The Book of Eli

***
UK Release Date: January 15th 2010

A post-apocalyptic tale, in which a lone man fights his way across America in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind.

Director: The Hughes Brothers (From Hell, Menace II Society)

Starring: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson

The Book of Eli looks good from the outside, but the inside is hollower than an Easter egg. There is no surprises here.

Denzel Washington stars in this post-apocalyptic action-thriller. Eli (Washington) is a lonesome traveller, going wherever the road takes him. His mission: bring the one and only copy of the Bible to safety, so it can be used for good rather than bad.

Surviving is the least of Eli's problems. He attracts unwanted attention, and that attention comes in the form of Carnegie (Oldman), a leader, or rather a dictator, of a small settlement. He's searching for the very same book, but intends to use it for avaricious purposes. The Book of Eli showcases the very core of good vs. bad.

Eli and Carnegie's intentions are different but both of their minds are set on using this book. There's a few messages here that can be interpreted a certain way depending on your beliefs. 

There are snippets of substance hidden in the wastelands of America. It's light and murky where it should be deep and meaningful. The CGI makes the locations dazzle, and the acting from the main three (Washington, Oldman and Mila Kunis) is top notch, but a weak plot and a below standard support overwhelm their efforts.

Other strengths come with hints of weaknesses. Eli wields a short sword and uses it only when necessary. He single-handedly takes on numerous foes at a time. The massacres are nearly as funny as Carnegie's temper.

The Book of Eli edges safely towards The Road and Fallout 3. It shows no originality, but it's still worth seeing for Washington and Oldman.      

The Bone Collector

***
UK Release Date: January 14th 2000

A quadriplegic ex-homicide detective and his female partner try to track down a serial killer who is terrorizing New York City.

Director: Phillip Noyce (Salt, Sliver, Patriot Games)

Starring: Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Queen Latifah, Michael Rooker

Before John Q and the highly successful Training Day came The Bone Collector, a thriller centred on a serial killer that leaves a human bone at every crime scene. Rookie cop Amelia Donaghy (Jolie) stumbles upon the first body and makes some quick, sensible decisions that lands her as the one and only forensics member on the case. She's aided by Denzel Washington's Lincoln Rhyme, who's fully paralysed apart from the use of his index finger. It's convenient but all he needs to help Jolie. 

There are two major factors that stop The Bone Collector from crumbling in to dust. The first is the cast. A quadraplegic and a newbie is a rare but effective pairing. Washington, as we're use to seeing, is sublime, putting drama and genuine emotion above anything else. His condition at times shadows the serious issues at hand. It's a difficult one because his acting prowess is stronger than the story itself. The same goes for Jolie, who takes the pressure of a lonesome rider perfectly. She teeters on the burden of her new job with its emotional upheaval. There's no surprise that she fast become one of the biggest A-listers in Hollywood.

The second factor is the crime scenes. They are laid out with utter finesse, with a lot of evidence to make the brain ache. Jolie's Donaghy and down-trodden music create suspense. The Bone Collector has us guessing until the end, but the ending spoils a consistent turnout. As an audience we like to work things out ourselves, but TBC spoons feeds us instead. We'd never had suspected the outcome when there are no motives to show in the first place. Besides that, it does have some great photography and camera work similar to Silence of the Lambs, so we're kept guessing until this pivotal moment.

2 Fast, 2 Furious

***
UK Release Date: June 20th 200 childhood friend Roman Pearce are re-united by the FBI to bring down a Miami drug exporter in exchange for clear records.

Director: John Singleton (Abduction, Four Brothers, Shaft)

Starring: Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser, Ludacris, Devon Aoki

2 Fast, 2 Furious is the follow up to 2001's The Fast and the Furious. Essential characters are missing, Vin Diesel being the most extravagant. Dominic Toretto missing is felt considerably. A presence like his won't be easily replaced. Newcomer Tyrese Gibson has big shoes to fill, and fill them well he does.

Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster are also replaced with Eva Mendes and Devon Aoki, with the latter impressing considerably. Paul Walker has need of support, just as he did in the first film. His character is still under-developed. Gibson's Roman Pearce has an over-develop. We know Brian O'Connor reasonably well, but there is still a lot to learn about him. We weren't given the opportunity before. 

The plot is deeper this time round, but it's hard to focus on it when a sequel doesn't involve key players that we would have loved to have seen again. 2 Fast, 2 Furious would have suited better as a prequel than a sequel.  

If you're watching this for the action-packed, high adrenaline car races then you're in the right place. Expect more of the same mechanics, 'lightning speed' effects and very, very flashy cars. All the races fit in to the story well, whether it's Brian and Roman chasing down a package for drug lord Carter Verone (Hauser) or on the run from police, there's plenty to get excited about. 

A Long Way Down

***
UK Release Date: March 21st 2014

Four people meet on New Year's Eve and form a surrogate family to help one another weather the difficulties of their lives.

Director: Pascal Chaumeil (A Perfect Plan, Heartbreaker)

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Imogen Poots, Aaron Paul

Four very different people wish to commit suicide on New Year's Eve at the exact same time and on top of the very same building. And that's the opening scene. The set-up may be ridiculous, but there's enough substance to the characters and their relationships to keep A Long Way Down interesting until the end.

They all have their motives, but it's their differences that bring them together and make them work so well. A disgraced news-reader, a single mum with a disabled son, a wealthy daughter with judgemental parents and an ex-musician with an ulterior motive are all undeveloped. Back-stories are glossed over and never fully explored.

Poots shines brightest with Aaron Paul's J.J. coming in at a close second. A Long Way Down is a comedy and a drama, switching from one to the other. Sometimes it's done gracefully, others disjointedly. Poot's Jess manages to lift the tone crass-fully, whenever it gets too dark. The humour in this film is all thanks to her blunt personality. 

Ouija

**
UK Release Date: 31st October 2014

A group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board.

Director: Stiles White

Starring: Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto, Daren Kagasoff, Bianca A. Santos, Douglas Smith

Many horror films these days reuse and recycle material. Some break familiarity, others play it safe. Ouija falls into the latter group. Unless this is the first horror film you've ever seen, which is highly unlikely, expect an abundance of clichés befall the characters we're introduced to. 

Spirit boards are a mysterious force not to be messed with. Circumstances lead a group of friends into playing with the unknown. Most of them are oblivious or stubborn about what they're doing before it's too late. 

The problem to begin with is we're placed in front of a bunch of people we have little connection to. The only character who's ballsy and has reason to use the board is Olivia Cooke's Laine. The others are one dimensional characters who'll follow Laine even though they know it's the wrong thing to do. It's almost worth joking about. Scooby-Doo's classic 'splitting-up' tactic springs to mind.

Frights are few and far between, and a twist that should come as a surprise is seen from afar. It's so blatantly obvious because we're led to believe everything is back to normal, when we know that's never the case in a horror film. Sorry to ruin it, but you're better off sticking a classic on repeat.

Fury

****
UK Release Date: October 22nd 2014

April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy commands a Sherman tank and his five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Out-numbered, out-gunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.

Director: David Ayer (Sabotage, End of Watch)

Starring: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal

War films are few and far between these days. Clint Eastwood's double entry Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima and this year's Lone Survivor are the ones worth mentioning that really stand out. Fury lives up to the great ones that'll immediately cross your mind. It's short in size and locations are limited but the effects are no less horrifying.

The message it shows us is very clear. No matter where the quintet go, every town, field and household has been effected by war. Disease is everywhere, and death is just as close. We can almost smell it. Just like them we're plunged in to very uncomfortable situations. 

The tank we come to know as Fury is characterised just as much as its owners. Slowly but surely it makes its move, outnumbered and outgunned, into enemy territory. Wardaddy (Pitt), the leader of the crew, relies on Fury with his life. Inside or out, there's no escaping the inevitable. It may be their home, butit's a claustrophobic one at that.

Alongside Wardaddy is 'Bible' (LaBeouf), 'Gordo' (Pena) and 'Coon-Ass (Bernthal). Norman (Lerman) joins them not through choice, but through a fatality. He's the newest member of their team, and the most rewarding. It's hands down one of Brad Pitt's best performances since Seven, but it doesn't stop the focus and attention surrounding Lerman. Norman proves to be the emotional attachment we need. We're just as new to war as he is. An incredibly intense moment sees Wardaddy forcing Norman to make his first kill 'He kills you or you kill him. It's simple math. You or him: pick.' he says. The truth hits home.