Stars - Queen Latifah, Jimmy Fallon, Jennifer Esposito, Gisele Bündchen
Director - Tim Story
Memorable Quote - 'Every hero has a weakness. Superman has kryptonite. Indiana Jones has snakes. Whitney Houston has Bobby Brown... or vice-versa...'
Review - This film is a bit of a laugh. It's certainly not serious at all - more akin to NL's LW, below, than a real cop movie. There is a long-established trend of this kind of "wacky" humour, which does not mean it's good or mean that it's bad. Struggling, clumsy cop Fallon could not solve a crime if it fell on him, but when Queen Latifah lets him drive around in her taxi it all suddenly starts going fine for him. He's romantically interested in his superior, who apparently hates him, and he's after some sexy Portuguese bank robbers. If that's not enough wackiness for you, his mother is also a raging alcoholic who he still lives next door to. The acting is at the goofball level that you would expect, and the special effects are ridiculous, but the chase scenes are, I suppose, quite good. The concept itself is a little bit stupid and a whole lot random, but then this is a comedy. Average at best, it certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea. 2/5
#2 - FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF
Stars - Matthew Broderick, Allan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones, Jennifer Grey
Director - John Hughes
Memorable Quote - 'Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.'
Review - There's a reason that Ferris Bueller has become a household name, the punchline of a thousand jokes, the pop culture reference on a thousand lips. That reason is the sheer quality of the film. Still funny after years have passed, it represents the ultimate fantasy of any high school kid - get out of school for a day and spend it having the most awesome adventures you can think off, all without ever getting caught or facing any consequences for your actions. A coming-of-age story as well as a comedy, it follows the irrepressible Ferris, his girlfriend who follows him devotedly, and his best friend whose family issues finally tip him over the edge. Ferris' sister is Baby from 'Dirty Dancing' (not just the same actress, actually the same character), and his principal is a lunatic obsessed with bringing him to justice. The entire film is enjoyable for the sheer factor of experiencing all those things along with them - all the things they get away with, and even some things that they don't. Ferris Bueller is a must-watch for every teenager, everyone in their twenties, everyone who has ever been to school... you can't possibly not enjoy it. 5/5
#3 - NATIONAL LAMPOON'S LOADED WEAPON 1
Stars - Samuel L Jackson, Emilio Estevez, Kathy Ireland, Tim Curry, William Shatner
Director - Gene Quintano
Memorable Quote - ' I guess we're making somebody nervous. But I'll tell you this: It's gonna take a helluva lot more than a couple of car bombs to get us off of this case.'
Review - This film is kind of crazy; but then I suppose you might have guessed that when you saw the first half of the title. It's nothing short of genius to see those who we usually think of as 'serious' actors parodying themselves and the roles of other A-Listers. Estevez and Jackson are brilliant throughout, portraying their characters just as they should, and allowing the humour to creep through in the jokes rather by giving a deliberately bad performance. From the opening scene, as Estevez stamps out a cigarette, followed by a cigar, followed by a pipe, you know the laughs are going to be as obvious as they are bizarre. Watching the background is often rewarding - you'll see an e-fit of Mr Potato Head being produced, followed by the arrest of a man with the exact same head. Though the twists and turns of the plot may be ridiculous, it's light hearted and funny, something that could cheer you up after a hard day's work of a Friday. 4/5
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