Izzy_Duquette's reviews

From the moment I heard about this TV Show I had a feeling I would love it. Finally I got round to buying Seasons 1 – 6 on DVD and found that I was right.

Tom Welling portrays a teenage Clarke Kent growing up in Smallville, Kansas. Welling is fantastic as the young Clarke struggling with his growing powers and having to keep them a secret from the people closest to him. As the series unfolds we learn more about Clarke's lineage and his destiny. We get to watch him take down what the show lovingly refers to as "Meteor Freaks" overcome personal obstacles and build a friendship with the man who will eventually become his arch nemesis, Lex Luthor.

Welling is surrounded by an amazingly talented cast. Michael Rosenbaum is brilliant as a tortured young Lex, bringing a vulnerable side to his otherwise arrogant character that will break your heart. Kristin Kreuk is beautiful as the kind-hearted Lana Lang, Erica Durance is spunky and damn hot as feisty Lois Lane and, although her character may irritate you to the core, Alison Mack is perfectly cast as driven, witty Chloe Sullivan.

The show is well written and superbly directed. The effects will blow you away and although the Monster-of-The-Week story lines may become tiresome now and then, the story arcs that are developed from Season 2 onwards more than make up for it.

In short, whether or not you are a comic book fan this show appeals on many different levels. Perfectly cast, well written and beautifully executed, this show has it all. Enjoy!

Sixteen year old mermaid princess Ariel dreams of becoming part of the forbidden human world. When she falls in love with the handsome (and human) Prince Eric, Ariel makes a bargain with the wicked sea witch Ursula – in exchange for Ariel's voice she is made human for three days during which time she must make the prince fall in love with her and seal the deal with a kiss. Unfortunately for Ariel the path to true love doesn't exactly run smoothly.

The Little Mermaid rescued Disney at a time when animated films were a dying breed. The movie is beautifully drawn, the characters brought to life by a team of talented animators. Aside from head-strong yet lovable Ariel the audience will fall in love with her naïve sidekick Flounder, her scatter-brained seagull friend Scuttle and the ever-watchful Jamaican crab Sebastian. The sea witch Ursula is a brilliantly evil, slimy squid who should strike terror in the hearts of children everywhere and on land gallant Prince Eric is surrounded by a bevy of colourful characters to keep everyone amused, from his stuffy adviser Grims to the insane French cook Louis.

The story is fresh and constantly exciting, helped along by the amazing and catchy musical numbers. Songs such as Part of Your World and Under The Sea have become timeless Disney classics and the score is beautifully executed.

With enough double entendre humour to keep the adults amused and enough colour and magic to keep the kids entertained, this is a true Disney classic – a gem that paved the way for more Disney animations such as Beauty and The Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. The Little Mermaid is a visual treat and a wonderful film, enjoyable for all ages.

Director Gillian Armstrong brings the story of the March sisters to life in this heartwarming adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's beloved novel.

Amid the gorgeous scenery and breathtaking sets the sisters are brought to life by a team of talented actresses. Winona Ryder shines as Jo, Trini Alvarado is demure and beautiful as Meg, Claire Danes breaks your heart as Beth while Kirsten Dunst is a star in her own right as mischievous Amy. Susan Sarandon makes us all wish she was our mother with her heartwarming portrayal of Marmee.

From sisterly fights as girls to family bonds as women, this movie will make you laugh, cry and every other cliché in the world. The girls will touch your hearts as they overcome family trials, broken hearts and the difficulty of growing up poor amongst the backdrop of the Civil war. It's wonderfully written with amazing cinematography and beautiful direction. The girls share great chemistry that makes their on-screen relationship as sisters believable.

While fans of the novel may be disappointed by the changes made to some of the characters and situations overall the movie brings the core values and emotions from the book to the screen. Ultimately this is a movie about family and even the most cold-hearted person will be touched by this wonderful film.

In a role that almost earned her an Oscar nomination Kirsten Dunst is amazing as Nicole, a messed-up near manic-depressive rich girl who's intent on wasting her life away. When she meets poor but driven Carlos a beautiful romance develops, that threatens to bring down Carlos but ultimately saves Nicole.

This is one of the most 'real' teenage movies around. Every character reminds the audience of someone they know. In the hands of a less-talented actress Nicole would become a one-dimensional character, but Kirsten brings such a subtle vulnerability to her otherwise tough character that you can't help but love her. Jay Henandez is equally as impressive as Carlos, playing him with just enough empathy that you can understand why he stands by this lost little girl.

The film is beautifully shot, with an amazing soundtrack and unique cinematography. One of it's stand-out qualities is it's natural and very well written dialogue, which owes much to the fact that a lot of it is ad-libbed. There is a wonderfully fresh, real vibe to this film that sets it apart from the myriad of other teen dramas that are out there.

With plenty of laughs evened out with beautiful yet heartbreaking drama, Crazy/Beautiful is a masterpiece that rises far above the 'Teen Drama' category it's often slotted in to.

At 2:37pm in a bathroom at an Adelaide highschool a student takes their own life and the different worlds of six teenagers are changed forever.

2:37 is a brutal, honest and breathtaking film centered on the pain of being a teenager. The film follows one day in the lives of six teenagers, all intertwined, all dealing with their own personal dramas. While there are a couple of stereotypes in the mix – the beautiful would-be popular girl dealing with body issues, the over-achiever obsessed with his grades, there are several horrors that are as far from main-stream as you can get, including a social outcast dealing with a brutal illness and a young girl trying to make sense of a devastating event in her past.

The movie is mixed with documentary-style interviews from the characters, which some viewers may find a little out of place in the otherwise seamless narrative. The pace is also a little slow, but it fits with the feel of the movie. The young Australian actors are all stars in their own right, in particular Theresa Palmer who's heartbreaking performance earned her an AFI nomination.

The film is very well shot, with terrific direction. Some scenes are a little hard to watch – in particular the five-minute-long suicide scene, but overall it is a film that leaves a big impact on its' viewers. It draws you in right from it's shocking opening scene and keeps you guessing as to which of the six main characters is going to be the one to end up in the bathroom. Ultimately, it's a beautiful made, but slightly disturbing look at teenage life.

I know that there are a lot of faithful fans of the books out there who hate this installment. I understand the feeling when one of your most beloved books/series is changed. However, if one has not read the books (as I haven't), they may be surprised at how much this movie pulls at the heart-strings. I find the first part of the story with Gill and Anne in New York a little slow going and uninvolving, but as soon as Gill enlists and then subsequently goes missing, the film starts to emotionally impact upon its' audience.

Images of Anne running through the battlefields with a baby in her arms and blood on her uniform are some of the most powerful scenes I have seen in an Anne movie. Megan Follows is, as always, superb as Anne Shirley/Blythe. She brings a realness to her character that so few actors seem to capture these days. Another reason this movie works so well is Jonathon Crombie, and the chemistry he shares with Follows. Together they are magic, the love that they portray should touch even the stoniest of hearts. Their eventual Reunion, and Anne's teary "My Love!" should have the most unemotional people in tears.

The cinematography is as stunning as ever, as is the beautiful score that accompanies the movie. Keven Sullivan's directing style is a good as ever, and his effective use of old memories fading in over Anne give a necessary link to the previous two films.

In summary, if you haven't read the books you may just like this installment. Emotional, heart wrenching, inspiring and truly beautiful, do not miss the movie.

Supernatural is a fast paced, witty, smart and engrossing show, not to be mistaken for any of the other supernatural shows that have recently aired on TV. It's gritty camera work, involving plot lines and dark humour sets it apart from other shows.

The two lead actors, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki have fantastic chemistry, and are completely believable as brothers repairing their relationship. The story lines are fresh, interesting, and very often rooted in urban myths and legends, involving monsters and demons that we have all heard about as children and adolescents. The show is tautly sewn together with witty dialogue and fast-paced action, and at the same time it pulls on the emotional heartstrings as both brothers struggle with their own inner demons.

In short, do not mistake this for a Charmed, Buffy or Smallville rip-off. It is in it's own league, a fantastic show that should enjoy many more years on the air.

Never having read the comic books I view the XMen movies as just that - movies. I loved the first two but was slightly disappointed with the third installment.

This film is darker and more intense than the first two - the development of Jean Grey as the Phoenix is a fantastic storyline, and Famke Janssen is amazing as a woman with no control over the creature that lives within her soul. She is at once evil, lost, confused, dangerous and lovable.

However, with the second storyline concerning a mutant "cure" taking up most of the screen time the Dark Phoenix story is pushed into the background and this brings out the faults with the film. Some of the dialogue is missing the sharpness and wit of the first two movies and there are more new mutants introduced in this than there were in the second movie - and thus, not many (if any) are given much character development. The Cure storyline overshadows the more emotional and important Phoenix storyline and as a result almost every mutant seems out of character.

That aside the direction is good - the final fight is amazing, as is the heartbreaking scene between Jean and Wolverine. Watch till the end of the credits for an extra scene.

With surprises around every corner and a higher death count than the first two films combined, XMen 3 does its' best to end the trilogy in a satisfactory way, but you just can't help but wish that there was more to it.