stephie-12

I loved Pitch Black (and Vin Diesel!!) so I was greatly looking forward to Chronicles of Riddick. However, it surpassed even my expectations. Vin Diesel reprises his role as Richard Riddick, this time to battle the Necromongers, a religious cult lead by the all powerful Lord Marshall. The film starts five years after Pitch Black ended, with Riddick living on a remote ice planet, pursued by bounty hunters. The storyline is incredibly slick, effortlessly moving Riddick from this hostile environment to the Planet Helion, to meeting up again with Jack, the girl from Pitch Black (now known as Kyra) and on to challenge the Necromongers.

David Twohy's directing is spot on, and Peter Cheung's effects enable you to actually feel drawn into the environments. Riddick's main adversaries amongst the Necromongers are Lord Vaako (Karl Urban), a career soldier/believer and Lady Vaako (Thandie Newton), his scheming wife (similarities to Lady Macbeth!!). However the main enemy is the Lord Marshall, played magnificently by Colm Feore. As well as the Necromongers, Riddick also has to face desperate environmental conditions.

The only weak spot in the entire movie is the character of Kyra. They obviously wanted a female who was Riddick's equal as far as murdering people is concerned, but unfortunately it comes across totally wrong.

Vin Diesel puts in his usual masterful performance, making this film incredibly watchable again and again.

Tired of those sickly Christmas films where everything is wonderful? Then this movie is for you! Starring Kevin Spacey and Denis Leary, the plot centres around a thief, Gus (Denis Leary) who takes a warring couple, Lloyd and Caroline (Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis) hostage. The movie begins with Lloyd and Caroline at marriage guidance, bickering, bringing up old arguments and asking the counsellor who is right. After they leave they are taking hostage by Gus, taken back to their house and tied up while he waits for his alcoholic partner to get transport for him. Despite the presence of Gus and his gun, they continue to argue the entire time, which irritates him. Because this is set on Christmas Eve, Lloyd's family turn up. The mother and sister-in-law are completely awful, which winds Gus up more. The Christmas Eve meal, which has a unique theme, is hysterically funny. All of the main characters are wonderfully acted, particularly by Spacey and Leary. Watch this movie!

I got into this series by accident and I am SO glad I did! Martin Sheen plays President Josiah Bartlett, and the storylines surround his administration and the staff members who run it, including Rob Lowe and John Spencer. This is gripping stuff! Instead of being stand-alone stories, there are threads of story which run throughout each individual season. The best way of watching this is on DVD, several episodes in a row, to appreciate the full impact. This is one of the most intelligent TV series I have ever seen, with a fascinating insight into the inner workings of the American political system. An interest in politics is an advantage, for this reason. Some episodes are inspiring, with Martin Sheen making stirring speeches and making difficult decisions, sometimes at odds with his conscience and beliefs. Amazing!