Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

Plastic could well be subtitled Ocean's 14, that number representative of the mental age of the film's target audience. Review

Unlike most of Luc Besson's recent productions, Brick Mansions is a whole lot of fun, even if it is for all the wrong reasons. Review

These people are clearly mad but said madness is played for laughs until the film's final act, when Jon discovers that mental illness is actually a bit of a downer. Review

If you're still living in the bunker you constructed in 1999 to survive the then impending Y2K apocalypse, Transcendence will likely be your favourite film. It's a shame you'll never see it. Review

Don't let its minimalist premise turn you off. Locke is a film that immediately draws you into its intimate drama of high grade cement and rogue sperm, and holds you for the entire journey. Review

Hogg's technique, static shots, often framing her characters through the exterior windows of the townhouse, recalls the cold distance of early Haneke, but it's an approach that requires performances more convincing than those she mines from her two leads, both of whom are new to acting. Review

There's enough in Tracks to satisfy nature lovers but its narrative becomes repetitive as Curran struggles for an angle beyond trite sub Paulo Coelho philosophizing and childhood flashbacks. One can only imagine how great this could have been in the hands of a Terence Malick or Peter Weir. Review

Adapting a comic book created by his wife, Coco, Moodysson has given us arguably the most enjoyable movie ever made about childhood, and certainly the most honest. Review

If you like your superhero movies dark and brooding, TAS2 isn't for you. If, however, you prefer the light but substantial tone of Richard Donner's Superman, you'll have a blast with this one. Review

The laziest film-makers simply use a loud noise, something Pogue is guilty of countless times throughout his tension free film. Review

Sutherland takes the Billy Zane role of the rich cad and his deliciously camp performance makes for the film's few entertaining moments. He alone seems to understand how ridiculous the whole affair is. Had Pompeii been entirely fashioned in the spirit of Sutherland's approach we'd have a far more entertaining movie than the one we're presented with here. Review

While Irish audiences ate up the humour of The Guard I doubt McDonagh’s latest will be received so warmly, as it’s quite the hatchet job. Review

Much of what works about the film is down to its impressively assembled cast, particularly Olivia Williams as a Ripley-esque bitchy scientist who cares more about her research than the well-being of her crew. Review

It's never dull, and how many recent big budget Hollywood movies can you say that about? Review

Brosnan and Thompson turned out quality work last year in Love is All You Need and Saving Mr Banks respectively, which makes it all the more irritating that they should settle for utter tosh like this. Review

Starting off as a sort of sub Woody Allen comedy of self-deprecation, Ayoade's film is quite humorous, even if the gags aren't particularly fresh, but when things take a darker turn in the movie's second half, Ayoade seems less comfortable with the material, allowing the story to ultimately fade away like a reflection in the mirror of a steamed up bathroom. Review

The Raid 2 is a technical marvel and certainly intense, but intensity without humor leads to drabness; just ask Hitchcock the value of tension-relieving comedy, or Spielberg, whose outwardly morose Schindler's List contains some downright hilarious moments of black comedy. Review

It's the script that ultimately renders Divergent a disaster, written as it is like the first three episodes of a sci-fi TV show (and a Canadian sci-fi TV show at that) rather than a standalone movie. Review

For all its technical virtuosity, particularly in the sound design department, it's the film's two leads that leave the greatest impression. Review

It's bad enough that we don't give two hoots about the characters involved but the set-pieces are as bland as they come. The Russo brothers are completely out of their depth working on this scale, having previously directed a variety of sitcoms and the 2006 comedy You, Me & Dupree. Review

Labor Day is a serious mis-step and the result is one of the most unintentionally hilarious films a major director has given us in quite some time. Review

The film's approach is reductive in a manner that will alienate music fans who know the reality behind these stories. Review

Whenever Ealy and Bryant are onscreen, the movie is a success, an insightful look at the struggles of maintaining a relationship, but when Hart and Hall appear we're back in Stepin Fetchit territory, derailing the entire movie in the process. Review

If you're a cynic, or a film snob, Muppets Most Wanted may not be what you want, but if you try it sometime, you just might find, it's exactly what you need. Review