardwcke's adapts the fairytale as a dark adult fantasy where there has been the clear intention to pitch it to Twilight audiences but the results are surprisingly good
Drive Angry (2011)
Feb 26, 2011Occult Car Chase Film
Essentially a supernatural version of a 1970s car chase movie with Nicolas Cage as a motorist who has escaped from Hell to settle a score. This makes a play for the trashy and absurd and comes out all the more entertaining for it
Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011)
Nov 20, 2011Twilight Sequel/Vampire Marriage and Pregnancy
The point where the Twilight series collapses under its pretensions and draws every detail of its wedding out for an excruciating hour. A series that has been all about preaching chastity then segues into Right to Life advocacy
Breaking Dawn Part Two (2012)
Nov 16, 2012Twilight Sequel/Vampire Romance
Perhaps the best thing about this is that the Twilight saga is finally ended. This provides a moderately spectacular showdown but also wraps its plotlines up with absurd deus ex machina wimp outs and an infuriating twist ending
Lights Out (2016)
Jul 31, 2016Creature Lurking in the Dark
The James Wan produced (as opposed to directed) film has always been a dubious prospect. You cannot deny that this does make an audience jump in a number of places – on the other hand, I felt that I'd seen everything before
Batman: The Long Halloween Part One (2021)
Jul 9, 2021Comic-Book Superhero/Animation
The first in a two-part adaptation of a classic Batman story, this shows great promise that lifts the DC Universe Original Animated Movies out of the comfortable middle ground they have been drifting through the last few years
Batman: The Long Halloween Part Two (2021)
Aug 6, 2021Comic-Book Superhero/Animation
The Long Halloween Part One was one of the best DC animated films in some time, now comes the concluding chapter, which alas fails to fulfill the promise that the first film showed