July 2009 Archives

Eight years and six movies later you would think the popularity of the Harry Potter locomotive would have begun to wane at least a couple of years back.

But unlike other popular franchises which keep churning out films until the point they're so bad that they never get a cinema release anymore, Harry Potter still knows how to draw a crowd despite many fans giving the latest edition very mixed reviews.

Many fans have dubbed the film 'Harry Potter and the teenage hormones' and you don't have to watch very long to figure out why.

The characters seem to spend more time trying to get-off with love interests who are attracted to others rather than them than actually trying to save the wizarding world and the human world from utter destruction. They also seem more content playing Quidditch than stopping the end of the world.

The story revolves around Harry Potter being left disillusioned since his visit to the Ministry of Magic in the previous film with the evil Voldemort and wanting to drop out of school. However, he is encouraged back by some of his peers.

All the while strange smoke creatures that bare a similar resemblance to the smoke monster on Lost attack London and kidnap a wand maker by the name of Mr. Ollivander.

Harry's rival Severus Snape becomes drawn into the dark arts and Harry and Dumbledore learn that Voldemort is someone one again at large...for the sixth time.

If you're not read any of the books this movie will likely leave you confused. Fans who follow Harry Potter religously will also be disappointed by this latest helping. But you can look on the bright side, one more film and this dead donkey will finally hit the floor.

With the kids on their summer holidays what better way to get them out of the house and into the cinema than the latest chapter in the Ice Age story.

Sid the sloth steals three dinosaur eggs longing for a family of his own. But as soon as he thinks he has got off without any consequences the mother turns up. Sid find himself taken captive and whisked off to an underground world where the dinosaurs still live.

Friends Manny, Ellie and Diego go in search of him in a world where they are the first choice on everyone's menu. And Scrat the squirrel is still on the hunt for that ever elusive nut.

The animation has improved very little compared tot he revious two movies which is a little disappointing considering the original came out seven years ago now. The third film also appears to have lost some of the lustre of its predecessors with tiresome jokes.

Scrat spending the entire first movie trying to nab an elusive acorn was hilarious in the second film it was still funny if not entirely original but now it is just reprtitive and dull.

That said if your kids are under the age of 10 or not seen any of the others in a while they will still really enjoy Ice Age 3.