Chimpomatic

News

Reviews

Articles

Surveillance

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

More mindless big budget tentpole antics. Nothing new to report, Cap'n.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

30th Jan 2012

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Search

Ironclad

Shapeless medieval actioner. The medium calibre cast is let down by the shoddy production quality & script.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

28th Jan 2012

Read more 2 star reviews

Paul

Turgid alien bromance comedy. Disappointing turns from Rogan/Frost/Pegg/Mottola.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

26th Jan 2012

Read more 2 star reviews

True Grit

Sumptuous, beautifully shot, stylish western. Its slowness is saved by a couple of great set pieces.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

23rd Jan 2012

Read more 4 star reviews

127 Hours

Bold, confident filmmaking from @DannyBoyleFilm. 57 Hours might have worked better.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

23rd Jan 2012

Read more 3.5 star reviews

The Adjustment Bureau

Unsteady retro sci-fi with religious undertones - that once might have starred Jimmy Stewart.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

21st Jan 2012

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Reds

Portentous historical epic from Warren Beatty. Ambitious in scale and production, it sadly fails to get going.

Halliwell says: Interminably long but full of quality, this immensely detailed work was a most unlikely project to succeed in the eighties, but its very strangeness enabled it to break even.**


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

21st Jan 2012

Read more 3 star reviews

The Good The Bad And The Ugly

Newly extended scenes only highlight how good every scene is in this masterful western.

Halliwell says: Intermittently lively, very violent and interminably drawn out western with a number of rather hilarious stylistic touches.*


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

19th Jan 2012

Read more 5 star reviews

Midnight Run

Note perfect action comedy from Martin Brest. Movies don't get much better than this.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

18th Jan 2012

Read more 5 star reviews

Limitless

Expensive, psychedelic student film exploring sci-fi drug dependency.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

16th Jan 2012

Read more 3 star reviews

It's Kind of a Funny Story

Disappointing blend of Cuckoo's Nest and 500 Days. @Galifianakisz saves the day again.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

14th Jan 2012

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Leon

It seemed derivative at the time, but Luc Besson's hit man flick brought some edgy originality to Hollywood.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

13th Jan 2012

Read more 4 star reviews

Fallen Angels

WKW's Chungking Express follow-up sacrifices charm for extremist style that has rarely been equalled.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

11th Jan 2012

Read more 3.5 star reviews

Hereafter

Bizarre exploration of the afterlife from Clint. Hot on the heels of What Dreams May Come and Lovely Bones.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

7th Jan 2012

Read more 2 star reviews

The Green Hornet

Dull big screen outing for a second rate superhero - wasting considerable talent and money.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

7th Jan 2012

Read more 1.5 star reviews

Mesrine Part 2: Public Enemy No 1

More expensive, directionless French gangster antics. With added Almaric.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

4th Jan 2012

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Betrayed

Detailed, absorbing thriller from Costas Garvas, as Debra Winger goes undercover with the KKK.

Halliwell says: Heavygoing piece with Something to Say, but not much to watch.*


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

3rd Jan 2012

Read more 4 star reviews

What Just Happened

Dark, stylish, humorous dissection of the movie biz ...that only makes me want to live in LA.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

2nd Jan 2012

Read more 4 star reviews

Gulliver's Travels

Unambitious, child friendly update to the classic tale.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

2nd Jan 2012

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Drive

Still derivative. Still borderline pretentious. Still enjoyable.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

1st Jan 2012

Read more 4 star reviews

Cool World

Early 90's car crash, as Ralph Bakshi's kaleidoscopic fountain of ideas collides with the mainstream.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

30th Dec 2011

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Beginners

Assured, personal, touching, refreshing exploration of love and relationships from Mike Mills.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

29th Dec 2011

Read more 4.5 star reviews

Megamind

The superior rock OST is virtually all that distinguishes this from 'Despicible Me'.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

27th Dec 2011

Read more 3 star reviews

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Super fast paced, thoughtful action movie - that stretches things a little too far.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

27th Dec 2011

Read more 3 star reviews

The King's Speech

A touching, powerful story. Well acted and adequately told.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

26th Dec 2011

Read more 4 star reviews

ET: The Extra Terrestrial

Spielberg's flawless classic still hits hard, even if my bike still can't fly.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

24th Dec 2011

Read more 5 star reviews

Finding Nemo

Charming animated aquatics from Pixar. Lacking the emotional sucker punch of their other efforts.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

23rd Dec 2011

Read more 3.5 star reviews

Thelma and Louise

Stylish feminist road movie that saw a return to form for Ridley Scott. Feminists might disagree.

Halliwell says: Timely, exuberant and off-beat feminist road movie that manages to say something interesting about the relationship between the sexes.***


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

18th Dec 2011

Read more 4 star reviews

Irreversible

Brutal, context-free trawl through a seedy underworld as reverse trauma unfolds. Get your sea legs on.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

17th Dec 2011

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Good Will Hunting

Gus Van Zandt's absorbing drama still holds up. Beautifully written, acted, shot and directed.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

17th Dec 2011

Read more 4.5 star reviews

Speed

Pop quiz asshole! Keanu's 90's runaway bus classic has not matured with age.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

16th Dec 2011

Read more 3 star reviews

The Russian Ark

An ambitious amble through Russian history - with a single tracking shot and a cast of thousands.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

15th Dec 2011

Read more 3 star reviews

Norwegian Wood

Disappointingly dull and lifeless Murakami adaptation, despite the high calibre of talent involved.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

15th Dec 2011

Read more 3 star reviews

The Bicycle Thief

Italian neo-realist classic, as area man struggles to find work and the necessary tools to do it.

Halliwell says: The epitome of Italian neo-realism, the slight human drama is developed so that it has all the force of King Lear, and both the acting and the backgrounds are vividly compelling.***


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

14th Dec 2011

Read more 4 star reviews

Despicable Me

Decent enough sub-Pixar evil genius adventure. Shrink ray included.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

12th Dec 2011

Read more 3 star reviews

The Driver

Moody, but flat and dull original car chase movie with Ryan O'Neal. More influential than it is good.

Halliwell says: Noisy melodrama, very proficient in the screeching tyro department but extremely empty as a character.*


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

11th Dec 2011

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Season of the Witch

Surprisingly snappy hokus pokus with Nic Cage and Clay Morrow.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

10th Dec 2011

Read more 2.5 star reviews

A Christmas Carol

Another lifeless motion capture animation from a flagging Robert Zemeckis.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

9th Dec 2011

Read more 1.5 star reviews

Amazing Grace

Solid, unambitious, but occasionally rousing William Wilberforce biopic.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

7th Dec 2011

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Morning Glory

Smarter rom-com, with a not-terrible turn from Harrison Ford.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

5th Dec 2011

Read more 3 star reviews

Biutiful

Grim and uninspiring slice of life in the Barcelona underworld.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

5th Dec 2011

Read more 3 star reviews

The Dilemma

Mind boggling unambitious dramedy from the normally lofty Ron Howard.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

4th Dec 2011

Read more 2 star reviews

Middle Men

Derivative, wanna-be Boogie Nights romp through the history of Internet porn.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

3rd Dec 2011

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Che Part Two

Stylish, but dull and anti-climactic meander through Che's exploits in Bolivia.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

2nd Dec 2011

Read more 2 star reviews

Life As We Know It

Unsurprising rom-com with a tragic edge, but none of the flair of 'Knocked Up'.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

1st Dec 2011

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Up

Touching, magical animated adventure - with one of the most powerful openings of any film.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

18th Nov 2011

Read more 4 star reviews

The Tourist

Gormless, tension free, big screen entry from The Lives of Others director. Misfiring on every level.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

17th Nov 2011

Read more 2 star reviews

Made In Dagenham

Skimpy 1960's women's lib drama. Well acted, but woefully underwritten.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

14th Nov 2011

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Rabbit Hole

Slight, small scale character study as Kidman and Eckhart deal with the loss of their son.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

14th Nov 2011

Read more 2.5 star reviews

PJ20

Engaging, kaleidoscopic movie documenting the life and times of @PearlJam and the Seattle music explosion.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

12th Nov 2011

Read more 4 star reviews