In brief: what we watched over Easter

21 Jump Street

American teen comedy isn’t dead after all. Two rookie cops (Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill) are assigned an undercover mission in a high-school to track down the supplier of a deadly new drug. Hilarity ensues as the two thirty-something year-olds try to fit in whilst realising that the high-school they left behind years ago isn’t quite the same anymore. The shockingly brilliant Johnny Depp cameo is a huge plus.

Act of Valour

A shamelessly patriotic film made by Americans, for Americans: real U.S. SEALs were used for this, which more than explains the stilted acting. Holding them back more is the paper-thin script that gives us no insight into any of its characters, and so even its attempt at tear-jerking drama never quite works. The combat scenes however, are undeniably impressive. Think of it as a fancy recruitment piece.

Battleship

Five far superior and technologically advanced alien ships land on Earth after nosy scientists thought it would be a good idea to bother them on their own planet. Now the fate humanity rests on three human navy ships as they go head-to-head. Sounds ridiculous and, for the most part, it is, but the carefully crafted action scenes are so entertaining that you might not even notice the film’s many holes.

Bel Ami

R-Patz decides to stick his schlong where it doesn’t belong, sleeping his way through the richest, most powerful married women in 1880s Paris, France. The three ladies who fall for his looks (Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Christina Ricci) fare better than Pattinson’s rather one-dimensional performance, but the film’s sensual ambiance almost makes up for the leading man’s lack of magnetic charisma.

Contraband Although retired from his life of illegal smuggling, family man Chris (Mark Wahlberg) is forced back into pulling one last job for his screw-up brother-in-law who ends up owing money to dangerous men. There are moments of genuine tension, but it’s more of a rehash of the same thing. Wahlberg doesn’t disappoint in an easy role, and he’s supported by the suitably insane Giovanni Ribisi as the villain.

Gone The only thing worse than the wide-eyed and otherwise blank Amanda Seyfried going on a mad rampage to find her past kidnapper who has now abducted her sister, is that this thinly drawn psychological thriller makes very little sense. Add to that there is actually no moment of genuine tension due to so many absurd plot developments and silly characters. Most definitely one to avoid and ignore.

In Darkness

Last year’s Oscar Best Foreign Language Film nominee, this extraordinary true story of an initially greedy city plumber (Robert Wieckiewicz, on top form) hiding a dozen or so Jews in the complicated underground sewers during World War II, is both a haunting and deeply touching tale. It’s long, with its fair share of heavily dramatised moments, but the final emotional payoff is well worth waiting for.

John Carter

This box-office failure will cost Disney around 200 million dollars but financial loss doesn’t necessarily mean bad film. Burdened with an unappealing title, an unknown hero and giant insect aliens, there is no way this could have marketed well enough to pull in the big crowd. But Disney’s latest attempt at the superhero genre remains an entertaining spectacle, full of colourful images and breath-taking action.

Mirror Mirror

The tacky marketing doesn’t do this film justice. It may not be a radical reimagination of the classic tale but with director Tarsem Singh’s focus on dazzling visuals and stunning costumes, the first “Snow White” adaptation of 2012, is worth checking out. Julia Roberts is at her hilarious best as the evil queen, Lily Collins is innocently beautiful, and Armie Hammer is effortlessly charming as the prince.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Two of the most likable actors from Britain (Emily Blunt, Ewan McGregor) form a sweet and charming duo in this sugary sweet rom-com. What they get up to is dead predictable from its uninspired title, but Lasse Hallestrom’s latest is a highly enjoyable blend of drama and comedy, the latter thanks to the priceless Kristin Scott Thomas.

The Hunger Games A thought-provoking, futuristic thriller that is superbly acted especially from the young members of its cast (Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson), as two of 24 teenagers forced to fight to their deaths until there is one victor, whilst the whole world watches them for amusement. The powerful social commentary makes for an interesting watch, but just don’t expect a bloody American Battle Royale.

The Raven

When a deranged psychopath decides to reenact all the grizzly murders written in Edgar Allan Poe’s gothic horror stories, it is up to the author himself (an eccentric yet oddly brilliant John Cusack) to outsmart this obsessed-fan-turned-serial-killer. Part torture horror, part detective thriller, part period drama, it’s an entertaining enough, yet not-at-all deep, exploration of the much-celebrated novelist.

This Must Be the Place

Playing a retired rock star who goes on a journey of self-discovery following the death of his father, the usually intense and fiery Sean Penn’s incredibly soft-spoken, gentle performance is the absolute highlight of this otherwise slightly chaotic and messy road-trip movie in which the long-lost son seeks out the man who humiliated his recently passed father during World War Two.

We Bought a Zoo

Matt Damon is a widower who doesn’t have a clue on how to raise his two kids. Wanting a fresh start, he buys a house that comes with a zoo, to renovate and reopen it for business. Difficulties lie ahead, including his angry son, money problems, pedantic zoo inspectors, and escaping animals. It does take forever to get to its predictable happy ending, but Damon’s likable performance keeps everything together.

Wrath of the Titans

This time, unlike its predecessor, there are actual Titans, but everything else is a mess. The plot and character developments don’t make any sense, and despite the loud action sequences, the film doesn’t know what to do with Perseus (Sam Worthington). Once again tasked with saving the world from evil Greek Gods, he embarks on a dull quest with absolutely useless “warriors” (e.g. Rosamund Pike).