THE GIFT (15) is the latest movie starring Jason Bateman as Simon, a successful businessman with
everything he ever wanted. Simon gets a dream job and as a result has to move back home to an enviously lavish house with his doting wife. When Gordo (Joel Edgerton)
his old classmate appears and leaves gifts outside his door things get creepy.
However when Simon decides the gifts are getting too much and tells Gordo to leave him
alone, a sinister letter from Gordo saying he will no longer let bygones be
bygones threatens everything Simon
knows. The Gift is a psychological thriller from Blumhouse Productions (who also were
involved with Insidious and Sinister). Good, thought provoking movie but not the horror I was expecting.
POPSCORE: 7/10
THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E (12A) is Guy Ritchie’s take on the classic
60’s spy series has hit the cinema this week – and the question is – how did he
do? Combining acting talents of Henry Cavill as Napoleon Solo and The Lone
Ranger’s Armie Hammer as Russian KGB agent Ilya Kuryakin, this action fest is
ready to blow your mind.
We are at a juncture whereby we
are now in 2015 and the Sixties – which seems a long time away now – is ripe
for picking from TV series and shows that have been beloved then but maybe
forgotten now. Like Mission:
Impossible, The Man from U.N.C.L.E was a much loved spy series and it has now
been given a more modern makeover. I am not very familiar with the original
series but remember my parents loving it back in the day – so this time I took
my mam with me to see what she thought. Her answer? It’s nothing like the
original.
The mismatched duo attempt to
foil a standard world domination plan featuring a nuclear bomb. To do so they
need to work together despite their differences and obvious distain for each
other. Napoleon Solo, a smarmy ex-con with a penchant for speaking exposition
and the grumpy but capable Russian special agent, Ilya Kuryakin find themselves
in a race against time to save the world. It’s all very predictable and
formulaic but it’s a fun movie nonetheless – I enjoyed it but it’s apparently very
different from the original.
Henry Cavill plays a good role as
Napoleon Solo, and Armie Hammer (known mostly for the dire The Lone Ranger)
puts in a good performance as his Russian counterpart. Hugh Grant drops in here
and there to add a little Britishness to the proceedings and the love interests
are beautiful and deadly in equal measure. It’s a run of the mill spy film,
based on a beloved 60’s show and it’s not bad. Good for a Sunday afternoon or
if you’ve seen all the blockbusters out then there’s this to fill the void
while you are waiting on the next hit movie. It’s not quite up there with Mission: Impossible, but
the ending suggests there may scope for some sequels.
POPSCORE: 7/10
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