Reviews by Stephen Carty

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  Mirror Mirror (2012)

  Review preview for Mirror Mirror

  Ultimately, this is a disappointingly lifeless missed opportunity.

  An exiled princess tries to win back her kingdom from her wicked stepmother.
• 
  Mission: Impossible II (2000)

  Review preview for Mission: Impossible II

  While undoubtedly achieving its aim of not confusing anyone with the 'plot', there's little substance to go with the style.

  Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt in the big action sequel to the TV spin off.
• 
  Mission: Impossible III (2006)

  Review preview for Mission: Impossible III

  Abrams combines kinetic action sequences with internal logic-fuelled storytelling to give us an impossible mission head, shoulders and a rabbit's foot above the previous two instalments.

  The Ethan Hunt franchise gets personal, while chasing a psychopathic arms dealer half way round the globe.
• 
  Moon (2009)

  Review preview for Moon

  Prolonged isolation, alienation, what it means to be human, these existential themes are all chewed on and will have your mind spinning for days afterwards.

  An astronaut starts to lose the plot at the end of a mission to the moon - but is there something else going on? Plus read our exclusive interview with Duncan Jones
• 
  The Nines (2007)

  Review preview for The Nines

  Some movies have a little existentialism in them, here it’s probably more accurate to say that this existentialism has a little movie in it.

  Alternative reality comedy thriller about a man who may or may not be a celebrity.
• 
  Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)

  Review preview for Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult

  As for the laughs, they keep coming to the point it is tough to keep track of why you are in hysterics.

  Frank Drebin returns, this time attempting to foil a bomb plot at the Oscars.
• 
  The Office: An American Workplace - Season One (2005)

  Review preview for The Office: An American Workplace - Season One

  Although Steve Carell is an undoubtedly talented actor with fantastic comedic ability, his shouty boss frequently overplays things and lacks the subtlety that made Gervais’ Brent so watchable.

  US Version of the Ricky Gervais hit.
• 
  The Office: An American Workplace - Season Two (2006)

  Review preview for The Office: An American Workplace - Season Two

  The second series improves immeasurably over the first and proves all its doubters - including me - totally wrong.

  More office politics at Dunder Mifflin, in the American version of the Brit hit.
• 
  The Omega Man (1971)

  Review preview for The Omega Man

  Ruined by cheesy elements and a misjudged tone that steal away the potential for a spooky and spine-tingling genre flick.

  The sole survivor of a plague that has eradicated the human race discovers that he may not be alone.
• 
  On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

  Review preview for On Her Majesty's Secret Service

  The romance might turn some fans away, but seeing our hero so vulnerable refreshingly humanises him.

  Bond tackles the threat of a biological plague being planned by Blofeld.
• 
  Outland (1981)

  Review preview for Outland

  Gritty, throbbing with mood and featuring plenty of Connery’s unique brogue.

  A Jupiter moon mining settlement's marshall discovers deaths at the outpost are linked to a drug.
• 
  Overboard (1987)

  Review preview for Overboard

  An impossibly-charming rom-com that’ll win you over if you give it a chance.

  A wealthy woman dupes a carpenter, but when she ends up with amnesia he hatches a plot to get his own back.
• 
  Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

  Review preview for Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

  There's a nagging, hard-to-shake feeling that these characters, like the franchise itself, are tired and don't seem to be having nearly as much fun as previous pirating endeavours.

  Jack Sparrow is forced to accompany a dangerous woman and her still more dangerous ally on a daring quest to find the legendary Fountain of Youth.
• 
  Paper Man (2009)

  Review preview for Paper Man

  Despite offering a handful of touching moments, this quirky indie effort feels a bit messy and never properly finds it's rhythm.

  The unlikely friendship between failed author Richard Dunne and a Long Island teen, under the watchful eye of his imaginary Superhero friend.
• 
  Paths Of Glory (1957)

  Review preview for Paths Of Glory

  Douglas imposes his presence and manages to walk the tightrope between edgy and intense without chewing up the scenery.

  A soldier tries to stop the court martial of three of his men after a military advance goes awry.
• 
  Planet Of The Apes (1968)

  Review preview for Planet Of The Apes

  Racial discrimination, the fragile relationship between faith and science, post-Cold War anti-nuclear damnation… the script misses no opportunity to use an ape society for clever analogy.

  Astronauts crash-land on a world ruled by apes.
• 
  Planet Of The Apes (2001)

  Review preview for Planet Of The Apes

  Aside from some hugely-impressive ape make-up effects and a few noteworthy performances from Roth and Bonham Carter, this re-imagining falls way short.

  Tim Burton's monkeys are revolting.
• 
  Point Break (1991)

  Review preview for Point Break

  As exciting as it is good-looking.

  FBI agent goes undercover in a surfer community to try to unmask a group of bank robbers.
• 
  Public Enemies (2009)

  Review preview for Public Enemies

  A challenging and competent antidote to the hordes of brainless blockbusters out there.

  The FBI is charged with hunting down Public Enemy No. 1: John Dillinger.
• 
  Pride And Glory (2008)

  Review preview for Pride And Glory

  While on the surface Pride And Glory seems to have cynicism coming out of every pore and revolves around the world of dirty officers, at its core it's actually a love-letter to honest cops.

  A family of New York cops is caught up in corruption.
• 
  The Prisoner (1967)

  Review preview for The Prisoner

  One of the most unique shows ever imagined.

  A kidnapped secret agent finds himself trapped in "the village".
• 
  The Prisoner (2009)

  Review preview for The Prisoner

  Dragging at times and lacking both humour and heart, it rarely intrigues in the way McGoohan's often loopy version sometimes did.

  Modern remake of the Sixties classic, sees a surveillance expert finds himself stranded in a "the village".
• 
  Push (2009)

  Review preview for Push

  The best praise you can heap on Push is that it’s nearly good.

  Young telekinetics and clairvoyants band together to try to escape a sinister government agency.
• 
  Quantum Of Solace (2008)

  Review preview for Quantum Of Solace

  In the lead, the icy-eyed Daniel Craig is flawless again and is dangerously close to becoming my favourite James Bond (Sean and Roger, I’m sorry).

  Bond is back... and this time it's personal.
• 
  Rocky II (1979)

  Review preview for Rocky II

  Rocky’s necessary fall from grace back into the gutter makes us root for the big-hearted lug every south paw-jabbing step of the way.

  The boxer is tempted back into the ring.
• 
  Rocky III (1982)

  Review preview for Rocky III

  Not full-on farce, but getting there.

  When the boxing hero is beaten by a challenger his former rival offers to train him back to former glory.
• 
  Rocky IV (1985)

  Review preview for Rocky IV

  One for the eyes and ears instead of the heart and head.

  When Apollo Creed is killed in a boxing bout, Rocky decides to take on the challenger himself.
• 
  Rocky V (1990)

  Review preview for Rocky V

  Despite overdoing the mumbling a bit Stallone wins us over again with some nice dialogue.

  Forced to retire, Rocky takes on a protege.
• 
  Robin Hood (2010)

  Review preview for Robin Hood

  Applaudable ambition, but poor execution, mis-casting and too little soul.

  Robin goes back to his roots before the hood.
• 
  Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves (1991)

  Review preview for Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves

  Despite some obvious cheese and more than a few slices of ham, this is popcorn of the best kind.

  Kevin Costner stars as the noble rogue in this reimagining of the Nottinghamshire legend.
• 
  Rocky (1976)

  Review preview for Rocky

  Credit is due to John G Avildsen for directing (he won one of three trophies), but the real victory here belongs to Sly.

  An underdog boxer gets a shot at the big time.
• 
  Romancing The Stone (1984)

  Review preview for Romancing The Stone

  Issues of originality aside, Romancing ultimately succeeds thanks to the natural on-screen chemistry between Douglas and Turner.

  Odd-couple romance and adventure in the jungle.
• 
  Safe (2012)

  Review preview for Safe

  Happily, writer/director Boaz Yakin offers some surprisingly stylish camera work.

  An ex-cage fighter tries to help a girl on the run from gangsters who ruined his life.
• 
  See Arnold Run (2005)

  Review preview for See Arnold Run

  It’s hard to argue that this is anything but a love-letter.

  Biopic tracking the Austrian Oak's bid to become the Governator.
• 
  Smallville: Season One (2001)

  Review preview for Smallville: Season One

  Though brought down substantially by too many villain-of-the week plotlines, the show excels in all other areas.

  A sly spin on the Superman mythology, as we return to Kansas.
• 
  Smallville: Season Three (2003)

  Review preview for Smallville: Season Three

  The production values are impressive as ever and the cast (particularly Welling) continue to elevate even the strangest material.

  The continuing adventures of the young Clark Kent, aka Superman.
• 
  Saw (2004)

  Review preview for Saw

  Just enough is revealed to keep you glued while shocking, sucker-punches blindside you at all the right moments.

  Gruesome horror film with serial killer pretensions.
• 
  Scarface (1983)

  Review preview for Scarface

  Overrated and extremely dated.

  A migrant Cuban thug attempts to claw his way to the top of the drugs trade in Florida.
• 
  School Ties (1992)

  Review preview for School Ties

  There’s more going on than just prejudice, as the well-worn themes of friendship and loyalty are given air to breathe.

  A Jewish schoolboy finds his religion is a problem at an elitist schoolboy.
• 
  Se7en (1995)

  Review preview for Se7en

  An undoubted modern classic.

  Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt are cops who investigate a series of killings connected by the seven deadly sins.
• 
  Sexy Beast (2000)

  Review preview for Sexy Beast

  A little odd and over-styled at times, but Sexy Beast is worth watching just for Ben Kingsley's terrific performance.

  A gangster finds his retirement in Spain cut short when a brutal bloke from the past comes to call.
• 
  Sherlock Holmes (2009)

  Review preview for Sherlock Holmes

  A more action-led and contemporary take to satisfy modern audiences, with a hero who's as much a swashbuckler as he is a stuffy intellectual.

  Holmes and Watson take on a dastardly aristocrat, but matters are complicated by a beautiful and dangerous woman.
• 
  Shutter Island (2010)

  Review preview for Shutter Island

  Sadly, while this is as technically impressive as you'd expect from the big spec-wearing director, it's not the masterful thriller-come-scare-fest you might have hoped for.

  Two US marshalls are sent to a remote island to investigate the disappearance of an inmate from a mental asylum.
• 
  Source Code (2011)

  Review preview for Source Code

  Duncan Jones has used a fresh(ish) premise to fashion a smart, exciting and deeply involving thriller.

  A man discovers he's part of an experiment that lets him inhabit another man's body for the last eight minutes of the man's life - his task is to stop a terror attack.
• 
  Spy Game (2001)

  Review preview for Spy Game

  It's Redford who makes the flick work watching, taking what could have been a standard ‘jaded mentor’ part and making it much more.

  A CIA agent on the verge of retirement recalls his relationship with protege after the younger man gets into big trouble in China.
• 
  Stardust (2007)

  Review preview for Stardust

  Much like Danes’ hair, Stardust is shiny, floaty and full of interesting swings.

  Fantasy epic about a boy who goes looking for a falling star.
• 
  Star Trek (2009)

  Review preview for Star Trek

  JJ Abrams rescues Rodenbury's creation from the pop culture scrap heap and produces a very likeable romp.

  James T Kirk joins Starfleet and meets a tormented Spock threatened by a vengeful Romulan in this reboot of the Star Trek franchise.
• 
  Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (1999)

  Review preview for Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace

  Based on a 15-page outline the great bearded one wrote in 1976, the script undoes itself with copious politics, needless complications and near endless exposition.

  Lucas's Star Wars origins story returns to the big screen in 3D.
• 
  Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack Of The Clones (2002)

  Review preview for Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack Of The Clones

  Unfortunately, while a marked improvement over last time, Attack Of The Clones still isn't a return to the old magic.

  Obi-Wan and Anakin are put in charge of protecting the Naboo senatoress after an attempt on her life.
• 
  Star Wars: Episode 3 - Revenge Of The Sith (2005)

  Review preview for Star Wars: Episode 3 - Revenge Of The Sith

  A dark and visceral full stop that bridges the narrative gaps as our chosen one embarks on his primal journey to that side of the force.

  Anakin's personal struggle against the Dark Side becomes more difficult as rebellious robots and an enemy within threaten to topple the Republic.