(Poster courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures Germany)

After the modestly successful screen versions of her popular children's books THE WILD CHICKS and THE THIEF LORD, German writer Cornelia Funke has now joined the producer ranks for New Line's production of part one of her INKHEART Trilogy; a worldwide bestseller, already translated into many languages.

At the heart of this fantasy adventure is 12-year old Meggie (Eliza Bennett), whose father Mo Folchart (Brendan Fraser) has passed on to her a very special talent. Known as "Silvertongue", he is able to bring to life fictional characters and objects from the books he reads aloud. But before long, Meggie discovers that this magical gift also has its dangers and comes at a very high price. For whenever a creature from a book is brought to life, then a real person must vanish into the world of books. This is the fate that overtook Meggie's mother Resa (Sienna Guillory) when years ago Mo read aloud from the rare book entitled INKHEART. She vanished into its pages, as three of its characters were called forth: the wicked Capricorn (Andy Serkis), his henchman Basta, and one of the book's heroes, the fire-eater known as Dustfinger (Paul Bettany), who is desperate to return to the medieval world of Inkheart. Desperately searching for a copy of the rare tome in order to bring Resa back, father and daughter are pursued by its evil villain Capricorn, who will stop at nothing to make use of their talents in order to spread his reign of terror over the real world.

British director Iain Softley, who has proved his versatility with films ranging from BACKBEAT and THE WINGS OF THE DOVE to K-PAX and THE SKELETON KEY, was the perfect choice for INKHEART. Despite its Hollywood veneer, Softley's light touch, together with Cornelia Funke's hands-on involvement, has prevented the film from turning into another mindless, special effects extravaganza. Dark, although less so than the novel, the fairy tale adventure is very compact and has been excellently translated to the screen.

Softley likewise elected to make spare use of CGI and green-screen effects which -  although many of the effects are consequently on a smaller scale - makes the movie's climax all the more spectacular by comparison. Nor was this decision a matter of budget, for the estimated production cost amounted to approx. 30 million GBP. But the charm and humour of the story, its characters, and their interaction more than compensate. The picturesque locations, mostly in the UK and the Italian Riviera, lush cinematography and lovingly designed sets - with special accolades to DOP Roger Pratt and production designer John Beard - create a distinct atmosphere, guaranteed to draw viewers swiftly into the magical world of INKHEART.

It is obvious, too, that the cast are enjoying themselves. Brendan Fraser puts in a strong performance as the literary adventurer, Silvertongue Mo, while the choice of Helen Mirren as the spirited Aunt Eleanor is truly inspiring. Paul Bettany is the perfect storybook anti-hero, and Andy Serkis sinister as the megalomaniac antagonist. The smaller roles are likewise well cast and the creature design also worthy of mention.

Although hardly able to compete with the HARRY POTTER franchise - the next one scheduled for release in July 2009, INKHEART is good cinema entertainment for both young and old alike.

INKHEART (USA/Germany/UK 2008), Genre: Fantasy-adventure; Distributor: Warner Bros.; Running time: 106 minutes; US Release date: 23 Jan., 2009; German release date: 11 Dec., 2008; Director: Iain Softley; Writer (screenplay): David Lindsay-Abaire; Writer (novel): Cornelia Funke; Main cast: Brendan Fraser, Helen Mirren, Paul Bettany, Jim Broadbent, Andy Serkis, Eliza Hope Bennett, Sienna Guillory; Cinematographer: Roger Pratt; Composer: Javier Navarrete; Production designer: John Beard; Editor: Martin Walsh

Quantum of Solace picks up directly where Casino Royale left off, with our hero mourning the loss of his lover Vespa, and burning with rage at the nefarious organisation which forced her to betray him. This is the first time the Bond franchise has ever continued a direct plot line through more than one film, and the narrative occasionally suffers as a result as the viewer may struggle to follow the complex web of deceit which Bond attempts to unravel.  Bond films have never before been too hung up on the plausibility of the plot, however, and Quantum of Solace is no exception, saving it's energy for it's visually stunning, viscerally breath-taking action sequences. It's a cliché to say so, but I was actually on the edge of my seat, wincing in sympathy as Daniel Craig pounded the bad guys to pulp, while taking quite a bashing himself. The opening sequences in Italy are particularly amazing. 

The other Bond prerequisite is of course beautiful girls, and in Quantum of Solace they come in the form of the shockingly underused Gemma Aterton, and the powerful newcomer Olga Kurylenko, who shares bond's passion for revenge. My only real disappointed with Quantum of Solace came with the anti-climatic final battle. Perhaps I was burnt out from the stomach churning action sequences which preceded it, but I didn't think the burning cardboard compound made a particularly dramatic setting for the finale, and the action itself seemed lacklustre compared with the earlier dynamism and power displayed. This alone, however, would not be enough to deter me from recommending this film, and I think it is another fine addition to the 007 catalogue. It may not have the wow-factor of Casino Royale, but given that that film was so utterly different to every other Bond film, there was no way that Quantum of Solace could have surprised or impressed the critics in the same way. ***3*s

Fly me to the Moon, is a feature-length animated movie set in 3D.  It is amongst one of the first to be set in 3D, which means it can only be shown in certain cinemas that have the facilities.  The story tells of three young flies who begin to wonder if there is anything else than their day-by-day mundane activites.  We meet Nat (voice of Trevor Gagnon), who is obviously the leader who encourages his two friends to go on the adventure of a lifetime; I.Q. (voice of Philip Daniel Bolden) who is the brains of the trio and Scooter (voice of David Gore) is the obese fly who just goes along ebcause his friends coersed him into going.  The film is set around the time of the first Moon Landing in 1969 and our heros stop at nothing to ensure they are on the flight.  The journey for them is a treacherous one, but having survived being carried in a lunch box; hiding in the suits of the astronauts; having their faces jiggled about by the forces that exist during rocket launch; being sprayed by decomtamination spray; trapped in a testtube and many other happenings, we eventually watch as Niel Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin step foot on the Moon for the very first time.

If this was not enough excitement for you, there is a subplot that reminds us of the deviousness of cold war 'Mother Russia' and their attempt to stop the Americans from successfully returning, in this case Russian flies.  Their task, lead by Yegor (voice of Tim Curry) is to sabotage the Floridian Space Centre, and change the re-entry coordinates of the returning space vessel - smart flies!

Their evil plan is halted by the heroic actions of Grandpa (voice of Christopher Lloyd) and his aged friends.  Given that Yegor is a lot more stronger and younger than Grandpa and his friends, it would stand to reason that Yegor would be successful.  However, a defecter, by the name of Nadia (Nicollette Sheridan) comes and saves the day by taking yegor out of the picture and saving Grandpa her long lost love.

The three adventurers return unharmed to a glorious welcome.

Why should you watch it?

Reason 1:

This movie tells of a struggle of three young, inexperienced and innocent children who, through sheer determination succeed in achieving their dream.  They work together and use each other's skills to overcome all obstacles in their way.  This, in itself, is a lesson to us all.  Never, never, never give up.  One of my favourite authors said, "The road to success often travels through adversity" and sure enough, these three little flies came across a lot of adversity and yet still survive to a victor's welcome home.  No matter how big your goals are, no matter how far-fetched others think them to be, if you stay focused you will achieve them.

Reason 2:

The makers of the movie (nWave Pictures) have put a lot of research into the story.  Evidence of this research can be found throughout the movie, starting with the rocket take-off.  Just small additions to the animation made the whole experience a little more believable (as far as an animation can be believable!).  For example, the rocket swaying just before the engines are ignited, the separation of each of the segments of the rocket, the landing of the 'Eagle', the first footprint on the moon and many of what was said by the human astronauts.  This, as already stated, just adds to the story making it a far more enjoyable experience.

Reason 3:

The real Buzz Aldrin appears just before the credits run at the end to explain, as if we needed it, that there were no flies or other contaminants on the first flight to the moon.  But what made a nice touch and brought a tear to my eye was the dedication that he gave to all the men and women who have and will reach for the stars in mankind's endeavour to explore the galaxy.

Reason 4:

It was funny in throughout.  Christopher Lloyd and Tim Curry battle it out towards the end in a fantastic battle of the flies.  Ed Begley, Jr) is excitingly funny in his portrayal of the Russian Cold-War leader, Poopchev.  The magots are a great addition to the storyline.  Being trapped in their wriggly bodies throughout the film, laughing and playing with each other, sleeping all over Grandpa and pretty much anywhere they can, only to then break free of their wriggly bodies and develop legs and wings to take on the two Russian Operatives trying to change the re-entry sequence of the space vessel.  Scooter is by far the funniest as he eats his way through the film.

I watched it yesterday with my boys and they loved it, I loved it and I know that you will love it.

Summary:

Virgil was treated like the other outcasts of the student body because he is not cool. Then, he met Charlie, and they were became friends. Then, they started to build a time travel machine with Zeek, the tallest guy in school and knows how to deal with the metal works. Their invention was a success. However, the outcasts they saved from the embarrassing moments turned into snob and obnoxious people, and they become uncontrollable pranksters.

Another problem is there would be a black-hole in their school because their invention has a bad attribution on the law of physics. Therefore, the three of them decided to save the world and destroy their invention because they learned a lesson that some situations cannot be change, but there would be a good outcome from the worst scenarios of the situations in life.

Conclusion:

I like the lesson I got from this film because it is very applicable to every person's life. And, sometimes, our weaknesses makes us humble that would lead to a perfection of a good character. A humble person can be an ideal person to others. Friendship has its perfection if we are true to ourselves and true to our friends.

Time: One hour 21 minutes

Rating: Kids say --- MUST OWN!

Major Players: Sid voiced by John Leguizamo

Manny voiced by: Ray Romano

Diego voiced by: Denis Leary

The world is frozen all around and chaos rains supreme. This amazingly funny movie will keep you riveted for the duration, wondering just what might happen next. Twists and turns leave you wondering what you know to be true and what you just thought was true, in a world where animals talk and humans don't.

Sid, the adorably lazy sloth, finds himself endangered by a case of bad timing. While running away from his pursuers, he meets Manny. Manny, an extremely large woolly mammoth, prevents Sid from meeting his end and begrudgingly receives the sloth's constant companionship as a reward. While they wander, the pair comes across a woman holding a baby in the freezing waters. The woman slowly makes her way to shore and deposits the baby at Manny's feet. While Manny and Sid marvel at the tiny bundle, the mother slips away into the icy water never to be seen again.

The movie continues to document the travels of this pair as they make their way to return the baby to his herd, along with Diego, a saber-tooth tiger that enters the scene seeking the baby for his own nefarious purposes.

The three join forces to form the strangest herd ever seen while attempting to return the human baby to his family. The plot includes plans made by Diego to sacrifice his newly found “friends” to his tiger herd, as the herd leader wants the baby as revenge for damage done to the tigers by the human tribe. Viewers will wonder what will happen next as they sit on the edge of their seat waiting with rapt attention. With so much excitement and adventure, even the adults will enjoy watching this movie, which is good because this movie will be watched - over and over and over and over....

Parent's Note: This movie contains some minor cartoon violence and romantic innuendos.

Stark's thinking about weaponry changed while in East Asia showing Stark Industries military equipment, he and the group were attacked, he was struck by exploding shrapnel and captured by a warlord name Wong Chu and forced to build weapons. He, and Ho Yinsen, a famed physicist, who was also captured worked to build an arc reactor that protected his heart and worked with a suit of armor that he built to escape.

Stark's creation of the arc reactor let him see that Stark Industries could do so much more than just build weapons. If the arc could save him from dying, it could be used in other ways to help people.

Stark built many suits. He used them to fight against people who bought the weapons originally sold by Obadiah Stane, CEO of Stark International. Stark did not want to see Stark Industries weapons in enemy hands. The people called him Ironman, and he let everyone know he was Ironman without hesitation.

Stark is constantly updating his suits with the new designs and weaponry he creates. He continued his fight to battle defending the earth.

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Ben Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) is an archaeologist treasure hunter whose family has been searching for a hidden treasure hidden by the Founding Fathers with the help of the Free Masons. A secret society consisting mostly by working class brick masons and stonemasons, but then later included members of other working class trades and some rather important American politicians. The only guides leading the way to solving this mysterious hidden treasure are puzzling clues that have been hidden on historical documents, in clever riddles and special opticals are need to reveal more keys to the puzzle.

Gates not working alone is accompanied by a wisecracking computer genius and a pretty young National Archives curator who originally become enthralled in the hunt for the treasure unwillingly. After successfully pulling off the crime of the century, Gates races against time to unravel the mystery before the FBI and his former greedy partner who originally tried to kill Gates are pursuing him on a cross-country high stakes adventure.

National Treasure puts the fun back into movies with its balance of action, humor and supercharged turn of events. Indiana Jones better watch out, because archaeologist Ben Franklin Gates is in town.

The movie “National Treasure” is worthy of (Renting: Yes - Buying: Yes)

However, in this new movie, all realism seems to have been completely scrapped. OK, first off, it's quite possible that the Soviets got into America during the Cold War, I'm not refuting that. But hiding in a fridge to survive an atomic bomb. What the hell is going on there? How is that even near possible? Then the men in the car should have been pretty safe too.

On to the second irregularity. Why would this “crystal” skull be magnetic, even attracting gold and other such non-magnetic metals? Why does it have these super weird powers to “control” people's minds? It's all just a little unbelievable, and by a little I mean a lot.

Thirdly, and lastly seeing as I've probably forgotten most of the other odd parts of the movie, why do the alien beings destroy the pyramid and erase all evidence of their existence. I mean, their actions would be understandable if they meant nothing to the human race, but they were worshiped as gods by ancient people, and thoughts us how to farm, irrigate etc. Surely, they wish to teach the human race? Why would they leave the Earth suddenly and hide from humans? It all just seems very strange.

All in all, however, the movie isn't a bad one, and if you enjoyed the first three Indiana Jones movies, you should definitely go and see this one.

Contrary to what some may think, this film was NOT done on a whim to join in on the craze of reviving "80s action icons. “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” has actually been in development since 1989 after the “Last Crusade” finished and hit it big at the box office, and Lucas himself even stated that he wanted to do a total of five films. However, problems with finding a proper plot device that major players Lucas, Spielberg and Ford could all agree on hampered the development, so the series was pretty much considered ended. But hope must"ve remained, as Ford stated that he has been keeping in shape all these years on the hopes that the good Dr. Jones would make his return. It's unknown whether the success of the new “Rocky”, “Die Hard” and “Rambo” flicks helped speed up the development, but a script was written, all the players came back and we, the fans, got a worthy new entry to the “Indy” saga.

Very appropriate to the real passage of time, the new film is set in 1957, nineteen years after “Last Crusade”, and the villains this time around are the Russians, led by the sinister yet stunning Irina Spalko, played by Cate Blanchett. After he's forced into helping them steal mysterious remains found in New Mexico from a military hangar in Nevada, Jones finds himself in a race with the Russians to track down the legendary city of Akator (aka El Dorado), where it is said to hold the path to ultimate power and knowledge, with a mysterious crystal skull being the key. Joining Jones is street-smart greaser Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), who needs Jones' help in tracking and rescuing not only his mother, none other than Indy's old flame Marion Ravenwood (the returning Karen Allen) but his mentor Harold Oxley (John Hurt), a colleague of Indy's who himself had been searching for the city and the skull. Along the way, surprising secrets about the otherworldy truth behind Akator and the skull are revealed, along with some very personal ones for Indy.

Much anticipation has been building for this movie since it was announced, and fans will not have to worry about whether it lives up to its predecessors. “Kingdom of the Crystal” has all the proper elements of an “Indiana Jones” film: plenty of action, more than a few dotes of comedy to provide some laughs (most of which provided by Ford's sharp wit), some bits of suspense and drama, an impromptu history lesson or two and an adventure that goes into the paranormal (though this time a little different than previous adventures). Fans of the first three films will definitely enjoy it, and even those who are getting their first taste of the saga will find themselves liking this new one. Contrary to belief, though, some knowledge of the first three films will help, thanks not only to the return of Allen as Marion (the first time an “Indy girl” comes back for another movie, I don't think even James Bond has had that), but also other little bits and pieces that pop up here and there. There's even a reference to the TV series, “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles”, properly cementing the show into the story continuity. I won't spoil it for you, but if you've seen the movies and the TV series, you'll know them when you see them.

The film has a great cast to help the story move along. Obviously there's Ford, who as mentioned kept in shape in anticipation for another turn as Dr. Jones, still whip-cracking and fighting with the best of them, and seems to be much older and wiser following the last few years. Strangely, he also seems a bit more skeptical this time out, scoffing at some of the ideas behind the skull. This is a bit surprising, given all that Indy's seen and hunted after in his previous adventures, but I guess some things are a bit much even for this archaeologist. Karen Allen even proves she's still got it as Marion, bringing back the love-hate relationship the two had in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and doing her own bit to help out.

The new additions to the cast really help round it out. Cate Blanchett is an excellent villain as Spalko, who beliefs are opposite those of Jones, thus making her an excellent foil (she's even a rather believable Russian). John Hurt is enjoyable as Oxley, who's actually rather crazy through most of the film but pulls it off greatly. And then there's Shia LaBeouf as Mutt, a kid who doesn't think much of Indy at first sight but changes his tune after seeing Jones in action. LaBeouf even manages to prove his own as an action star, sword fighting with Blanchett during an intense chase scene and being a much tougher character than in his previous works. It's this combination of old and new that help progress the film and make the story all that more interesting and fun to watch.

Probably one of the more interesting things about the film is the time frame, 1957 America, in the early days of the Cold War and the Communist Threat. The paranoia of the time is quite visible, as seen with the FBI cracking down on Indy to determine his actual role in the events that kicked off the film and his loyalty to his country. There's even a glimpse of an anti-Communist rally at the college where Jones teaches, complete with a sign sporting that ever familiar phrase, “Better dead than Red”. Some might compare this to current times and the post-9/11 world we live in, which I can admit is rather easy, but those folks would obviously have not studied their history properly and known that's just how it was back then. And given that comparison to the current time, it seems rather scary to think how history seems to repeat itself.

As great as the whole movie is, I do, surprisingly, have one thing to complain about it. Nothing major, just a bit of dialogue between Indy and Marion as they discuss their relationship (while escaping capture, no less). She asks if there were any other women that Indy had been involved with, and he admits there were a few (Elsa from “Last Crusade” obviously comes to mind), but they all had “one problem”. Of course, the problem was “They weren't (Marion)”. I'm thinking it was needed to keep things going, and this is Indy we're talking about, not exactly the most romantic man alive, but still rather cliche and predictable. Also the only thing that made me groan and shake my head, but otherwise enjoy the movie.

As a fan of action movies in general and Indiana Jones in particular, I found this to be a great movie, well in tune with the previous films and a worthy new chapter to the saga as a whole. Old fans will also enjoy it, and new fans will as well, thus keeping the spirit of the series alive. Now if only Lucas could give us a new set of “Star Wars” movies...

Released by: Paramount Pictures/Lucasfilm, Ltd

Starring: Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones), Cate Blanchett (Irina Spalko), Karen Allen (Marion Ravenwood), John Hurt (Harold Oxley), Shia LaBeouf (Mutt Williams)

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Rating: PG-13

Score: 8 out of 10

1. Archaeologists rarely fight Nazis

   We'd be up to the challenge for sure (we're tough cookies), but most of our battles are against much milder foes. We generally battle brutal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) bureaucrats, deadly Central American mosquitoes and the occasional misguided environmentalist, but I have yet to jump out of a plane in the Himalayas, raft my way all the way to the Indian rainforest, or dodge a bullet from anyone named Helmut. One time, though, I did fall while scaling a barbed wire fence. I'm in discussion with Universal Pictures for the film rights.
   

2. Most of the treasures we find are not booby-trapped

   This one was a tough pill to swallow for sure. I mean I had expected blow darts, bloody spikes and large rolling boulders once we entered my first Anasazi pithouse, but all I got was two cubic tons of sand, one hibernating scorpion (don't for a minute think I wasn't suspicious) and a couple of earwigs guarding my treasure. Oh, and the treasure: a gorgeous little corncob. We partied that night.
   

3. Whip skills are not a prerequisite for any archeology program

   Believe me, I checked it all out. I have yet to find an undergraduate program that offers Whip Skills 101. Now, I understand it may be an advanced skill that only Masters students or Doctoral students get to practice, but I have yet to see it any curriculum. How is this possible? The whip is an essential tool for Indy. When I was 15 years old, I got a classic calfskin whip with the understanding that any self-respecting archaeologist would need one. Nope! Yet to use it at all.
   

4. No treasure maps

   In general, archaeologists read maps rather adeptly, so it would be nice to have a treasure map that we could try to decipher, but apparently Indiana, that Nicholas Cage character, and Cortez have them all. I once thought I saw some rock art that looked like a treasure map, but when I got to the X that marked the spot, I found two Gila monsters sipping on a Corona Light.

5. The hat does not make you Indiana Jones cool

   We have tried. I guarantee that should you walk on to any college campus in this great land and find the Anthropology/Archaeology department, you will find a certain cadre of students donning the hat. You be the judge, but I will bet that same group of derelicts could probably tell you the paste, temper, slip and form of every piece of pottery found in a five state radius. Not exactly show-stopping conversation at the Friday night keggers.
   Oh, I almost forgot about the girl. Yep, we get the girl in the end. She usually wears Birkenstocks, eats hemp, and knows the measurements of condensed milk cans from the 1920s, but she's all ours.