Movies

You'll have noticed from the links on this page that I'm something of a film buff. I try to be discerning about what I watch, but most of the movies I see leave me suitably unimpressed. Take Failure to Launch for example. Before I continue, I should point out that I didn't want to see this film, and only did so because a friend wanted to. Matthew McConaughey plays a successful 30-something serial bachelor who still lives with his parents, but finds time to hang out with his buddies participating in extreme sports.

To remedy this situation, they secretly hire a consultant (Sarah Jessica Parker) who provides a service to her clients whereby she dates their adult sons on the pretext of prompting them to move out. Things go smoothly until she finds herself romantically involved with him. The chemistry between the two leads was believable, and it had its moments, but as with most romantic comedies, the ending was clearly signposted from the beginning. You knew that they would end up together in the end. A mild diversion at best, and not meant to be taken as a serious exploration of relationships and rites of passage.

After the disappointment of Mission: Impossible 2, my hopes weren't very high for the third installment, released in Australia on May 4th. This time I came away pleasantly surprised. Six years have passed since the events of the previous film, and we now find IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) called back into action to shut down Owen Davian, a dangerous international arms dealer (Philip Seymour Hoffman). To complicate matters further we also have his fiance Julia (Michelle Monaghan) who manages to get herself kidnapped by Davian and in need of rescuing. There were some impressive action set pieces. including a daring raid on Vatican City, and some interesting plot twists. Better than the previous installment, but still not as good as the first one. If you're looking for an exciting way to pass the time, it's worth checking out.