FILMS on DVD Reviewed Part 1 (Closed)

[|MYT|Alexis]

The Cave...


Genre: Action / Adventure / Horror

Director: Bruce Hunt

A group of cave - divers and scientists explore a newly found cave system in Romania. However, rockfall blocks the exit and after delving further into the cave, the group discover a pack of deadly creatures are waiting for them. With their leader Jack having very strange side-effects and with their numbers dropping, the group must delve even further into the cave, battle the creatures and hope for an exit.............





The Road...


Genre: Drama

Director: John Hillcoat

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and, when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing: just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food--and each other.........





Daybreakers...


Genre: Action / Horror

Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig, Isabel Lucas, Claudia Karvan

In the year 2019, a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind........





The Book of Eli...


Genre: Action / Adventure / Drama / Thriller / Western

Directed by: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes

A post - apocalyptic Western, in which a lone man fights his way across America in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind........

[|MYT|Torq]

Thx for your Postings Alexis

THIS WEEKS FILMS ON DVD REVIEWED


Harpoon - Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre UK Certificate 18

Genre : Horror

Directed by : Julius Kemp

Starring : Gunnar Hansen/Pihla Viitala/Nae Yuuki

An epic tale about a group of whale watchers, whose ship breaks down and they get picked up by a whale fishing vessel. The Fishbillies on the vessel have just gone bust, and everything goes out of control....

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An interesting take off of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but on a Boat. Plenty to interest those that like strong gore. Acting & storyline are good but what one might expect of this type of horror film.
Recommend to Horror fans only

6/10





Valhalla Rising UK Certificate 18

Genre: Action/Adventure

Directed by : Nicolas Winding Refn

Starring : Mads Mikkelsen/Gary Lewis

1000 AD, for years, One Eye, a mute warrior of supernatural strength, has been held prisoner by the Norse chieftain Barde. Aided by Are, a boy slave, One Eye slays his captor and together he and Are escape, beginning a journey into the heart of darkness.....

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Bleak Landscapes beautifully filmed, intense narrative style Storyline complimented by fine performances makes for an above average adventure. Note that this is a Violent & bloody period in Norsk history and is portayed so in the film.

Recommended

8/10

[|MYT|Torq]

THIS WEEK'S FILMS ON DVD REVIEWED


À l'intérieur : Inside UK Certificate 18

Genre : Horror/Drama

Directed by : Alexandre Bustillo/Julien Maury

Starring : Beatrice Dalle/Alysson Paradis

Special Note : French Language Film with English Sub-Titles

Four months before Christmas, Sarah and Matthieu Scarangelo were in a car crash, of which Sarah and her unborn baby were the only survivors. On Christmas Eve, Sarah stays home alone, where she grieves her husband and prepares to go to the hospital the next morning for the delivery. As night falls, a woman knocks on Sarah's door asking to use the phone. When she refuses, the woman reveals that she knows Sarah and tries to force her way in. Sarah calls the police; they inspect the home and determine the woman has left, but promise to keep watch over Sarah through the night. The woman returns and tries to take Sarah's unborn child, but Sarah locks herself in the bathroom. The strange woman torments Sarah through the night and kills all who try help her.......

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This is an extremely brutal & bloody film which explores one Women's Pyschosis, and another Women's fight for survival......
The violence is unrelenting & numbing....The tension builds & builds leading to a most disturbing finale.
The performances are electrifying, and powerful, particularly that of the leading ladies.

I warn you now some scenes in this film are beyond belief.

I can only recommend this film to Horror Fans....

8/10




Attack on Leningrad UK Certificate 15

Genre : War/Drama

Directed by : Alexander Buravsky

Starring : Mira Sorvino/Gabriel Byrne/Armin Mueller-Stahl

Special Note : Russian Language Film which includes English & German with English Sub-Titles.


When in 1941 Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, their troops quickly besieged Leningrad. Foreign journalists are evacuated but one of them, Kate Davies, is presumed dead and misses the plane. Alone in the city she is helped by Nina Tsvetnova a young and idealist police officer and together they will fight for their own survival and the survival of the people in the besieged Leningrad.....

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A powerful, emotional portrail of the events of the time. The Storyline compliments, as does the sense of desolation, but with the sensitive performances ..brings hope in a fight for survival.
A thoughtful film then of the events of the time, with a superb musical score..


Recommended

9/10

[|MYT|Torq]

TWO MORE FILMS ON DVD REVIEWED


Sherlock Holmes UK Certificate 12

Genre : Adventure/Crime/Thriller

Directed By : Guy Ritchie

Starring : Robert Downey/Jude Law/Rachel McAdams/Mark Strong

After finally catching serial killer and occult "sorcerer" Lord Blackwood, legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson can close yet another successful case. But when Blackwood mysteriously returns from the grave and resumes his killing spree, Holmes must take up the hunt once again. Contending with his partner's new fiancée and the dimwitted head of Scotland Yard, the dauntless detective must unravel the clues that will lead him into a twisted web of murder, deceit, and black magic - and the deadly embrace of temptress Irene Adler.....

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Well this is definately not like the original Sherlock, here we have a bare knuckle fighter who is all action, barely a sign of bumbling sophistication.
Some may like the new format, all I can say is see It for yourself.
The Performances were as one might expect, top draw...The Storyline was engrossing at times, but not as engaging as it should be.
That said I enjoyed the experience, and oh yes the many tongue in cheek moments

Recommended

8/10





Daybreakers UK Certificate 18


Genre : Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller

Directed by : The Spierig Brothers

Starring : Ethan Hawke/William Dafoe/Isabel Lucas/Sam Neill


In a world 10 years into the future, vampires make up the vast majority of the population with only 5% of the human race remaining. This presents particular challenges as the vampires' food supply - human blood - is dwindling and rationing is now the norm. There is growing evidence that vampires deprived of an adequate blood supply are themselves evolving into wild, vile creatures that attack anyone and anything in order to survive.....meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vampires on a way to save humankind........

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The Film starts well and in general an engrossing storyline. I felt the Sam Neill character as head of the Vampires needed more grit particularly in the middle section of the Story. Dafoe as is usual gives a strong performance, with some great one liners.
The Special Effects were awsome, as was the photography so all in all a good Sci-Fi/Horror romp which will keep your attention.

Recommended

8/10




This is the soundtract.....Yes repeated, but this compliments the Film review..enjoy

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State of Play - 9.5/10

It was a bit different and I found it quite interesting.

Starring Russell Crowe (news reporter) and Ben afleck (Congressman)

[|MYT|Alexis]

White Hell.... ( So Weit Die Füsse Tragen )


Directed By: Hardy Martins

Genre: Drama / War


This film is based on actual events. End of the 2nd World War II German officer was arrested by Russian troops. Under Stalin's regime were convicted and deported to Siberia, where he had to perform hard labor in a uranium mine. He managed to escape. Escaped more than 1,000 km for the tough conditions before he met his family.


As prisoner of war Clemens Forell, a German soldier during WW II, is sentenced to a labour camp in far east Siberia. After four years working in the mines he escapes from the camp (in 1949) and tries to get home to his wife and children. For three years he journeys through Siberia. An odyssey of 14,000 kilometers, set against a backdrop of desolate and inhospitable landscape, beset by danger (from both animals and humans). Constantly battling the worst nature can throw at him, Forell makes his way, step by step towards Persia and the longed-for freedom. Sometimes riding on trains, sometimes by boat, mostly on foot, he never knows if his next step won't be his last. His prosecutor Kamenev is always right behind him, and more than once it seems that Forell is captured again...

[|MYT|Torq]

Many thanks for your Postings

THIS WEEK'S FILMS ON DVD REVIEWED


The Wolfman UK Certificate 15

Genre : Horror/Drama

Directed by : Joe Johnston

Starring : Benicio Del Toro/Anthony Hopkins/Emily Blunt/Hogo Weaving

Lawrence Talbot's childhood ended the night his mother died. After he left the sleepy Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor, he spent decades recovering and trying to forget. But when his brother's fiancee, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), tracks him down to help find her missing love, Talbot returns home to join the search. He learns that something with brute strength and insatiable bloodlust has been killing villagers, and that a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector named Aberline (Hugo Weaving) has come to investigate.....

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A well trodden route ...Many films about Werewolfs have been produced over the years and this one like many others does not really impress. The Performances & Storyline are good so are the Special effects, but I kept on thinking..I have been here before.
Nonetheless worth a look..

6/10




Timecrimes UK Certificate 15

Genre : Sci-Fi

Directed by : Nacho Vigalondo

Starring : Karra Elejaldie/Nacho Vigalondo/Candela Fernandez/Barbara Goenaga

Special Note : Spanish Language Film with English Sub-Titles


Hector is an ordinary man who's moving to a new house with his wife. One evening, while he's looking through his binoculars, he sees a naked girl in the woods. He decides to go there just to find that same girl laying on a rock. Suddenly, a man with a pink bandage covering his face, stabs Hector in his arm with scissors. Then a chase starts, leading Hector to a time machine that brings him back nearly an hour in the past. The man in charge of the time machine explains to Hector (Hector 2) that he must not interfere with the other Hector (Hector 1) so he can go into the time machine again..............

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An interesting Time loop Sci-Fi Thriller which for a change is intelligent & explores the paradoxes created. A clever, witty & engaging Film then with good Performances & storyline.
Note that there are no special effects worth mentioning, the Story says it all.

8/10

[|MYT|Torq]

THIS WEEK'S FILMS ON DVD REVIEWED


Bad Day UK Certificate 18

Genre: Action/Crime/Drama

Directed by : Ian David Diaz

Starring : Claire Goose/Donna Air/Sarah Harding/Anthony Ofoegbu/Robbie Gee


Rebecca Ryan has been working as an undercover agent for the Organised Crime Division (OCD) posing as a taxi driver, while investigating London's south-side mob. When she finds her young daughter Lynn brutally murdered she fears her cover has been blown wide open, so she turns renegade and begins a brutal campaign of vengeance against the mob she believes killed her daughter....

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An intense, often brutal Crime Drama, with strong Performances & engrossing storyline.
Recommended

8/10





Everyman's War UK Certificate 15

Genre : War/Drama

Directed by : Thad T Smith

Starring : Cole Carson/Lauren Blair

As the seasoned infantry and tank units of the German 11th Panzer "Ghost" division move silently into position on the snow covered hills around Nennig Germany ,a battle weary GI and his unit stand ready to defend the small town, a key position in the Allied advance to win the war. Outgunned and outnumbered, S/ Sgt Don Smith struggles to find hope and courage against overwhelming odds in one of the decisive confrontations in the "Battle of the Bulge" during WWII....

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A nicely crafted War film, the Storyline of which brings out all the emotions and horror felt by those that went through it.
For sure it is not in the Blockbuster mould of "We were Soldiers" good as it is, but that does not matter...what does are the Strong Performances, intelligently directed Storyline which leaves a lasting impression on you.

Highly recommended.

8/10

[|MYT|Torq]

CLINT EASTWOOD :
The Director : Featuring this weeks review : Invictus


Perhaps the icon of macho movie stars, and a living legend, Clint Eastwood has become a standard in international cinema. He was born on May 31, 1930 in San Francisco, to Clint Sr., a steelworker, and Ruth, a factory worker. The family moved around Northern California before settling in Oregon when Clint was a teenager…..

Since this mini biography deals principally with his Directing career, we will skip the intervening years where he started as a bit part player working his way up to prominence in the Sergio Leone Westerns.
The first film he directed was “Play misty for Me”(1971), followed by such notable titles as “High Plains Drifter”(1973), “The Eiger sanction”(1975), “Firefox”(1982), and “Unforgiven”(1992) in which he won an Oscar as Best Director.

As one might expect his career has had it’s up & downs, but he has persevered and has gone on to Direct such stunning Films as “Million Dollar Baby”, “Flags of our Fathers”,” Letters from Iwo Jima”, Gran Torino” and of course “Invictus” (This Weeks Film Review).
After starring in iconic movies for five consecutive decades, Clint Eastwood has proved himself to be the longest-running movie star/Director. Going out on top, he recently said he will likely never act again, though he will continue to direct films.

Eastwood has seven children, one with his present wife Dina Eastwood….They live in Carmel.

Personal Quotes :

My father used to say to me, "Show 'em what you can do, and don't worry about what you're gonna get. Say you'll work for free and make yourself invaluable."

You have to trust your instincts. There's a moment when an actor has it, and he knows it. Behind the camera you can feel the moment even more clearly. And once you've got it, once you feel it, you can't second-guess yourself. You can find a million reasons why something didn't work. But if it feels right, and it looks right, it works. Without sounding like a pseudointellectual dipshit, it's my responsibility to be true to myself. If it works for me, it's right.

I keep finding interesting stories, or they come to me, so I'll keep making movies.


Personal Note :

I guess I will always think of Clint Eastwood as the Off beat cowboy, But as can be seen there is a lot more to this man than that. As Director he has entertained us for many a year, his style is seamless highly professional and engaging.

Film List (Directed)

Play Misty for Me (1971), High Plains Drifter (1973), Breezy (1973),
The Eiger Sanction (1975), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), The Gauntlet (1977),
Bronco Billy (1980), Firefox (1982), Honkytonk Man (1982), Sudden Impact (1983)
Pale Rider (1985), Heartbreak Ridge (1986), Bird (1988), White Hunter Black Heart (1990),
The Rookie (1990), Unforgiven (1992), A Perfect World (1993),
The Bridges of Madison County (1995), Absolute Power (1997),
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997), True Crime (1999), Space Cowboys (2000)
Blood Work (2002), Mystic River (2003), Million Dollar Baby (2004),
Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), Changeling (2008),
Gran Torino (2008),
Invictus (2009)


Unforgiven



Million Dollar Baby



Letters from Iwo Jima




THIS WEEK'S FILM ON DVD REVIEWED

Invictus UK Certificate 12

Genre : Biography/Drama/Sport

Starring : Morgan Freeman/Matt Damon

The inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's rugby team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.....

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Simply Superb, a Stunning achievement in Film..Just some of the compliments that come instantly to mind.. Powerful Performances by Freeman in top form as Nelson Mandela..and complimented by Damon as Francous Pienaar...
Direction is seamless, as is the Cinematography...... together with a beautiful and at times haunting musical score makes for a tour de force in Entertainment.

10/10

[|MYT|Torq]

THIS WEEK'S FILMS ON DVD REVIEWED



Soloman Kane UK Certificate 15

Genre : Action/Adventure/Fantasy

Directed By : Michael J. Bassett

Starring : James Purefoy/Peter Postlewaite/Rachel Hurd-Wood

Once a mercenary of Queen Elizabeth I fighting Spaniards in Africa, He met the Devil's Reaper and discovered he was bound for hell! Barely escaping he soon renounced violence to atone for his past sins, seeking out redemption in a life of peace. That is until the followers of priest turned sorcerer Malachi kidnap a Purtian girl Meredith Crowthorn and brutally slaughter her family before his very own eyes (including butchering her beloved younger brother Edward who Solomon had befriended)! Forcing Solomon to take up arms and return to his violent ways once more to rescue her! In doing so means returning to his birthplace and facing his older brother Marcus who (in his youth) he accidentally left disfigured (and for dead), who now serves as merciless enforcer to Malachi.....

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An entertaining yarn, well acted with a strong storyline....Yes it is shear Fantasy, tongue in cheek sometimes..but nevertheless well worth a look.

8/10




The Book Of Eli UK Certificate 15


Genre: Action/Drama/Thriller

Directed by : The Hughes Brothers

Starring : Denzel Washington/Gary Oldman/Mila Kunis


In a post-apocalyptic America where the once-picturesque countryside has become a desolate and violent wasteland, one man (Denzel Washington) fights to protect that sacred tome that could hold the key to the survival of the human race .......

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I initially thought that this film would be like many that have gone before with similar themes. However I was pleasantly surprised ....A Gripping Storyline complimented by strong performances kept me glued to the screen...Well worth a watch & recommended.
The tome is the Bible..and there is a twist at the End which is unexpected.

8/10

[|MYT|Torq]

THIS WEEK'S FILMS ON DVD REVIEWED


Heartless UK Certificate 18

Genre : Drama/Horror

Directed by : Philip Ridley

Starring : Jim Sturgess/Noel Clarke/Clemence Poesy

Jamie Morgan, a young man with a large heart-shaped birthmark on his face, discovers that there are demons on the streets of East London...

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A neat Horror Drama with good Performances & Storyline. Some unexpected twists keep things moving.
Recommended.

7/10





Next UK Certificate 12

Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller

Directed by : Lee Tamahori

Starring : Nicolas Cage/Julianne Moore/Jessica Biel

Las Vegas showroom magician Cris Johnson has a secret which torments him: he can see a few minutes into the future. Sick of the examinations he underwent as a child and the interest of the government and medical establishment in his power, he lies low under an assumed name in Vegas, performing cheap tricks and living off small-time gambling "winnings." But when a terrorist group threatens to detonate a nuclear device in Los Angeles, government agent Callie Ferris must use all her wiles to capture Cris and convince him to help her stop the cataclysm......

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A surprisling good Sci-Fi romp, execellent Performances, Gripping Storyline & some fine action sequences.
Recommended..

7/10

[|MYT|Hest]

Saw that movie NEXT really liked it good action and Nicolas Cage only good movies by him
reccomend to everyone who likes what you saw in trailer

[|MYT|Torq]

THIS WEEK'S FILMS ON DVD REVIEWED


Cargo UK Certificate 12

Genre : Sci-Fi

Directed by : Ivan Engler/Arnold Bucher

Starring :Anna Katherina Schwobroh/Martin Rapold

Special Note : German Language Film with English sub-titles

A woman travelling through deep space discovers a secret with deadly implications. It's the year 2267, and Earth's environment is near the point of total collapse. Many have fled the Earth to live on Rhea, a beautiful planet with an atmosphere and ecosystem similar to our own, but it's in a distant solar system and travel there is expensive. Laura Portmann (Anna-Katharina Schwabroh) is a doctor trying to raise the money to relocate to Rhea, where her sister is already living; she takes a job with Kuiper Enterprises aboard the Kassandra, a battered space freighter making a run to a far away space station. It takes eight years to travel from Earth to the space station, and most of the crew spends their time frozen in artificial hibernation, as crewmen taking turns working an eight and a half month shift while conscious. As Portmann watches over the ship alongside security marshal Samuel Decker (Martin Rapold), who protects the ship from technophobic terrorists, she is convinced something is alive and making trouble in the Kassandra's cargo hold, and becomes concerned enough to wake Captain Lacroix (Pierre Semmler) and his men from their artificial slumber. While Lacroix is certain Portmann simply has an overactive imagination, in time it's revealed someone on board the Kassandra possesses a dangerous secret.....

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This is a neat Sci-Fi adventure, well acted & directed...The Special Effects are well done & in keeping with the Storyline.
Recommended to all Sci-Fi fans..

7/10





SGU : Stargate Universe Season One UK Certificate 15

Genre : Sci-Fi

Directed by :various

Starring : Robert Carlyle/Justin Louis/Brian J. Smith/David Blue/Alaina Huffman

A group of soldiers, scientists and civilians, fleeing an attack, find themselves stranded billions of miles from Earth on an Ancient ship known as the Destiny. Locked on an unknown course, they must fight to survive and find a way home. The danger, adventure and hope they find on board the Destiny will reveal the heroes and villains among them....

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Another variation on the SG theme...Not Bad .....Storyline is so-so..much as before in SG1..That said there are some interesting episodes....Futhermore the performances are good...Special Effects mainstream cinema..

If you liked the Stargate Franchise then this is for you..

7/10

[|MYT|Alexis]

Good two films Sci-Fi Torq... I will see


Dear John


Directed : Lasse Hallström

Genre: Drama / Romance / War


The story of John Tyree (Channing Tatum), a young soldier home on leave, and Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried), the idealistic college student he falls in love with during her spring vacation. Over the next seven tumultuous years, the couple is separated by Johns increasingly dangerous deployments. While meeting only sporadically, they stay in touch by sending a continuous stream of love letters overseas--correspondence that eventually triggers fateful consequences.






Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time


Directed by: Mike Newell

Genre: Action / Adventure / Fantasy / Romance


A young fugitive prince and princess must stop a villain who unknowingly threatens to destroy the world with a special dagger that enables the magic sand inside to reverse time.






Stardust


Director: Matthew Vaughn

Genre: Adventure / Family / Fantasy / Romance


The passage from this world to the fantasy kingdom of Stormhold is through a breech in a wall beside an English village. In the 1800s, a boy becomes a man when he ventures through the breech in pursuit of a fallen star, to prove his love for the village beauty. The star is no lump of rock, it's a maiden, Yvaine. Tristan, the youth, is not the only one looking for her: three witches, led by Lamia, want her heart to make them young; and, the sons of the dead king of Stormhold want her because she holds a ruby that will give one of them title to the throne. Assisting Tristan are his mother, the victim of a spell, and a transvestite pirate of the skies. Will Tristan win his true love?






Zombieland


Directed : Ruben Fleischer

Genre: Action / Adventure / Comedy / Horror


The horror comedy Zombieland focuses on two men who have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies...

[|MYT|Torq]

THIS WEEK'S FILMS ON DVD REVIEWED



The Crazies UK Certificate 15

Genre: Sci-Fi/Mystery/Thriller

Directed by : Brack Eisner

Starring : Timothy Olyphant/Radha Mitchell

As a toxin begins to turn the residents of Ogden Marsh, Iowa into violent psychopaths, sheriff David Dutton tries to make sense of the situation while he, his wife, and two other unaffected townspeople band together in a fight for survival....

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A familiar Storyline of infected citzens & over powering Military...Good performances, a Storyline gripping in places, and with reasonable special effects kept interest alive .

7/10





Green Zone UK Certificate 15

Genre: Action/Drama/War

Directed By : Paul Greengrass

Starring : Matt Damon/Greg Kinnear/Brendan Gleeson

Following the American invasion of Iraq in 2003 Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller and his men are charged with finding the so-called weapons of mass destruction, whose existence justified American involvement, according to the Pentagon and their man in Baghdad, Poundsgate.....

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An execellent storyline expands the conspiracy theory & political intrigue surrounding WMDs in Iraq at the time. Good action sequences and strong performances compliment.

Recommended

8/10