The Fifth Element

The Fifth Element, 1997

On a completely different scale to this reviewer's past work featuring Bruce Willis, the Fifth Element is a resounding success.

Luc Besson's vivd glimpse of a future comes fully equipped with George Jetson like flying cars, whizz-bang healing tubes and a memorable voyage into the world of blue alien opera.

Corban Dallas (Willis) is a ultra-washed up military man spending his days in the taxi industry when destiny comes a callin' in the very pleasant shape of all thats powerful and good in the world Milla Jovovich. And wouldn't you know it, Corban and the smoldering Serbian hit it off in a race against the clock battle to save humanity against complete Evil, epitomised by the superbly goulish Zorg (Gary Oldman).

The highlight to this movie, however, comes in the form of Rush Hour's own comic star Chris Tucker who plays the outrageous philandering radio presenter Ruby Rhod who makes Prince look shy and intraverted. Please check this movie out if only for this reason. Please.

While the Fifth Element was never destined for critical acclaim, it sits handsomely alongside other favourites in many DVD collections. This is an innovatively shot movie with a killer score that sees Willis win over many fans as the chain smoking hard ass.

Did I mention Jovovich looks fit dressed only in bandages? and just a tip - I'm not referring to tutankhamun like attire

Hilarious fun.

9/10

Midbus

Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights, 1997

One of Hollywood's most interesting directors, Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia, There Will Be Blood), followed up 1996's Hard Eight with the generous and rich Boogie Nights.

Putting together one of the 90's best ensemble casts, Thomas Anderson uses more than two and a half hours giving us a tour of the porn industry in the 1970's & 80's.

Mark Wahlberg builds on his good work in The Basketball Diaries as Eddie Adams - a likeable teenager who will eventually become one of porn's biggest names - Dirk Diggler.

The cast is jammed with some of Thomas Anderson's favourites - John C Rielly (Chicago), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and William H Macy (Fargo) are all superb.

Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda) is well cast as a young man with a head full of dreams, while Burt Reynolds is perfectly porno. Julianne Moore (Hannibal) and Heather Graham (The Hangover) more than hold up their end of the bargain, the former showing her considerable talent.

Throw in the likes of Phillip Baker Hall (Magnolia) and Luis Guzman (Carlito's Way) and it's basically a case of 'you name it, they're in it.

Thomas Anderson's work here is sharp - his tracking shots put you right in the heart of porn's most lavish parties.

You'll enjoy the whole ride but the highlight for me comes late in the piece - an incredibly well shot and acted scene played out to the sounds of Rick Springfield and Jessie's Girl. Movie gold.

It's more than just a big cock.

8/10

Nutbuckle

Air Force One

(1997) Directed by Wolfgang Petersen. With Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close

This movie takes presidential politics to new heights as Harrison Ford aka The President says "get off my plane" to a highly organised and trained group of terrorists. These terrorists look to use The President as leverage to free their commander from a eastern European gulag. Gary Oldman plays the terrorist leader to perfection and the seemingly immortal Glenn Close plays a Vice President under siege from Chiefs of Staff wanting to give up on former air force pilot President James Marshall.

This is a classic action film in the tradition of Under Seige and popcorn flick lovers will not go away disappointed. Harrison Ford shows his age in scenes that involve a lot of physicality but more than makes up for it with his consistent and firm delivery of powerful dialogue.

When stacked up against other 'one against many' action movies, this one ticks all the boxes for mindless, check your intellect at the door, entertainment and if you dont expect anything else, you will come to the same conclusion as this reviewer.

Snap says 7/10

Face Off

FACE OFF (1997)
(Cage, Travolta, Allen, Nivola)

by the midbus

After spending 138 minutes with Castor Troy and Sean Archer, any red-blooded male could comfortably speak their names in the same breath as Tango & Cash, Lowrie and Burnett or Vega and Winnfield.

This is one of John Woo's best voyages into Hollwood, complete with slow motion doves, extravagant weaponry, tip-top 90s effects and a hard-hitting cast. As Troy, and Archer for that matter, Cage steals the show in his best performance since Stanley Goodspeed in the equally gripping crash-boom feast, The Rock.

Without 'spoiling' the plot, Archer (Travolta, Cage) must get his hands dirty in the criminal world of the comatose'd Troy (Cage, Travolta... are you keeping up?) after a state of the art temporary facial transplant. And wouldn't you know it, comas are a funny thing, Troy wakes up to unleash his wrath upon everything Archer holds dear.

If you're after Woody Allen like dialogue or a Hans Zimmer awe inspiring score, please bypass the collection of $200 and go directly to jail. This is tits out fun, with big guns, great chases, a smooth, reinvigorated Travolta and a tasty script which leaves the punter asking the question: 'There couldn't be Face Off 2, could there?'

I know at least one reviewer out there who hopes so.

'Peach, I could eat a peach for hours'

8/10