Death Sentence Movie Review

Title: Death Sentence
Format: DVD
Year: 2007
Label: Entertainment In Video


This is a revenge movie, pure and simple. Done many times before by many great actors and directors, but this one is a little different. Now I'm a big fan of revenge movies. I'm a fan of vigilante movies too. What these movies all seem to have in common is the fact that the protagonist is driven so much that when they go on their revenge mission, nothing can stop them or make them feel that revenge is the wrong way to proceed. Also, the good guy is usually pretty bad ass. These two common denominators are missing from Death Sentence, and that's the beauty of it.

I can't say that I'm a fan of Kevin Bacon, but for me, this movie proves that he

is in fact a solid actor that can connect with the audience and it has made me warm to him as an actor. The reason for this bold statement, is that his charactor is so very vulnerable and he portrays this so bloody well.

Bacon's character is an average joe. He witnesses his son's murder. He seeks revenge with no skills, no confidence and no solid plans. It goes wrong and then he has to deal with the consequences. There are some Taxi Driver / Falling Down moments thrown in for good measure too.

John Goodman is pretty cool in this and on a whole the acting is great. It's a small movie that has a unique flavor.

At times, the direction is outstanding and there are some elaborate set pieces and a super long single take in a multistory carpark which is brilliant.
All in all I was entertained and somewhat surprised by Death Sentence. It may feel slow paced in places, but it's worth sticking with.

UK Films Rating: 7/10
Release Rating: 6/10 - Poor Transfer, over saturated. Excellent making of.
Did James like it? Yes

2010 Movie Review

Title: 2010
Format: DVD
Year: 1984
Label: Warner Bros.


A Sci-Fi sequel with a hell of alot to live up to. Did it succeed in this task - well it turns out that living upto the Kubrick's original 2001 is not really what this movie aims to do. If that was the task, it fails, but that is not to say that 2010 isn't an outstanding sci-fi film in it's own right.

2001 was a visual, emotional and atmospheric treat. 2010 manages use these elements but also intergrates more on dialogue to develop the characters and the plot.

I must say I am a big fan of 2001 and for this reason, I didn't feel the need to

watch 2010 until recently as I feared great disappointment. How wrong I was.

The effects are outstanding even by today's standards. The acting is solid, the characters are well developed and the plot is intriguing. It can be hard to understand at times, and would maybe have been easier to take in if the crew acted a little more confused about the discoveries they make so that the viewer could empathise, but this is a minor niggle.

In places it reminds me of Disney's 'The Black Hole' and you can also see where more recent films such as Event Horizon and Sphere found their inspiration.

This is not a Kubrick film and shouldn't be expected to be. If you are a sci-fi fan and watch this movie with an open mind you might just find a new sci-fi top 20 candidate.

UK Films Rating: 8/10
Release Rating: 6/10 - Good transfer and no real features.
Did James like it? Yes