Reviews by Stephen Carty

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  State Of Play (2009)

  Review preview for State Of Play

  A taut thriller that is frequently involving and rarely less than gripping.

  An investigative reporter finds his loyalties conflicted when a story involving murder, blackmail and conspiracy centres on his old friend, now an up-and-coming Congressman.
• 
  Strange Days (1995)

  Review preview for Strange Days

  Bigelow delivers a neo noir that hides its hope and redemption under a throbbing veil of paranoia, tension and adrenalin.

  Forbidden memories on disk, yours for the right price.
• 
  Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (2006)

  Review preview for Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

  Smarter and wittier than nearly every other show out there, cancellation was always inevitable.

  Behind the scenes of a comedy sketch show.
• 
  Superman: The Movie (1978)

  Review preview for Superman: The Movie

  Remains unbeaten in terms of influence and iconic moments.

  Classic comic book adaptation about an orphaned alien who becomes humanity's saviour.
• 
  Super 8 (2011)

  Review preview for Super 8

  More like a reverential throwback to past classics than a classic in its own right, Super 8 is simultaneously inspired by its influences yet unable to transcend them for something unique.

  A train-wreck leads to an encroaching mystery.
• 
  Surrogates (2009)

  Review preview for Surrogates

  Shares too many similarities with the surrogates, in that it's ultimately pretty lifeless.

  In a world where everyone operates through artificial bodies, two cops investigate a murder with real human victims.
• 
  Swordfish (2001)

  Review preview for Swordfish

  It's not that we descend into utter rubbish, it's just that we've been set up for something with a little more think-power than your average ka-blam fest.

  Super-hacker Hugh Jackman is induced to work for an out-of-control government agent John Travolta.
• 
  Superbad (2007)

  Review preview for Superbad

  In short, Superbad is super funny.

  An ode to friendship in the final night of high-school leads to a party never to be forgotten.
• 
  Superman II (1980)

  Review preview for Superman II

  Without the shackles of an origin story, Superman II soars into action straight away.

  The Man of Steel takes on a trio of Kryptonian rebels.
• 
  Superman III (1983)

  Review preview for Superman III

  Good work is undone by a zany tone.

  The Man of Steel faces the threat of synthetic kryptonite.
• 
  Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut (2006)

  Review preview for Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut

  The continuity is shaky (what do you expect?), but the new material is more adult, less camp and with a devotion to character and logic that Lester’s just didn’t have.

  Reworked version of Superman II, featuring footage origianlly relegated to the cutting room floor.
• 
  Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987)

  Review preview for Superman IV: The Quest For Peace

  Though Superman IV carries the sub-moniker of ‘The Quest For Peace’, it’s more accurate to describe it as ‘The Death Of A Series’.

  The Man of Steel decides to rid the world of nuclear weapons.
• 
  Team America: World Police (2004)

  Review preview for Team America: World Police

  Coarse, obvious and largely pointless.

  A disillusioned actor joins a team of five specially selected all-American heroes aiming to thwart evil terrorists in Parker and Stone's attempt to make a Jerry Bruckheimer movie using puppets.
• 
  Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Season One (2008)

  Review preview for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Season One

  Overall, though Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles certainly isn’t terrible, its biggest problem is that it will always lie in the shadow of Cameron’s unrelenting vision.

  TV series follows Sarah in her quest to save her son from the terminators.
• 
  Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Season Two (2008)

  Review preview for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Season Two

  The best episodes are still those which focus on Derek or offer flashes to the future.

  The second, longer season of the Chronicles leads us further into stacked paradoxes and the genesis of a resistance machine intelligence.
• 
  Timecop (1994)

  Review preview for Timecop

  Flawed yes, but by doing everything better than you'd expect, Timecop is the thinking man's Van Damme movie.

  A man takes on a corrupt senator who is travelling through time.
• 
  Timeline (2003)

  Review preview for Timeline

  Proof that when you combine a great premise and a talented director, you don't necessarily strike gold.

  Archaeologists travel back in time to 14th Century France.
• 
  The Time Traveller's Wife (2009)

  Review preview for The Time Traveller's Wife

  Rarely gripping but never boring.

  A woman falls in love with a man who spontaneously travels in time.
• 
  TMNT (2007)

  Review preview for TMNT

  All together now, cowabunga!

  The heroes in a half shell are back on the big screen.
• 
  Transformers (2007)

  Review preview for Transformers

  In short, this is Michael Bay’s most ‘Michael Bay movie’ yet (and that’s saying something).

  Robots in disguise!
• 
  Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (2009)

  Review preview for Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

  Loud, fast, shallow, unexciting, overly-silly and bursting at the seams with CGI.

  Sam Witwicky has to save the earth from Decepticon (again).
• 
  Tropic Thunder (2008)

  Review preview for Tropic Thunder

  Sadly, despite plenty of obvious effort and passion, this film is not as hilarious as the early clips suggested.

  Actors take their craft a little bit too far in war comedy...
• 
  Taken (2008)

  Review preview for Taken

  Taken is exactly the picture you are expecting and there's not even a real villain to hate, just a bunch of forgettable, faceless eurothugs. Unforgiveable.

  A former spy gets back into action after his daughter is kidnapped by sex traffickers.
• 
  The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009)

  Review preview for The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3

  Not completely irredeemable, but rarely in danger of thrilling.

  A group of armed men hold a crowded New York City subway train to ransom in this remake of the 1974 thriller.
• 
  Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (2003)

  Review preview for Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines

  The brave ending is both surprisingly dark and chillingly affecting.

  Third installment in the Terminator franchise has robot Arnie fighting a metallic woman.
• 
  Thunderball (1965)

  Review preview for Thunderball

  It's an undoubtedly stop-start affair, but there's enough to keep you going.

  The super-spy hunts stolen nukes in the Bahamas.
• 
  True Lies (1994)

  Review preview for True Lies

  True Lies might not be what many expect from James Cameron (given that it’s not thought-provoking or full of copious amounts of water) but it’s undoubtedly entertaining.

  A secret agent comes to suspect his wife may also be leading a double life.
• 
  Twelve Monkeys (1995)

  Review preview for Twelve Monkeys

  Dark, bleak and mind-bending, Terry Gilliam's Twelve Monkeys is as good as sci-fi gets.

  A man is sent back through time from a dystopian world to try and stop terrorists releasing a deadly plague.
• 
  Two For The Money (2005)

  Review preview for Two For The Money

  It’s hard not to get swept up in the ride.

  The fabulously rich world of high stakes gambling has a dark, manipulative side.
• 
  The Untouchables (1987)

  Review preview for The Untouchables

  For sheer satisfaction, Brian De Palma's tour-de-force is hard to beat.

  How the infamous Chicago gang boss, Al Capone, was brought down.
• 
  V (1983)

  Review preview for V

  An early Eighties cult classic that stands the test of time.

  Aliens come to ask Earth for help... but their intentions may not be altogether altruistic.
• 
  Valkyrie (2008)

  Review preview for Valkyrie

  A good, solid thriller that sustains our interest thoughout, but it’s not as great as you’d expect from this collaborative talent pool.

  Story of a plot to assassinate Hitler.
• 
  Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

  Review preview for Vicky Cristina Barcelona

  Probably Allen's sexiest flick to date.

  Two young American girls on holiday in Barcelona become romantically involved with a Spanish painter.
• 
  V: The Final Battle (1984)

  Review preview for V: The Final Battle

  Leaning slightly more towards action than the fascist allegory-orientated original.

  Earth's resistance fighters try to wipe out the alien invading force once and for all.
• 
  Waiting... (2005)

  Review preview for Waiting...

  There's just no heart or story to accompany all the toilet humour.

  Low grade genitalia humour in a restaurant kitchen.
• 
  The West Wing: Season 1 (2000)

  Review preview for The West Wing: Season 1

  You're probably thinking that a show about politics would be boring as hell. Instead we got a smart, savvy, funny and insightful drama which, despite a little dating, still stands among television's finest.

  Behind the scenes at The White House when Martin Sheen is President.
• 
  We Are Marshall (2006)

  Review preview for We Are Marshall

  A straightforward, by-the-numbers sports movie designed to boost Kleenex sales.

  After the players and staff of a high school football team are killed in a plane crash, a coach is brought in to rebuild the squad in honour of the dead.
• 
  What To Expect When You're Expecting (2012)

  Review preview for What To Expect When You're Expecting

  Clichéd, predictable and hugely sexist.

  Ensemble comedy about pregnant couples.
• 
  The Wire: Season Two (2003)

  Review preview for The Wire: Season Two

  It might be a tough watch that'll put many off early doors, but this is still top-notch television.

  The second season of the Baltimore drug-ring cops - and an all-new case.
• 
  Wall Street (1987)

  Review preview for Wall Street

  A morality tale where the theme of loyalty looms large, but which also skewers the materialistic Eighties and the yuppie, money-obsessed brace-wearing capitalists who dominated it.

  A young stock market trader will stop at nothing to succeed, little knowing wealth comes with a price.
• 
  Watchmen (2009)

  Review preview for Watchmen

  Snyder’s spot-on production values and sets bring the pages to life aesthetically while the frequently-verbatim narrative follows the text as closely as possible.

  An adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel in which self-proclaimed heroes fight for the good of humanity - or for what they interpret as such.
• 
  Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1998)

  Review preview for Who Framed Roger Rabbit

  Not without its silly and over-the-top moments, Who Framed Roger Rabbit remains a very entertaining technical marvel.

  When a cartoon rabbit is accused of murder, his only hope is an animation-loathing gumshoe.
• 
  Willow (1988)

  Review preview for Willow

  Lucas and Howard's often-dark adventure is still an enjoyable sword-and-sorcery tale.

  A would-be sorceror enlists the help of a warrior to take an abandoned baby to safety.
• 
  The Wire: Season One (2002)

  Review preview for The Wire: Season One

  Truly gripping.

  Baltimore detective series sees a team of detectives take on a drug lord.
• 
  The Wrestler (2008)

  Review preview for The Wrestler

  An instant classic that’s more than worthy of all the lavish praise it’s been getting.

  An ageing wrestler tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter, but can he get the ring out of his soul? Plus read what Aronofsky, Rourke and Tomei said about the film.
• 
  X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

  Review preview for X-Men Origins: Wolverine

  It’s not a washout, it’s just a mixed bag.

  An exploration of the origins of X-men mutant Wolverine.
• 
  You Only Live Twice (1967)

  Review preview for You Only Live Twice

  The film that saw the super-spy become larger-than-life.

  James Bond heads off to Japan in Roald Dahl's wacky adaptation.
• 
  Zodiac (2007)

  Review preview for Zodiac

  More long-distance bounds than well-crafted arcs.

  A cop, a reporter and a cartoonist become obsessed with a serial killer in 1970s San Francisco.