Untitled Document

Hostel part II
At World's End
Cert: 18
Starring: Lauren German, Bijou Phillips, Roger Bart, Richard Bugl, Vera Jordanova, Heather Mattarazzo, Stanislav Ianevski, Milan Knazko
Director: Eli Roth
Running Time: 94 minutes

With Hostel II, Director Eli Roth returns us to the dark underworld of rich people who are willing to pay for the thrill of a chance to torture innocent victims.
The movie follows the same guidelines as the original as three young women take a weekend break from studying in Rome. As they meet a fellow student they are lulled into the idea of visiting springs in Slovakia, where of course a very different fate awaits them.
The problem with many of these types of sequels is that the suspense that the original usually contained is missing because we already know what to expect. But although this movie does start a little slow there is something there to keep you interested.
Roth shows that he has a good eye for giving the film a sense of menace, and the characters are all well developed which helps to keep your interest.
This is still a movie for people who have a strong stomach - it is after all a modern horror/slash movie, but for the fans of this type of film it manages to be a little more than standard sequel that’s just all gore.

Shrek the Third
Cert: 15
Starring: Mike Myers, Antonio Banderas, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Justin Timberlake
Director: Raman Hui, Chris Miller
Running Time: 93 minutes

The return of our favourite green ogre sees him faced with the consequences of being heir to the throne of the kingdom Far, Far Away, the prospect of which Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) is non too keen on. His only other option is to find another heir, but the young lad Arthur (voiced by Justin Timberlake) is far from ready for such responsibilities.
But, other things are also playing on Shrek’s mind as his wife, Princess Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz), has announced her pregnancy.
If all of this was not enough Prince Charming (voiced by Rupert Everett) is still plotting in the wings to take the kingdom for himself!
Well, if you don’t know who Shrek is yet then you have possibly been living in a distant swamp that our friendly ogre is more accustomed to! So, by now you should know if you love or hate these movies, and that is really the main deciding factor here. If you’re a fan of these movies it won’t disappoint, all the characters you love are there and the animation is as good as ever. But you can’t help but feel that they are becoming a victim of there own success, and as you watch the movie it doesn’t have quite the same impact that the first one really did, and is just lacking that something special.
This is certainly the more subdued of the three films and the jokes are not as thick and fast as the others, but you can still expect a chuckle or two.
Lets just hope that they pull the stops out a bit more if there is to be a forth in the series, and with the rumour that it could be in 3D perhaps we will still be looking forward to number four !
Just remember not to expect too much from it and you will be fine (well as long as you save up for all the new Shrek toys the kids will want!).

Flyboys
Cert: PG
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis
Director: Tim Story
Running Time: 95 minutes

The latest of the comic book adaptation movies takes us to the next saga in the life of the team now known as the Fantastic Four.
Reed Richards (played by Ioan Grufford), and Susan Storm (played by Jessica Alba) are busy making their wedding plans, Johnny Storm (played by Chris Evans) is still working on his ever-increasing ego, and Ben Grimm (played by Michael Chiklis) is pursuing his new-found relationship. But all their lives come to an abrupt halt with the arrival of the Silver Surfer (voiced by Laurence Fishburne), and with the return of their nemesis Dr Doom (played by Julian McMahon), their plight is increased.
With the discovery that the Surfer is only the herald for an all-powerful planet destroying force known as Galactus our intrepid team could be Earth’s only hope!
The first of the Fantastic Four movies was never in the same league as other superhero films such as Spiderman and this new venture follows much of the footsteps of its predecessor. The chemistry between Reed and Susan is just that bit lacking, and it’s a shame that the characters have not been developed more.
True fans of the comics will not have a problem knowing the history of the Silver Surfer, but for those unfamiliar with the character a little more explanation would have helped smooth things along. But it’s not all bad; this is still an improvement from the first movie, with Chris Evans managing to inject some energy into his part, and the special effects being up to the usual standards. If you realise that this is a movie that is light hearted and aimed largely at its PG rated audience then you won’t be too disappointed.