The Woman in Black (12A)
HHH
Dir: James Watkins
With: Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer
Running time: 94 minutes
DANIEL Radcliffe shows he's all grown up and ready for acting life after Harry Potter by playing a grieving dad in this classic British chiller.
Adapted from Susan Hill's bestseller and play, director James Watkins (Eden Lake) keeps the mood nicely creepy as lawyer Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) is sent to a coastal town to sort out the estate of a deceased client – and much else besides. Radcliffe is too young to be playing anyone's dad but he does anguished and half-terrified rather well, and the adaptation by Jane Goldman (Kick Ass) keeps the story tearing along.
The Vow (12A) HH
Dir: Michael Sucsy
With: Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams, Sam Neill
Running time: 103 minutes
IT may be inspired by a true story but amnesia driven romantic drama The Vow always remembers to stick to Hollywood cliché. Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum play a young married couple whose life together is shattered by a car crash that leaves the former unable to recall any of their past. As he tries to romance her back by courting her all over again, she seeks solace in the family and ex-lover she once walked away from.
Directed by Michael Sucsy (Grey Gardens), The Vow ruthlessly targets the tear ducts of the most romantically susceptible by placing its characters in one contrived heartbreak situation after another. But by failing to treat anyone other than stereotypes (earnest hero, disapproving dad, good looking love rival) the film feels predictable and manipulative. Apart from providing a good advert for wearing seatbelts there's little to recommend it. Reviewed by Rob Carnevale.
Star Wars: Episode 1-The Phantom Menace (3D)
HHH
Dir: George Lucas
With: Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson
Running time: 130 minutes
ANORAKS on, fan boys, and prepare to greet the turning of the Star Wars series into 3D, generating more profits for all concerned. The 1999 prequel attempts to take the story back to where it all began, sometimes with alarming results. Jar Jar Binks anyone?
Big Miracle (PG) HHH
Dir: Ken Kwapis
With: Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski
Running time: 106 minutes
BACK in 1988, the story of three whales trapped under the Alaskan ice was the drop the dead donkey tale of its day. Director Ken Kwapis, with the aid of Drew Barrymore and others, recreates the three ring circus that sprang up as the media, environmental activists and the White House became involved. Kwapis's family drama milks everything he can from the whales' predicament, which leads to a film as long as a Scottish winter. Stay tuned till the end to see a certain Republican party darling in an early incarnation as a sports reporter.
Chronicle (12A) HHH
Dir: Josh Trank
With: Michael Kelly, Michael B Jordan
Running time: 83 minutes
LIKE a cross between Cloverfield and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Josh Trank's fantasy drama is as daft as a container load of brushes, but it doesn't half hold the attention.
Dane DeHaan plays lonely teenager Andrew, bullied at home and school. When he discovers he has a talent to move things – people, cars, you name it – he goes with the superhero flow. This is only Trank's debut feature. If he can do all this on not much of a budget, you'll be hearing from him again.
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