We can find a correlation to the latter fact to what we see in the opening images of the Charlie's Angels DVD version. The first thing we see is the dark figure of a man walking towards the screen and from that man three women are formed: the Angels. Moreover, the fact that Minerva was both a fighter and a searcher of peace also reminds us of female action heroes. These women do not use violence unless absolutely necessary, which shows a contrast to what male action heroes do in practically every movie, and is also in connection to what the god Neptune did when he chose to create the horse. Moreover, she was also smart and handled different skills; we can also see these same attributes in female action heroes. Besides being extremely skilled in combat and martial arts, the three “Charlie's Angels” speak Japanese, German, know how to dismantle a bomb, can drive a race car, know how to scuba dive, and Natalie even knows how to recognize a bird from its singing, what helped them find the location where Bosley was being kept hostage. In “Alias,” Sidney Bristow has multiple skills; she also is remarkably skilled in hand to hand combat, she speaks several languages, knows how to operate multiple state-of-the-art technological gadgets, etc. Lara Croft from “Tomb Raider” can also fight anyone skillfully regardless the weapon of choice or chance, or even with her bare hands; she also speaks different languages, escapes from her enemies time and time again, even by falling down a waterfall and emerging unharmed, and much more.

Another goddess, Venus, was the goddess of beauty and love and was born full of charms, so much so that all the gods were fascinated with her and they all wanted her as their wife; another goddess yet, Diana, was the queen of hunting and therefore she was of a savage nature. The best example of this nature was how she caused the "death" of Actaeon: one day when Diana was bathing in a creek Actaeon was unfortunate enough to accidentally come close that place, what angered Diana so much so that she turned him into a deer.

We can see then two more attributes that these goddesses had and were passed on to female action heroes and, why not, to many women in general nowadays. In the case of Venus, she was so beautiful that men were captivated by her, which is reminiscent of how the public today accepts pretty action heroes (which constitutes the majority of them) much more than they do the ones that are not so. However, beauty is not the only thing that the public wants to see, although it certainly does not hurt. In movies like “Elektra” and “Catwoman” that star Jennifer Garner and Halle Berry respectively, both very beautiful women, the earnings and reviews for them were not good at all and so those movies were big flunks. However, if more attributes are added to beauty then the formula for success could be reached. What we find in the goddess Diana is one of the attributes: she is aggressive, and if a man crosses the line with her then she will make sure it will cost him dearly, which is a feature that we also find in female action heroes.

We could dare say that the female action hero icon did not enter the protagonist world of Hollywood and did not become so widely accepted simply over night, but it actually did so in steps. What seems to have been one of the steps was the introduction of women with secondary roles bearing female action hero characteristics in male action heroes' movies. This is the case, for example, of one of James Bond's movie, “Tomorrow Never Dies.” In this movie, the traditionally strong, solitary and famous for his many sexual conquests hero James Bond, in this instance played by Pierce Brosnan, ends up accomplishing his mission with the help of no one else but a woman named Wai Lin, played by Michelle Yeoh. Ironically enough, he could not have done it all by himself, like he had always done so in the past, and he needed the help of a woman. Another man in the same situation was Jackie Chan who is recognized for always portraying characters that are extremely skilled in martial arts, always works alone and always succeeds. However, in one of his latest movies he teamed up with a strong woman played by Claire Forlani, as was the case of “The Medallion.” Now women have moved on from the shadow of the male action hero and are doing the work all by themselves, having become the protagonists of their own adventures.

Humbert, Juan. 1984: 41, 42, 44.

Ibid. 45.

Ibid. 62, 63.

Elektra is a woman who was revived from a fatal wound by a master called Stick. He then becomes her trainer until it is time for her to leave; when she does she becomes an assassin. A criminal organization called The Order of The Hand hires her to seize a father and his daughter, Mark and Abby Miller. However, she becomes attached to them and decides to team up with them against the ones who hired her.

So let's start with the movies we all know are coming:

Blending seamlessly from Batman Begins, although Rachael Dawes appears to have had plastic surgery changing from actress Katie Holmes to Maggie Gyllenhaal; The Dark Knight welcomes the return of Batman's most popular villain The Joker. Sadly the movie will have its own dark cloud in the knowledge that this was the last completed movie of Heath Ledger, who was reportedly disturbed by making the movie. But this cloud is surely only going to solidify the movie at the box office with fans coming to see Ledger at what could be his finest. Christian Bale reprises his role as Bruce Wayne AKA Batman, and fellow actors Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman also return. This could be the biggest movie of the year; it's certainly been one of the longest promoted.

Hard to believe but it's been nearly 10 years since Fox Mulder and Dana Scully finally closed the X-files, but as we learned with Indiana Jones, Rocky, and Rambo it's never too late to return. Shrouded in secrecy X-Files: I Want To Believe reunites Mulder and Scully when Mulder uncovers something sinister, will getting Scully to leave her hospital job be a big struggle? We'll see soon enough. Billy Connelly is apparently the movies villain, with the terror starting in the snow covered wilderness.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, although an animated movie is said to have the essence of the original three movies. In this tale we follow the adventures of Mace Windu and Annakin Skywalker in a story that takes place between Attack Of The Clones and Revenge Of The Sith. Samuel L. Jackson, and Anthony Daniels are aboard adding vocals to the animated characters.

Although they have been in the same movies, getting Roabert De Niro and Al Pacino to be in the same scene has been a stumbling block. Director Jon Avnet has managed it though and delivers a sharp and compelling cop thriller entitled Righteous Kill. Police officers Turk and Rooster are near the end of their serving days and have grown more and more discontent with the crime in the country and their work, but when a serial killer strikes it causes them to question what is right and wrong.
The Love Guru sees the return of Mike Myers to physical acting rather than just adding vocals, as Pitka he returns to the US after being bought up by Guru's. On returning he sets himself a mission to restore love to the world starting by focusing on a professional Ice Hockey player who's life and romance is on the downturn. Jessica Simpson, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Alba and Kanye West also star.

November brings The Quantum Of Solace to our screens, the 22nd James Bond movie with Daniel Craig reprising his role as 007. Unlike previous Bond stories this one picks up literally where Casino Royale left of as a direct sequel. Bond finds that wealthy businessman Dominic Green is organising a deal where he will gain control of all the world's most precious resources turning the Earth into a prison planet.

Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince sees now not so young Harry begin his sixth year at Hogwarts, following on from the previous movie Harry is about to uncover something that will change the world for he and his friends forever.

Now here are some of the movies you might not know about:-

Set in 1976 Bottle Shock is the true story about a world wine contest with a surprising entrant a Californian winery, believing it to be a joke Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) a wine aficionado is sent to California to investigate but his findings shock the world. Bottle Shock is a serious intelligent movie that has been given a comedic tint, apparently. This could well be the Sideways style runaway hit of 2008, also stars Bill Pullman and Elizu Dushku.

Fernando Meirelles the director behind City Of God and The Constant Gardner brings us a very different movie in which the residents of a City awake one day blind, without explanation why; why some have been spared its very much a case of follow my leader in order to survive. This is one of the movies I am really looking forward to. The movie stars Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, and Danny Glover.

The big movie this Christmas will be David Fincher's The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, a story that follows a man on his journey from the end of his life to the beginning. This might not sound anything unusual but this is not told in flashback, Benjamin Button actually grows younger as the movie progresses. Starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett the movie looks magnificent from clipsseen so far, and could be a real epic.

Slapstick comedy gets a makeover several times as the autumn closes in first up My Best Friends Girl in which loser Dustin (Jason Biggs) hires the most offensive man he can find, Tank (Dane Cook) to help win over the heart of his girlfriend Alexis (Kate Hudson). This might sound like familiar territory but I'm informed there is something very different about this comedy offering.

Always a pleasure to see Anna Farris stars in The House Bunny, in which an ex playboy bunny heads off to university to act as house mother in a fraternity house filled with nerdy young women. The movie pokes fun at all the things that annoy those over 30 about the younger generation.

Man of the moment Shia LeBeouf appears in yet another massive budget blockbuster movie, in Eagle Eye his character Jerry finds himself a target of terrorists, or so it seems, not to become a victim but to become the perpetrator of a terrorist incident. Told for much of the movie in real time Eagle Eye is said to be the best thriller of its type for years and looks absolutely stunning.

City Of Ember looks like an interesting movie, after the fall of humanity the survivors move underground to start a new civilization. But after several centuries allowing the population to increase everything in the underground city is falling apart and the generators are failing, it's a rush for survival to make it from the city to the surface before everything is destroyed, but maybe the biggest danger yet is what is above the surface. Looking like a combination of City Of Lost Children, Beetlejuice, and The Poseidon Adventure; City Of Ember looks like a fantastic fantasy movie. With a great cast including Bill Murry, Tim Robbins, Mackenzie Crook, Martin Landau, and Heathcote Williams.

Taking a step back and returning to the roots that made Will Ferrell successful his next movie finds him starring alongside John C. Reilly as two men joined by the marriage of their parents. Stepbrothers finds two men connected by fate trouble being both are still incredibly immature, and hate each other with a passion.

Based on the bestselling novel Twilight tells the story of Isabella Swan (Kristen Stewart) a young girl who falls madly in love with a vampire.

Not for me I have to say but The Mummy series spits out yet another offering in Tomb Of The Emporor Dragon, most of the cast return with the exception of Rachael Weiz. This time our explorers find themselves battling creatures an army of martial arts trained soldiers.

Horror is on its way too first up is Midnight Meat Train in which a homicidal maniac played by Vinnie Jones stalks people on the underground tube system, Alias' Bradley Cooper is all that stands in his way, in this movie penned by the master of horror Clive Barker.

Tropic Thunder is a movie about a movie, and how a bunch of actors filming a war movie themselves walk into a real life war. Expect to hear a lot of good and bad things about Robert Downey Jr, who blacks up to play an African American actor. Jack Black and Adam Sandler also star.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona isa movie that has been shrouded in controversy but director Woody Allen is no stranger to controversy and this movie set in Spain is destined to be his most controversial movie yet. There is allegedly explicit sex between Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall and Oscar winning Javier Bardem, in this story about two friends who become besotted with the same man.

Henry Poole Is Here pokes fun at religion as Luke Wilson who plays Henry Poole discovers a strange stain on the side of his house, while all he wants to do is treat it others believe it to be the image of the Virgin Mary. But as people claim to be cured by the image is it just a stain or something else?

Nicholas Cage finds himself a hit man in a strange land in Bangkok Dangerous, a remake of a Pang Brothers movie, our hitman here finds that he must wrestle with his conscious after his target turns out to be someone he never expected it to be.

The Coen Brothers return to their comedy roots with Burn After Reading , astory about two men who find a disc that just happens to contain the diary of a CIA agent and all of his work, the Coen brothers poke fun at the lapses of security across the world as we hear weekly of similar stories. The movie stars Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Frances McDormand.

Quite familiar territory nowadays but Whiteout follows 30 Days Of Night and Insomnia in a story set in a snow ridden location where they battle the elements as well as the light. Kate Beckinsale stars as a woman hunting a vicious killer. More exciting however is the return of Tom Skerritt to big budget movie making.

Taking a nod and a wink from Arlington Road, Lakeview Terrace finds a mixed race couple played by Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington as they move to their dream home. Sadly their neighbour is a man with strict moral values who does not like mixed race couples or the public showing of affections. As he launches a hate campaign against them the couple have little choice but to call in the police, tragically however one of the leading local police is the same neighbour carrying out the campaign of mental and physical violence against them also stars Samuel L. Jackson as the neighbour from hell.

Earlier this year the Spanish movie Rec. Obliterated George Romero's Diary Of The Dead at the box office focusing on a deadly virus in a city apartment block. Quarantine is the US remake starring Jennifer Carpenter.

One of the last movies of the year is Frank Miller's The Spirit, following a similar passage to Sin City. A young cop killed in action returns from the dead to fight the forces of evil that hide in the shadows of Central City. Battling against a master villain known as The Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) this movie is reported to be the best superhero style movie of the year. Also stars Scarlett Johansson and Gabriel Macht.

So that's it my brief look at some of the movies for the rest of 2008, i'm sure you'll agree the best is yet to come.

 

 

Let's have a look at the top 8 hottest titles to look forward to.

• Ironman

  Robert Downey junior will don the red and yellow armor of the marvel comic legend Ironman in this big screen adaption and judging from the trailers we've seen so far, this looks to be a furiously fast and explosive ride. Released in the UK today, expect a review shortly from this reporter.

• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

  With Harrison ford reprising his role in this the fourth in the Indiana series; this is set to be a great adventure film. I was a bit skeptical towards the idea because of Fords age but with the news that Shia LaBeouf (Transformers, Suburbia recently) will be playing a sort of “young Indy” role, my interest was again piqued. Set for worldwide release on the 22nd of May; expect a big adventurous Spielberg treat.

• The X files: I Want to Believe

  Expected to reveal many unanswered questions left by the first movie way back in 1998, Agent Mulder and Skully are back to tackle the question of “are we alone?” Due for release in July of this year and also co starring Billy Connolly(curious) and Xzibit(and curiouser) this much anticipated sequel should hopefully shed some light on the mysteries left ten years before.

• Hellboy 2

  The big red devils back with the wise cracks and the sawn-off horns. Big explosions and magic aplenty. Need I say more? Due for a July release.

• The Incredible Hulk

  Personally I enjoyed the first hulk but was surprised to hear that there would be a “sequel” This time the legendary Ed Norton will take on the role of tormented Bruce banner who turns into a raging muscle bound green Arnold Schwarzenegger type monster. Just mention Norton and you immediately know this films going to be quirky and different. I'm very excited about this marvel adaption due out June 2008.With additional performances from the likes of Tim Roth and Liv Tyler this is a must see and worth the wait.

• James Bond: Quantum of Solace

  Expect big things with Daniel Craig back as a grittier more accident prone Bond in his second appearance as the jaded British secret service agent. Rumored to follow on from his previous outing, Bond will be out to have revenge on the man/men responsible for the murder of the love of his life in casino royale. The title also hints to something more behind the storyline. Producer Michael Wilson promised double the action of the first. This should be worth the wait and is expected in November of this year.

• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

  Based on the second to last book, this is going to be a darker scarier outing for Harry Potter as his adolescent years advance towards manhood. Revealing more of Voldemorts dark past expect shocking revelations along the way. Even if you have read the books, this will be a must if only to complain about how much they left out again. I can't wait to see how the kids have grown. Due out in November.

• The Dark Knight

  Christian Bale returns as the caped crusader and this time he goes up against his arch nemesis, The Joker played by the recently deceased Heath Ledger who is missed dearly by all. Being an avid fan of the comic, I was extremely excited to hear that Ledger would be playing the homicidal clown in Chris Nolan's sequel to Batman begins and cannot describe how excited I am to see my two favorite actors go head to head. I have no doubts that this production will keep us all riveted to the franchise and slobbering for more. Expect it out in July of this year.

Comic book adaptations and sequels seem to be the flavor for 2008. With big stars and massive budgets I have no doubts that there will be few disappointments making 2008 a hot year for the big screen.

Goldeneye

Seriously, that is one sexy car, just look at that soft top, and those rims. GOD. It's so beautiful!

BMW Z8

The World Is Not Enough

Honestly, if you don't count this car, you are blind. It's so good, the coat is wonderful and it's convertible. Seriously. It's incredible.

Aston Martin DB5

Goldfinger, Thunderball, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Casino Royale

This is a Classic James Bond car, yes, it's the one fitted with the shield, missile, tire killers, rammers, and machine guns. How could you not like that?

Oh yeah, it has an ejector seat too.

Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith

Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only

Now, when they picked this car, they were going on hotness alone. This car is just the Pamela Anderson of motor vehicles. Look at the tyres, the grill, the shiny black coating and that thing that goes up the side and looks good.

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II

A View To A Kill

This is just a very sexy upgrade of the Silver Wraith. But more awesome.

T-55 Tank

GoldenEye

Come on, it's a bloody tank. Its awesomeness is partial to incomparable.

Mikoyan MiG-29

GoldenEye

A beautifully deadly jet. The Russian MiG made an excellent addition to GoldenEye.

Toyota 2000GT

You Only Live Twice

Now this, this is an eerily beautiful car. Having the seats so far back from the bonnet, the bonnet shaping upwards. Sure, it's almost a death trap, but damn is it pretty.

Jaguar XKR

Die Another Day

Mmm… I love my Jaguars. This car is just Godly! The shiny green paintjob, the shiny silver rims, the shiny handbrake.

Aston Martin DBS V12 Vanquish

Die Another Day

I'm drooling over this magnificent car, the magnificence is too much to bear, and it's so majestically fantastic…

Famous James Bond Car Chase: "Tomorrow Never Dies"

The poker match was also very believable as we see James playing poker with "La Chiffre", Where James eventually wins with a straight flush.

Also the acting of Daniel Craig who played James Bond, was a very different change to the "Pierce Brosman" type of Bond.

On the minus side, I think that Vesper(Eva Green) could of gotten a bigger role in the movie and at the end not of drowned herself, but still that was a pretty dramatic ending.

Also, M (Judi Dench) who is the head of MI6 could of had a bigger part.

Well overall, I think it was a pretty good movie and give it 3 and half stars.

Leave your comments about what you think of the movie.

The two part company when Danny refuses to help Noble carry out a hit, although they meet again in Danny's home town of Denver, which is when things start to get more interesting, especially when Noble is introduced to Danny's wife, Bean (Davis).

As a movie, The Matador seems to lack direction at times, as it meanders through to its final conclusion. There are some genuinely funny bits in here, but they are alas too few and far between, and although Brosnan's and Kinnear's acting skills are adequate, it is Hope Davis' few scenes near the end of the movie that threaten to steal the show. The twist at the end also fails to shock and surprise the audience adequately enough to turn what is an average film into a really good one.

All in all this would have been a fairly easy cheque for Pierce Brosnan to collect, and we can only hope that his next outing leads to bigger and better things especially if he is ever to shake off the James Bond tag, something that seems highly unlikely.

6/10

Most of the now-famous James Bond movies were based on the 1953 novel by Ian Flemming entitled ?Casino Royale?. The 1953 novel is set during the Cold War and provides insightful information and delves deep into the origins of 007. Daniel Craig was in the potential ?type-for-cast? category after his starring in the 2004 film ?Layer Cake? through which he starred as a criminal trying to escape his law-breaking past. Daniel is the son of a steel worker as a father and art teacher as a mother and was born and raised in the city of Chester. Casino Royale is the 21st official James Bond movie. The James Bond movies have definitely never grown faint in popularity. Daniel Craig gets the so called ?bashed and bloodied? treatment as a reviewer commented on the filming of the movie. Daniel lost a tooth cap in a punch-up scene.

As Daniel pressed on to filming the rest of the movie he endured cuts, bruises and a torture scene in which he was hit in the ?sensitive spots? by a knotted rope. The ravaged Daniel also injured a tendon in a high-speed foot chase. All of these injuries were endured by painkillers and physiotherapy. What is the price to pay for realism? Daniel certainly endured pain as the price for realism. Daniel Craig commented during filming that ?I got fit for a reason, I didn?t just get fit because I was taking my shirt off, I knew that I wanted to get involved with every step of the film process?.

He said this because ?Casino Royale? was a big step in his movie career. Daniel?s movie career did not take off until the dawn of the new millennium in which in those years he starred in ?Layer Cake?, ?Lara Croft: Tomb Raider?, ?Road To Perdition?, ?Sylvia? and ?Enduring Love?. His most recent roles in ?Munich? and ?Infamous? have rest assured his acclaim. Craig was apparently keen to play the new Bond despite factors of him losing his privacy in the movie business, so ?the script must have been up to par enough for Daniel? a reviewer commented. Casino Royale is apparently geared more towards love and romance that is old-fashioned love and romance, seeing that in this film, not every girl Bond meets is prancing around in a bikini. According to a reviewer, even Daniel was aware of that and agreed that the new movie was more into romance than previous movies.

Daniel is the new Bond that is the first that has blue eyes and is a blonde. James Bond movies will probably continue to entertain moviegoers everywhere. With the movies? hyper expensive special effects that appear infeasible to the average male, and bonds sly secret moves that never go awry will keep the public constellating to theatres everywhere. Moviegoers will continue to be pleased in every way. Will the mushy new romance in ?Casino Royale? be too much for the moviegoer? Who knows, but for now the movies have been successful and many previous Bonds from old movies have well-wished Daniel Craig. Daniel has also signed on for another Bond movie later in his movie career.

Neither McDowall nor Patterson are particularly remarkable, though it might be said that all they have to do is look worried, and occasionally get a little hysterical, but at least they're better than most of the rest of the cast, who say their lines with a flatness that is remarkable for its lack of interest, and perform their parts as though none of them had ever been in a movie before.

The story is about a little boy who accidentally gets locked in a bank vault - one that can't be opened again till the following Monday morning. It takes place in one set for the most part, (it's based on a play by Arthur Hailey), and while there's some tension in the script, there's absolutely no character-building, which is why it's perhaps not surprising that everyone looks so bored with their roles.

This was director Gerald Thomas' third movie (and Connery's fifth), and you have to wonder if Thomas was given the job the day before shooting starting, and that he then decided he'd get the thing filmed, take the money, and forget style, pace, tension and characterization. It's not surprising that most of his career was spent making the Carry On movies - some thirty or more of them. These are notable for weak scripts, pathetic direction, and no sense of style. They were only popular because a large repertory of English comedy actors held them together.

Watch Time Lock or Timelock if you wish, but don't expect to be moved, exhilarated, or surprised. This is bland film-making at its very best/worst.