“Mean Girls” is another dumb film about high schools. It decides to use every cliché in the book from featuring all the high school stereotypes to including some seriously risqué conversations and what dumb high school movie would be if there wasn’t some serious girl fighting going on.

In “Mean Girls”, Lindsay Lohan (“The Parent Trap”) stars as Cady Heron, who goes to school at the age of 16 after being tutored at home by her parents in Africa during previous years. When she enters the school she meets the sexuality-confused, the jocks and of course the bratty girls. Now she’s on a secret mission to find some serious dirt on these bratty girls known as ‘The Plastics’ so that she can teach them a lesson.

Here we come to easily the worst thing about this film, the characters. While they aren’t entirely dull and some offer a few brief moments of light-hearted humour such as Amanda Seyfried (“Mamma Mia!”) as one of the many bimbos this film features. I’m sorry but I don’t find paedophile teachers and obese homosexuals a great source of interest or comedy and that’s ultimately why the film fails because it is content with featuring such dull and cliché characters as this.

“Mean Girls” definitely isn’t the worst romantic comedy or high school film I’ve seen and I can see the target audience eating this one up but for me “Mean Girls” feels a lot more like it was written using a fill-in-the-blanks sheet as the script because I doubt that anything here from the romantic subplot to the bimbos is in any way unique. It has its moments and I guess Lohan isn’t too bad considering what she has to work with but I have to say I was pretty disappointed to see that this is just another by-the-books picture without an ounce of difference in it.

“Me, Myself And Irene” is a very vulgar comedy with maybe only one or two mild chuckles in it. It’s highly offensive, very strange and lacks any sense in its script.

Jim Carrey (“The Mask”, “Liar Liar”) stars as pushover police officer Charlie Baileygate. He’s a man that allows people to cut in front of him in queues and he never even questioned it when his three kids turned out to have a different skin colour to him and his wife. One day Charlie snaps and his evil persona, Hank Evans, is unleashed. Now, Charlie and Hank find themselves on the run when they decide to help a young girl named Irene (Renée Zellweger “Jerry Maguire”).

Carrey is a very talented actor and you’ll know that if you’ve seen “The Mask” or “The Truman Show” but this another film like “Dumb and Dumber” where it’s all just about pulling stupid faces but that film seem to have a few more chuckles in it than this one. I feel sorry for Carrey as I think he could have done a film that have sensibly looks at multiple personality disorder. Zellweger is surprisingly good as Irene. Charlie’s kids in it are portrayed in a very racist manner as they like Richard Pryor just because they’re black and they have to use the mf word just because they are black, which is pointless and just plain offensive.

“Me, Myself And Irene” is a horrible comedy with a mere few chuckles in it (the scene where Hank is kicked in the face is kind of funny). Its real issue is that it’s just offensive and gross without really being funny. It’s definitely a low point in Carrey’s career. This another film where the script is so minimal they can make it so Carrey can pull stupid faces and the filmmakers can easily write in bathroom humour and the same boring slapstick again and again.

John Wayne (“The Searchers”, “The Shootist”) stars in this light-hearted and pleasant Western comedy, although Wayne’s films usually can have a funny moment or two that’ll put a grin in your face but here we don’t rely on cowboy gunslinging, we rely on Wayne’s charm.

Wayne stars as G.W. McLintock, who is a cattle baron and the richest man in the territory, in this loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s play “The Taming of the Strew”. He must battle greedy landowners, a weasely Indian agent, his headstrong wife Katherine (Maureen O’Hara “The Parent Trap”) and his equally headstrong daughter. What happens in it isn’t incredibly clever or highly amusing but it is fun.

John Wayne does not play charming people but he plays them charmingly (in their own way). Here we see him give another one of his generally dislikeable characters a reason to like them by saying lines in the manner only Wayne can. Every time I see him in a movie I feel a sudden level of respect for him, not just for his contributions to Western movies but cinema in general. Maureen O’Hara provides a reasonable amount of laughter as Katherine McClintock. The other characters aren’t too impressive but it doesn’t really matter.

If you’re looking for a movie that isn’t too deep and you won’t have to pay that much attention to find it amusing then “McClintock!” isn’t a bad choice in the slightest. Despite the fact it isn’t particularly funny, it is still worth the watch because not only do we get to see John Wayne do something a bit different but it is done in such a nice way that you can’t complain. It’s worth checking out if you are a John Wayne fans and those not particularly fond of more traditional Westerns might find this more accessible.

Many of Stephen King’s novels have been adapted into movies, giving us films such as “The Shining” and “The Running Man” but “Maximum Overdrive” marked the first (and only) time the author himself was in the director’s chair. King is usually associated with the horror genre but this is more of a comedic action flick with AC/DC providing the great soundtrack.

When the tail of a comet comes into contact with Earth, machines spring to life and start trying to kill as many people as possible. Trucks, lawnmowers, steamrollers and even vending machines are at it, making survival difficult for a group of people stranded at a truck stop.

The main characters are not very exciting. The cast includes Emilio Estevez (“The Breakfast Club”), Pat Hingle (“Batman”) and Yeardley Smith (“The Simpsons Movie”) but you’re not going to remember them… you’re going to remember the main truck. There is a truck in this movie with a Green Goblin (the Spider-Man foe) face on the front of it and it’s just such a bizarre choice that it’ll stick with you for some reason. I was disappointed we didn’t get to see a toaster try to kill anybody but we do get to see a vending machine fire cans at somebody with lethal results. Watch out for the cameo from King near the beginning of this flick.

“Maximum Overdrive” is a reasonably funny movie and some of the stunts with the trucks are actually very impressive. Stephen King himself has actually ridiculed this movie and I’m somewhat surprised because I thought that this movie was entertaining and I think it’s a shame he has directed any movies since. While it certainly isn’t “The Green Mile” or “The Shining”, “Maximum Overdrive” is a fun adaptation of King’s work that I think is worth checking out for fans of his work and also those that only think of him as a horror novelist.

Steven Seagal (“Under Siege”, “Fire Down Below”) and Steve Austin (“The Condemned”, “The Expendables”) star in “Maximum Conviction”, a very generic action flick that you can tell was made on the cheap. However, I guess you can argue you get two action stars for the price of one.

In “Maximum Conviction”, security contractors Cross (Seagal) and Manning (Austin) are assigned to decommission an old prison. Things suddenly take a turn for the worst when an elite extraction unit gets into the facility with the goal of capturing one of the prisoners. Cross and Manning must try to defend the target and defeat the bad guys.

Steven Seagal looks very heavy in this film and the speed at which he moves in the action scenes look rather implausible. His line delivery is also as weak as ever. Steve Austin is a little more entertaining with a few goofy one-liners that certainly brought a smile to my face. Seagal and Austin’s chemistry is surprisingly decent. The villains in this movie are bland even by generic action movie standards. They do not say or do anything or interest and they are definitely among the least memorable movie bad guys. None of the other characters are very interesting.

“Maximum Conviction” is a disappointing action film because it isn’t even much of a spectacle. The action sequences feel like the bare minimum as they are not particularly explosive. There is some level of enjoyment to be had in watching Seagal and Austin shoot up the place together but this is an underwhelming action picture. Fans of Seagal will no doubt have a blast but I think the majority of moviegoers are not going to care about this. With its prison setting, the film actually feels like a watered-down version of Seagal’s “Half Past Dead” so if you are desperate to see a film with Seagal in a prison, I’d go with that movie instead because it’s a little bit better.

“Max Payne” is a movie based on a videogame of the same name and I use the word ‘based’ in the loosest possible way. While the “Max Payne” games are fast-paced and enjoyable, this film is slow and boring. It’s even worse than most videogame-based movies.

In this film, the titular character, who is played appallingly by Mark Wahlberg (“Ted”, “The Other Guys”), is out to find out who killed his wife and child three years earlier and he’ll stop at nothing. For a videogame series brimming with engaging action sequences, the film only features a few and awful ones at that. The film is essential just a revenge story and could have easily been called something else but that wouldn’t have saved… not by a long stretch.

Mark Wahlberg is terrible here as there is no feeling in his performance; I don’t blame him though because this movie is written so poorly his contributions wouldn’t have helped out all that much. It’s really sad when a videogame can create a character with more personality and of more interest than a movie with big time actor can. The other characters are completely uninteresting and there aren’t enough of them being shot down by Max Payne.

“Max Payne” is one depressing and dull scene after another. Fans of the game will hate it and so will average moviegoers because it does just about nothing right. Videogame-based movies just don’t work as either they follow the game too closely and don’t feel like a movie or the deviate too much from the source material and produce some oddball creation that nobody feels satisfied with and “Max Payne” definitely belongs in the latter. Being in the genre it is, the film is swimming against the current but it doesn’t even do the lightest of paddling.

“Max Keeble’s Big Move” is a typical kiddie movie; the film is sort-of fun for kids but it’s fairly dull for everyone else and when there are movies that appeal to both kids and adults, why would you bother to seek out something such as “Max Keeble’s Big Move”?

In “Max Keeble’s Big Move”, a young boy, named Max Keeble (Alex D. Linz “Home Alone 3”), finds out that he’s moving and sees this as an opportunity to get back at everybody ranging from the school bullies to Principal Jindraike (Larry Miller “10 Things I Hate About You”) without getting punished but it all backfires when it turns out Max isn’t moving at all.

Alex D. Linz is okay as Max. The kid isn’t unlikeable but he’s not likeable either. The bully kid is the type of bully only found in films because I don’t remember anybody ever putting another kid’s head down a toilet. The Principal is pretty dull too and that’s a real shame because Larry Miller seems to be putting in some effort but the script is really weak and you never feel like he’s true opponent of Max. The other kids are dull as well and so are the other adults.

“Max Keeble’s Big Move” features a few amusing moments here and there and I guess what Max actually does will be appealing to many kids but my problem is that it felt very clichéd and very unimaginative. Films such as “Max Keeble’s Big Move” are harmless fun for children and you can certainly do a lot worse but there’s nothing about it that pushes it into receiving my recommendation. I’m on the fence because I think kids will enjoy it but at the same time, I think a lot of adults will be very bored by it.

Director Richard Donner (“Superman: The Movie”, “The Goonies”) and star Mel Gibson (“Payback”, “Forever Young”), who worked together on the “Lethal Weapon” franchise now have collaborated again for this fun comedic Western based on the 50s tv show “Maverick”.

In “Maverick”, we meet Bret Maverick (Gibson), who is a big gambler and he intends to play at a big game where the prize is half a million. Unfortunately for Maverick he’s a bit short of cash for the entry fee so within the next few days he must accumulate enough to play at the big game for a chance of a lifetime.

Mel Gibson is decent as Bret Maverick. James Garner, who played Maverick in the original show has a large role in this film and does a good job. Jodie Foster (“Flightplan”, “Taxi Driver”) gives an okay performance as Annabelle Bransford. I liked the American Indian who mocks the way his kind is shown in books. Danny Glover, who also starred in “Lethal Weapon”, makes a cameo appearance as the bank robber but it’s really funny as Gibson and Glover give each other some funny looks as if they’ve seen each other somewhere before. Alfred Molina (“Spider-Man 2”) was alright as one of the bad guys.

“Maverick” is a fun Western film that I enjoyed because it isn’t your typical Western. It’s light-hearted and has some real wit. It satirises and embraces Westerns simultaneously. “Maverick” is a charming film that is far from flawless but does exactly what I wanted it to do. I’ve never seen the series so I can safely say that the viewing of it isn’t required to enjoy this well-constructed film from a great director and even better is the fact that this isn’t one of Donner’s strongest films. “Maverick” is a different kind of Western that showcases the ever-changing face of the genre.

“Matilda” isn’t all that bad. Sure, it has bad moments but it also has some good ones. Based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name, “Matilda” is a mediocre children’s film that had the potential to be a good one.

In “Matilda”, we meet Matilda (Mara Wilson “A Simple Wish”, “Mrs. Doubtfire”), who has been adopted by the Wormwood family. When Matilda attends school she finds life at two extremes. Her teacher named Miss Honey (Embeth Davidtz “Schindler’s List”, “Army Of Darkness”) is very kind and caring but her headteacher named Trunchbull (Pam Ferris) is absolutely brutal. Matilda discovers she has secret telekinetic powers and she intends to use them to rid her school of the evil Trunchbull.

Mara Wilson gives a less than appealing performance as Matilda. I haven’t enjoyed any of her performances really and I can see past that smirk of innocence she brings to the screen. Apart from being all adorable, she is just a bland actress. The Trunchbull character is overdone. I’m sure she was in the book but it doesn’t translate well into live-action or film in general. Danny DeVito (“Twins”) is good as Mr. Wormwood.

“Matilda” is alright but as soon as you see Truncbull throwing little kids out of her school for miles and miles you question why any parent would send their child to school. Don’t the parents of these children wonder where their child is when it doesn’t turn up from school? Also, it’s just ridiculous to believe that anyone could do that in the real world. It might work in the book but the way the movie presents it just does not work for me. I’ll buy into the bit with special powers but that’s it. Watch the original 70s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” or the 80s cartoon version of the “BFG” if you want to see Roald Dahl’s work done justice.

Ridley Scott (“Gladiator”, “Alien”) directs “Matchstick Men”, which is a very overlooked film from the great director. This is a smart and slick movie with some great performances and a clever twist that would make M. Night Shyamalan (“Unbreakable”) jealous.

In “Matchstick Men”, Roy (Nicolas Cage “Snake Eyes”, “The Rock”) and his buddy Frank (Sam Rockwell “The Green Mile”, “Moon”) are con artists that are about to pull a seriously lucrative swindle. However, things take an unexpected turn when Roy’s teenage daughter (Alison Lohman “Drag Me To Hell”) walks into his life. He begins to bond with her but is unsure what it will mean for his work.

Nicolas Cage gives a really wonderful performance as Roy. The character suffers from various phobias as he hates being outdoors and is constantly cleaning his home but it is his relationship with his daughter that is fascinating to watch. We see him struggle to be a parent and struggle to keep her out of a life of fraud. Sam Rockwell is pretty good as Frank. Alison Lohman is great as Angela. The chemistry between Cage and Lohman is fantastic as the two very funny together and the emotional scenes are great too.

“Matchstick Men” really entertained me with its ability to create a truly believable relationship between a teenage girl and her estranged father. The film has a delightful sense of humour and it combines that with some genuinely creative twists and turns that help make this a brilliant movie to sit through. Ridley Scott has certainly directed more ambitious films than this but here he shows us that he does not a big budget and a ton of special effects to make a movie worth watching. For fans of Cage and Scott, “Matchstick Men” is a movie you desperately need to check out and everybody else should keep a good eye out for it as well.