Bovie Movie

Harry Potter’s literary rival Lemony Snicket receives a cinematic makeover with this visually inspired adaptation that combines the first three titles in the bestselling series. A darkly humorous gothic fantasy, it unfolds like a Grimm fairy tale as imagined by Tim Burton. In another of his wildly over-the-top performances, Jim Carrey plays the evil Count Olaf, an actor and master of disguise who’s on a murderous mission to swindle three orphaned siblings out of their family fortune. Although Carrey disappoints, coming across as more silly than sinister, the children are fabulous. As they encounter everything from man-eating leeches to falling fridges, they demonstrate real talent and charm, with the toddler twins playing the youngest Baudelaire offspring a particular delight. Ultimately, the flawed feature lacks the depth and thrills of the Potter franchise but, thanks to its quirkiness and whimsical Victorian styling, the film’s still an enjoyable affair. 

After bowling over adolescent girls in the Freaky Friday remake, Chad Michael Murray reinforces his pin-up status with another romantic role. In a high-school-set reworking of the Cinderella fairy tale, Murray’s modern-day Prince Charming may do his wooing via cyberspace but he still manages to live up to the archetype. Little wonder, then, that orphaned student Hilary Duff is smitten by the initially anonymous, online sweet-talker, who’s a dreamy diversion from the cruel demands of her self-obsessed stepmother (Jennifer Coolidge) and spiteful stepsisters. Visually Duff and Murray make a cute couple, even if neither are particularly charismatic, and their overall enthusiasm has a saccharine appeal. Unfortunately their performances are undermined by corny dialogue and a hackneyed plotline that updates the original story too literally. Though the cheeky humour has its occasional moments, as does the Pretty in Pink-style bitchiness, ultimately you need to be a pre-teen to appreciate this movie. 

If you thought Dumb and Dumber or There’s Something about Mary plumbed the depths of grossness, hold on to your lunch — you ain’t seen nothing yet. This laughter-packed comedy about four teenage boys who pledge to lose their virginity before prom night has enough crass gags to satisfy the most demanding fans of Porky’s-style farces. Yet it also boasts some spot-on performances from a hip young cast that includes Chris Klein, Mena Suvari, Tara Reid and Natasha Lyonne. The title refers to one of the more eye-widening sequences, in which Jim (Jason Biggs) gets a bit too friendly with his mom’s apple pie. This is definitely not one to show granny, but must-see fare for those not easily offended. 

There’s very little that’s epic about this senseless parody, but then there’s very little that’s funny about it either. Following on from the Scary Movie franchise and Date Movie, writers-turned-directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer continue their hit-and-miss (but mostly miss) approach to comedy, spoofing such recent films as Pirates of the Caribbean, The Chronicles of Narnia and The Da Vinci Code. It’s little more than an excuse for actors Kal Penn and Jayma Mays to mug their way through skits involving bestiality, breasts and Willy Wonka break dancing. It’s mind-numbingly, tediously unamusing and is so devoid of imagination it even parodies self-mocking films like Snakes on a Plane. Scarily, it topped the box office on its cinema release in the US. 

Reese Witherspoon returns as ditzy blonde socialite Elle Woods in this frothy but dumb sequel to the 2001 hit comedy. Having graduated from Harvard, the pink-clad cutie is now a rising young lawyer, intent on legally ending the animal experimentation that’s keeping her beloved dog’s mother locked up in a cosmetics lab. Fans of the original will love the rose-tinted confection that follows as our stilettoed heroine teeters off to Washington to lobby the politicians directly. Reprising her tenacious sorority girl role, Witherspoon is astonishingly authentic in the lead and it’s to her credit that she pulls off such an airheaded turn with so much charm and grace. Without her, the film would be a mess — some of the scenes are toe-curlingly embarrassing, while the plotline and conclusion are beyond preposterous. Ultimately there’s fun to be had, but you’ll need to disengage your brain to get the most out of this sugary romp. 

Reese Witherspoon tries — and generally succeeds — to be a grown-up version of Alicia Silverstone’s character from Clueless in this entertaining comedy. She plays Elle, a sorority queen who’s dumped by her rich boyfriend (Matthew Davis) before he goes to Harvard Law School, as he thinks she’s not smart enough to be his wife. The vivacious Valley Girl decides to follow him there to prove him wrong and get him back. It’s all desperately silly (Elle gets into Harvard by sending a video of herself in a bikini lounging by a pool), but the sight of a pink-clad Elle tottering on stilettos through Harvard’s revered halls is hilarious, and Witherspoon is perfect as the girl whose specialist subjects are Cosmopolitan and manicures. There’s fine support, too, from Luke Wilson, Selma Blair (as Davis’s bitchy new girlfriend) and Jennifer Coolidge. 

Co-directors Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha swap Pleistocene-era laughs for futuristic fun in their enjoyable follow-up to Ice Age. This visually inventive romp through a world populated entirely by robots uses inspired computer animation to revitalise a familiar story. Leading an eclectic voice cast, Ewan McGregor gives boyish charm to idealistic small-town robot Rodney Copperbottom, who journeys to the big city to make his fortune as an inventor, only to find things are not as easy as he’d hoped. In a crisply created environment that bursts with colour and visual texture, the sci-fi style of the 1950s rubs shoulders with more contemporary designs and landscapes, giving the movie a very attractive sheen. There are a number of ingenious set pieces, too, while the comedy is both light and mischievous. Robin Williams is especially funny and buoyant as Copperbottom’s dilapidated street pal Fender, though some of the movie’s in-jokes and references will be too obscure for younger viewers.