10 Magazine Film Reviews July 2010

Written by Paul Matthews

How To Train Your Dragon 3D

A family friendly animation about a boy and his odd friendship with a scary yet lovable dragon may not sound too enticing, but don't be fooled, it's quite possibly one of the funniest films you'll see this summer.

On the island of Berk, the resident vikings have their hands full protecting their sheep from hordes of ferocious dragons. Armed with his homemade cannon, Hiccup (the smallest, weakest and least viking-like boy of the village) manages to capture the mysterious "Night Fury" and unwilling to kill the injured dragon, he starts to study the creature and the two of them form a bond. Meanwhile, the other vikings are planning a raid on the dragons' nest and Hiccup finds himself torn between family and friendship.

It's a well paced funny film, with plenty of cuteness mixed with some exciting fight sequences and a fantastic climax that will leave you satisfied. It's more intelligent than a lot of this summer blockbusters and is likely to melt even the hardest of hearts. With plenty of jokes and beautiful visuals to entertain older viewers, you don't have to be a kid to enjoy what may be the best animation of 2010.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

I'm sure that not all films based on video games turn out to be terrible, but this turgid and rather boring trip to Persia helps keep the stereotype alive and well. If you were looking for an exciting middle-eastern adventure then you've come to the wrong place.

Jake Gyllenhall plays the handsomely bearded yet surprisingly bland Prince Dastan who, after ransacking the holy city of Alamut, finds himself in possession of a dagger that is capable of turning back time. After being framed for his adopted father's murder, he goes on the run with Princess Tamina (played by the equally dull Gemma Arterton) in an attempt to clear his name.

It's shocking to think that the man who gave us Four Weddings and a Funeral and Donnie Brasco is able to produce such a dull, shoddily scripted excuse for a blockbuster: The CGI is for the most part poor; the time travel element is only used as a brief gimmick; and instead of thrilling action sequences we are treated to some fairly uninteresting parkour. You'll end up laughing at the film rather than with it, though Alfred Molina does help ease the tedium as a tax-hating Sheik with a suicidal ostrich.

The Housemaid

This remake of Kim Ki-young's 1960 classic "The Housemaid" takes us on a very dierent path to the original film. While the premise remains similar (a maid finds herself entangled with the husband of the household), the characters have evolved into markedly dierent personas than before. The husband is used to getting what he wants, and unsatisfied with his pregnant wife, he chases after the new maid, who falls for his charms and finds

herself in the family way. Meanwhile, his wife's mother gets wind of the aair and takes matters into her own hands. Needless to say, things take a rather nasty turn and lead us towards a rather inflammatory ending which is completely dierent in tone to the original.

The film will divide audiences into those who feel cheated by Im Sang-soo's twisted update and those who find deeper meaning within this imperfect interpretation. Using sumptuous cinematography the director takes us on a journey into the world of a fantastically opulent, wine guzzling, upper class family; but shows us the harsher side of infidelity and how those with power can corrupt the innocent just to get what they want. Jun Do-yeon stands out as the naive new housemaid and Yoon Yeo-jung deserves special mention for her performance as the elder maid who despite her cool exterior is suering inside.

Sexually explicit and overtly political, is not afraid to push the audience's boundaries and make them confront uncomfortable situations. It won't please everyone, but boldly states its opinion and dares you to come along for the ride. Im Sang-soo's re-invention is a flawed tribute to Kim Ki-young's masterpiece that deserves to be seen.