Iron Man 2 by Jon Favreau

I'm not going to waste too much time on this film because really what would be the point. It's going to make a bucket load of money. And the comic book fans will love it and even if they don't, all will be forgiven by the sight of Thors hammer as a tag on after the credits.

But I was left wanting a whole lot more. The game has been raised with Comic Book films with The Dark Knight and Kick Ass, but Iron Man is sorely lacking everything that these films had in spades.

I wasn't a fan of the first Iron Man and I'm even less of a fan now. At no point did I have fun in this film, at least the first one I did.

Jon Favreau who wrote one of my favourite films of all time in Swingers does a serviceable job here. He even quotes his own film by using a song from Swingers. It was a nice touch and probably my favourite part of the film, because I was also rewarded with seeing Sam Rockwell cutting up the dance floor. Rockwell seems to be one of the most under-rated actors going around. I really can't speak highly enough of him. When everyone else during the proceedings is getting a little too serious Rockwell tries to maintain a bit of fun, but seems to be let out to dry by everyone else.

See it, and wonder at the what The Avengers films is going to be like. This young chappy can wait.

Beneath Hill 60 By Jeremy Hartley Simms

So I come this week to the new Australian war film Beneath Hill 60. I had low expectations about this film and I found myself enjoying this film in most part despite itself.

Jeremy Simms has been a favourite actor of mine and his work as a director both through his theatre company Pork Chop and behind the camera have always wielded interesting results. With Beneath Hill 60 interesting takes a back step and he dives into trying to make a classic Australian war film. Whether he succeeds at this will be debated. For me the film fails, although I loved roughly 90% of this film but that other ten really drags it down, the two people I saw it with were overcome by the film, they loved it.

The strength of the film lies in the claustrophobia it invokes. From the first shot we know what we are in for. It's when the film cuts away to before Brendan Cowell joined the war effort that the film crashes and really drags. The film is quite unevenly plotted and tries to hard to invoke the great Australian war films of the past, especially Gallipolli. The other misstep of the film is the score by Cezary Skubezweski, at no point does it fit the film, I almost felt as if I was watching a print that had the sound out of sync.

Despite my above misgivings, the performances of all those involved are what keep you watching. Everyone are at their best. Brendan Cowell and Steve La Marquand nail the begrudging respect that their characters come to earn form one another in the most trying of circumstances. And the way the film ends is something to behold.

If your up for a war film that is all about flying the Australian banner, then this one is definitely for you.

How To Train Your Dragon

This film really surprised me.

It had been completely undersold and the trailers that were released didn't do anything to wet my appetite.

That being said I am glad I got to watch this film in 3D. It really is quite amazing and easily outclasses the other 3D affair that has been thrown our way recently.

But as film itself, it is fantastic. It sticks close to its roots of a hero's journey tale and there in lies it strength. It knows what film it is and does it splendiferously. This could well be the first Dreamworks animated film that I have liked. Gone are the pop culture references and in their place substance and emotion.

I was moved by this film and the imagery as well is quite breathtaking.

Definetly one for everyone to watch. Thank you to all who were involved.

Date Night by Shawn Levy

Pretty, pretty, pretty slick. That is the best way to describe 'Date Night'.

I enjoyed myself immensely and everyone in it pulls their weight. But it never had me laughing out loud.

That being said I think I could watch Steve Carrell in anything at the moment, even in his weaker films like Dan In Real Life and Get Smart he still allows you to watch him and to empathise with him. No mean feat especially on those films when there ain't too much else to like. And Tina Fey, is well Tina Fey. Feisty, reliable and always has the smartest line in the room. And Mark Wahlberg has a blast sending up his past life of a Calvin Klein model. I prefer Wahlberg in these comic roles his extreme sincerity just seems to make what he says funnier. If you doubt me he just about steals every scene he is in in I Heart Huckabee's.

Look out for a wonderful cameo by J. B. Smoove from Curb Your Enthusiasm as a cab driver in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is wonderful.

The film is a brisk 88 minutes and never strays from it's family oriented film. And while others have said they would prefer it to be harsher, I found that the strength of the film is the limitations it has in what it can say or show. The scene between James Franco and Steve Carrell in Franco's apartment is hilarious and its all because of what they should be saying but aren't. When most other comedies that are coming out are pushing out to 110 and 120 minutes it's a relief to find a comedy that knows the point and gets to it. Also it is a relief to see a comedy that is based on wit rather stupidity, gimmickry or shock grossness.

Shawn Levy who has been responsible for the Night At The Musuem franchise among other films, feels like he is just starting to hit his stride as director. Slick and to the point, I just hope he keeps trying these sorts of films out.

Thank you to all of those involved.

Kick-Ass by Matthew Vaughn

Kick-Ass is bad-ass. That is to say that it is electrifying and any other words you read about this film will do just as well in its place.

This had been the first film in a while that for whatever reason I had been able to navigate around all the hype, trailers and marketing that come with a superhero film. Which allowed me to be totally surprised by everything in this film and I was surprised a hell of a lot.

The film is directed by Matthew Vaughn as if his life depended on it. There is such urgency, such risk being taken that at times it is breathtaking especially for two particular sequences that will knock you off your feet and make you keep watching they are just that fucking good. So a little bit about Matthew Vaughn, he is the producer that is responsible for Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrells, Snatch and directed the so-so Layer Cake and the whimsical Stardust but none of these films can prepare you for the delights on offer in Kick-Ass.

This may well be the first independent superhero film, in that Vaughn along with his other producing partners raised the money through private investment and Vaughn even put in a little of his own money to get the film going and only after they had finished it, picture locked did they find a distributor. A ballsy decision but one that allows them to pull no punches. Much will be said about the young girl dropping the C-bomb but really with in the film it's no biggy, it just makes sense.

The film is adapted from a series of comics by Mark Millar by Vaughn and Jane Goldman and you can tell they are having fun with the genre. The film owes a lot to Kill Bill for being willing to throw every punch and it even has its own animated section, comic books never looked so good. Also Hit Girl rocks up in an out fit at one point that reminded me of a character in the Crazy 88's sequence in Kill Bill.

Everyone in the cast seems to be having a ball. The biggest name in the cast is Nic Cage and I haven't found him this engaging since probably Matchstick Men, he is off the hook in his role of Big Daddy channeling every thing from his role as Fu Man Chu in Grindhouse to Adam Wests Batman, I loved it. Aaron Johnson recently seen as John Lennon in Nowhere Boy is a revelation as our lead. He is Kick-Ass. Enough said. Mark Strong seems to be the go to guy for smarmy bad-asses who you can't help but like. Christoper Mintz-Plasse is in a class of his own and the young Chloe Moretz steals everyones thunder as Hit Girl. She is quite simply unbelievable. You should also look out for cameos by Vaughn's Lock Stock peeps Dexter Fletcher and Jason Flemying.

On the production side, everything is top-notch. What more can I say? Well how about this, the music for the film is astounding, most notably John Murphy's contributions and though we have heard a lot of these tunes in his work for other films like Sunshine, 28 Days Later and I think I even heard some of his work from Miami Vice here, why not take the best of this fantastic composer. Murphy's score for Sunshine is still some of the most awe-inspiring music you will hear, I rate him up there with Clint Mansell (especially his work in Moon) as the finest composers out there. And the signature piece from Sunshine is used to such fantastic effect, such emotional impact you just don't care.

I can't wait to watch this film a second and a third time.

Thank you to all of those involved with this supersonic super hero film.

Clash Of The Titans By Louis Letterier

Even as a film that it is trying to be, a fun romp through the mythic past, Clash Of The Titans fails.

This film is shocking, just shocking.

And that is pretty much all I want to say about it.