Cars 2 (2011) – 6/10 Disney Pixar CG animated espionage adventure movie review

Cast / crew Director: John Lasseter Co-Director: Brad Lewis Producer: Denise Ream Writer (Original Story): John Lasseter Writer (Original Story): Brad Lewis Writer (Original Story): Dan Fogelman Writer (Screenplay): Ben Queen Owen Wilson: Lightning McQueen Larry The Cable Guy: Mater Michael Caine: Finn McMissile Emily Mortimer: Holley Shiftwell John Turturro: Francesco Bernoulli Eddie Izzard: Sir Miles Axlerod

Cars 2 (2011) To promote green fuel Allinol, Sir Axelrod sets up a trilogy of World Grand Prix and invites the cream of the world’s racers to compete. Lightning wants to take time off after the long NASCAR season but Mater talks him into it. They travel out to Japan for the first race and while Lightning is most concerned that Mater will embarrass him, there is a sinister conspiracy going on behind the scenes that will affect them even more. 6/10 This feels like the first phoned-in Pixar production but it’s still fun, entertaining and good-looking with a couple of funny gags. Lasseter’s handling of the morality tale is clumsy (be yourself, groan, such dreadful advice) and it rather breaks the unsatisfactory story by having characters behave in an unrecognisable ("I’m not letting you get away again!") or nonsensical manner (Mater greedily insisting on a massive portion of a Japanese dish and blabbering thoughtlessly over the race radio). The first film did have the same problem but rescued it through some of cinema’s best racing sequences for ages. Here, the one-lap (!) racing sequences are well-animated (amazingly you can see the downforce-generated grip of the Formula car in turns) but succumb to the contemporary weakness of editing the shape and story out of them. Still, it’s certainly not a bad film, the production design continues to delight and it is funny and entertaining. This movie contains mild peril. Classified U by BBFC. Universal: Suitable for All. Links Previous: Cars

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The Next Three Days (2010) – 7/10 prison escape thriller movie review

Cast / crew Director: Paul Haggis Writer (Screenplay): Paul Haggis Producer: Michael Nozik Producer: Paul Haggis Producer: Olivier Delbosc Producer: Marc Missonnier Russell Crowe: John Brennan Elizabeth Banks: Lara Brennan Brian Dennehy: George Brennan Lennie James: Lieutenant Nabulsi Olivia Wilde: Nicole Ty Simpkins: Luke Helen Carey: Grace Brennan Liam Neeson: Damon Pennington Director (Original Film) Pour Elle: Fred Cavayé Writer (Original Screenplay) Pour Elle: Fred Cavayé Writer (Original Screenplay) Pour Elle: Guillaume Lemans

Next Three Days, The (2010) After running out of legal options and in the face of significant evidence, a husband who believes in his wife’s innocence of murdering her boss desperately starts to formulate an escape plan. 7/10 While it doesn’t seem to have much depth, this refreshingly straight-forward prison escape movie does take it’s subject rather more seriously than most and easily keeps your attention throughout. It works hard to ground the film in reality and makes the intriguing decision to largely portray Crowe’s wife as abrasive and probably guilty. When it gets to the escape itself, it remains fairly grounded, especially when portraying law enforcement agencies as organised and intelligent. Russell Crowe is fat but good and easily carries the movie. Everyone else does their bit and writer / director Paul Haggis keeps it moving smoothly. However, despite all the high quality work on show, iIt’s probably really important not to look too closely afterward. This movie contains a single sexual swear word, adult dialogue and violence and sensuality. Classified 12A by BBFC. Persons under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

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Agatha Christie’s Poirot S01E09 The King of Clubs (1989) – 6/10 period murder mystery TV review

Cast / crew Writer: Agatha Christie David Suchet: Hercule Poirot Hugh Fraser: Arthur Hastings Philip Jackson: Chief Inspector Japp Writer (Dramatisation): Michael Baker Script Consultant: Clive Exton Niamh Cusack: Valerie Saintclair Producer: Brian Eastman Director: Renny Rye Executive Producer: Nick Elliott Executive Producer: Linda Agran

Poirot, Agatha Christie’s S01E09 King of Clubs, The (1989) A much-disliked movie producer is found dead by his leading lady, Valerie Saintclair, but her subsequent actions are too well witnessed for Poirot. 6/10 Bit of a surprise to see Poirot allow being called French (by Sean Pertwee) to go without correction and SPOILER allow someone to get away with a crime. It’s always fun to see Japp think he is out-performing Poirot’s little grey cells ("You mustn’t get discouraged Poirot. When you’ve been around as long as I have…"). Suchet is spot on, Philip Jackson does his thing and Hugh Fraser’s Hastings is, as always, perfect ("You’re onto something, Poirot. I’m dashed if I know what it is.") So while this is one of the weaker hour-long’s, it’s still a fun, entertaining murder mystery and there’s a lovely closing shot that reinforces why: the relationship between Hastings and Poirot. This Poirot, Agatha Christie’s episode contains adult dialogue and mild unpleasant and gory scene. Classified PG by BBFC. Parental Guidance. Links Agatha Christie Screened by Slimm Next episode: The Dream

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Xbox 360 vs PS3: Assassin’s Creed: Revelations and Saints Row The Third

Every so often, Eurogamer run a series of technical comparison reviews for games released on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

This is the latest update to the full list.

Starting with 2011 games, you can hover over the publications icons for a very quick summary.

• Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
• Saints Row The Third

Ice Age (2002) – 6/10 animated prehistoric adventure movie review

Cast / crew Ray Romano: Manfred John Leguizamo: Sid Denis Leary: Diego Peter Ackerman: Dodo Chris Wedge: Dodo Peter Ackerman: Freaky Mammal Chris Wedge: Scrat Director: Chris Wedge Co-Director: Carlos Saldanha Writer (Story): Michael J. Wilson Writer (Screenplay): Michael Berg Writer (Screenplay): Michael J. Wilson Writer (Screenplay): Peter Ackerman

Ice Age (2002) 6/10 Barely adequate animation presentation of a barely adequate story. John Leguizamo does surprisingly well as an annoying character who is supposed to be endearing and, along with him, incidental character Scrat and his acorn prove to be the only highlights. Remarkably, this spawned a very profitable franchise for 20th Century-Fox and, most unusually, ever-improving sequels. Classified U by BBFC. Universal: Suitable for All. Links Next: Ice Age: The Meltdown

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Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (2006) – 6/10 animated prehistoric adventure movie review

Cast / crew Director: Carlos Saldanha Producer: Lori Forte Writer (Screenplay): Peter Gaulke Writer (Screenplay): Gerry Swallow Writer (Screenplay): Jim Hecht Writer (Story): Peter Gaulke Writer (Story): Gerry Swallow Ray Romano: Manny John Leguizamo: Sid Denis Leary: Diego Seann William Scott: Crash Josh Peck: Eddie Queen Latifah: Ellie Carlos Saldanha: Dodo Lead Animator: Aaron Hartline Lead Animator: David Torres

Ice Age: Meltdown, The (2006) Our odd pack – Diego the sabre-tooth tiger, Sid the sloth and Manny the mammoth – have three days to get to the other end of the valley and the safety of a boat before the end of the world. Along the way they meet a trio of possums, one of whom looks suspiciously like a mammoth. 6/10 It’s not boring, there are some fun lines and nicely animated gags. Director Carlos Saldanha clearly has a talent in staging and delivering a gag. The sequences with Scrat are very well done and new characters Crash and Eddie (a pair of possums) are fun and, again, well animated. On a deeper level, though, the story is depressingly ordinary (two people fall in love despite being fakely antagonistic) and most of the dialogue is off-the-shelf weak. To be fair, it doesn’t dent the agreeable entertainment value and this is a quality child-friendly film. This movie contains mild bad language and peril. Classified U by BBFC. Universal: Suitable for All. Links Next: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Previous: Ice Age

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Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) – 7/10 animated prehistoric adventure movie review

Cast / crew Director: Carlos Saldanha Co-Director: Michael Thurmeier Producer: Lori Forte Producer: John C. Donkin Executive Producer: Chris Wedge Writer (Screenplay): Michael Berg Writer (Screenplay): Peter Ackerman Writer (Screenplay): Mike Reiss Writer (Screenplay): Yoni Brenner Writer (Story): Jason Carter Eaton Ray Romano: Manny John Leguizamo: Sid Denis Leary: Diego Simon Pegg: Buck Seann William Scott: Crash Josh Peck: Eddie Queen Latifah: Ellie Carlos Saldanha: Dinosaur Babies / Flightless Bird Chris Wedge: Scrat

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) After falling through a hole in the ice, Sid discovers three large abandoned eggs and decides to adopt them. No-one recognises the creatures when they hatch but they’re large and like swallowing playmates whole. Then Sid discovers that the eggs weren’t as abandoned as they thought and Manny, Diego, Crash, Eddie and a pregnant Ellie go on an adventure to rescue him. 7/10 Another good outing for the Ice Age franchise with some good animated gags, plenty of pace, excitement and fun with more outstanding Scrat sequences to remind us of the Chuck Jones heyday of Wile E. Coyote. It’s also the kind of movie that sends you out of the cinema buzzing on a wave of positive energy. As with the first sequel The Meltdown, better than expected. This movie contains peril. Classified U by BBFC. Universal: Suitable for All. Links Previous: Ice Age: The Meltdown

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Xbox 360 vs PS3 vs PC Head-to-Head Face Off: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Every so often, Eurogamer run a series of technical comparison reviews for games released on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

This is the latest update to the full list.

Starting with 2011 games, you can hover over the publications icons for a very quick summary.

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Xbox 360 vs PS3 vs PC Head-to-Head Face Off: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Every so often, Eurogamer run a series of technical comparison reviews for games released on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

This is the latest update to the full list.

Starting with 2011 games, you can hover over the publications icons for a very quick summary.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Les adventures extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc-Sec aka The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec (2010) – 6/10 fantasy adventure movie review

Cast / crew Louise Bourgoin: Adèle Blanc-Sec Mathieu Amalric: Dieuleveult Gilles Lellouche: Caponi Jean-Paul Rouve: Justin de Saint Hubert Writer (Original Comic Book Series): Jacques Tardi Director: Luc Besson Producer: Virginie Besson-Silla Writer: Luc Besson

Les adventures extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc-Sec aka The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec (2010) In Paris, a professor uses the power of his mind to give life to a dormant prehistoric pterodactyl. In Egypt, Adèle Blanc-Sec is in dangerous company seeking the tomb of a Pharaoh and his legendary physician. Yes, they are connected. No, I’m not telling you how. 6/10 Always lacking that extra bit of life or magic, this Luc Besson movie is slightly disappointing despite a virile leading lady, some wild ideas and the best mummies in movie history. Curiously, it opens, not like a Luc Besson movie (pan forward, tilt up) but a Jean-Pierre Jeunet one, and it ends on a incongruously down-beat manner though it clearly should be a nice little gag to send the audience out on. Besson also fluffs the main Indiana Jones-inspired action sequence (in Egypt) by subjecting it to contemporary editing shapelessness and a callous disregard even for movie physics let alone physics physics. However, it is entertaining, the mummies are great and Louise Bourgoin as Miss Blanc-Sec is charismatic, energetic and luminious. This movie contains unpleasant scenes and non-sexual female nudity. Classified 12A by BBFC. Persons under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

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Agatha Christie’s Poirot 2.05 The Cornish Mystery (1990) – 7/10 period murder mystery TV review

Cast / crew Writer: Agatha Christie David Suchet: Hercule Poirot Hugh Fraser: Captain Hastings Philip Jackson: Chief Inspector Japp Pauline Moran: Miss Lemon Writer (Dramatisation): Clive Exton Chloe Salaman: Fred Stanton John Bowler: Jacob Radnor Producer: Brian Eastman Director: Edward Bennett Executive Producer: Nick Elliott

Poirot, Agatha Christie’s 2.05 Cornish Mystery, The (1990) Mrs. Alice Pengelley arrives in London to confess to Poirot that she believes her husband is poisoning her. Poirot takes the case and tells her that he and Hastings will follow her to Cornwall the following day. When they arrive, however, Poirot is horrified to find that she died shortly before their arrival. 7/10 Poirot is never really presented with clues or a mystery so dramatiser Exton has to concentrate on the character bits and pieces to make it entertaining. He succeeds. David Suchet gets an awesome scene with a doctor who keeps interrupting him (you can literally see all the sentences piling up inside Poirot’s face, it’s wonderful) while revealing that Belgium has a thing against rice. Hugh Fraser’s Hastings displays an improvised brilliance (in the confession scene) that truly impresses Poirot and gets his best "I say!" of the entire series and probably the best in the entire history of the world. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Suchet is the ultimate Poirot but Hugh Fraser is the ultimate Hastings. Classified U by BBFC. Universal: Suitable for All. Links Agatha Christie’s Poirot Screened by Slimm Next episode: The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim

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Xbox 360 vs PS3 vs PC Head-to-Head Face Off: Battlefield 3

Every so often, Eurogamer run a series of technical comparison reviews for games released on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

This is the latest update to the full list.

Starting with 2011 games, you can hover over the publications icons for a very quick summary.

• Battlefield 3