HEREAFTER

He's been either infront of or behind the camera for over the last 35 years, and recently he's done both. Does Clint Eastwood's latest deserve his normal award-flirtation?

In a word, no. Eastwood's name is associated with a body of work that slow burns but literally during that time, pulls you in, ties you down and without you realising, tugs at your heart-strings to the point of moist eyes and nose sniffles. If "Million Dollar Baby" or "Gran Turino" didn't emotionally hook you then you maybe the lucky one as you won't be crushed by Eastwood's mis-fire presented here.

For the fist time, he treads on new ground - instead of the spirit of the individual, it's the spiritual side; instead of a tight camera on compelling characters, it's a soft-focus ensemble piece; no straight lined story but a multi-stranded screenplay; and instead of a cast delivering heaven, it's a hell of a job of either under-used or mis-cast people.

Damon hands in a credible "Good Will Hunting" performance - all hurt, confusion and internal struggle - and does his best opposite the wondrous Dallas Howard who appears all-too-briefly during the first act. However the twin child from London that ties together the separate strands during the final act, drags almost any emotion that may have been forming from Damon's struggle and De France's coping with her tsunami survival, squarely out and kills it flat out. It makes you long for Haley Joel Osmet's return.

When a multi-strand plot delivers the pay-off and unites them for all to see, it should be illuminating, not laborious. The reveal where all 3 stories converge simply isn't strong nor compelling enough to justify Eastwood's slow-paced journey to it.

The film is not without it's moments however - the non-fussy, quietly confident handling of the tsunami hitting the beach resort at the outset shows the Roland Emmerich's and Michael Bay's that there are other ways to shoot disasters other than spinning camera's and fast edits, and Damon and Dallas Howard's blind-fold cookery class is up there with other great burgeoning romances but two scenes do not make a movie.

Mr Eastwood: thank you for your exploration of new ground but please go back to toying with our emotions as only you can do in the style that suits you... and us.

UK release date: 28/01/11

Certificate: 15

Disney's TANGLED in 3D

John Lasseter and co. at Disney have a huge-ish task before them - to return the crown back in the House Of Mouse, at least where animation is concerned.

Their previous effort - "The Princess And The Frog" - went back to traditional animation but was shy from the levels of the likes of "The Lion King" and "Aladdin." Their latest, although CGI'd rather than hand drawn, is not a step in the right direction... but a huge bounding leap towards the heights that a mermaid and a beauty achieved during Disney's 2nd coming.

Yes, it's that good! You name anything that made the classics a classic and you'll see it represented up on the screen. Strong heroine: check. Non-human comedic character: check. Love interest that's more than a bland Prince Charming-type: check. Songs that actually stay with you after the film: present.

Now don't be fooled; when you list it like that it sounds a tad formulaic, but that magic set of ingredients have been lacking, unless of course the name Pixar was attached - but even they couldn't/wouldn't touch or attempt toe-tapping, smile-inducing songs. Menken who gave "The Little Mermaid" her voice and "Beauty & The Beast" their surprising falling-in-love, hits 2 home runs with "I have a dream" (comparable to Beauty's rabble-rousing "Gaston") and "Mother knows best."

And the humour is delivered in spades for all ages - TV's "Chuck" Zachary Levi does smarm for adults ("here comes the smoulder") and pratt-falls for kids (trying to be shoved into a closet whilst unconscious) but the honour must go to Max, the horse who thinks he's a bloodhound who dislikes Levi's thief to the point of obsession. When a horse sword fights a thief involving a frying pan, you know you're witnessing something bizarrely special!

A delight in all senses - animation, story, characterisation, song and humour - all that there is left to say is welcome back Mouse! Welcome back!

UK release date: 28/01/11

Certificate: PG

John Carpenter's THE WARD

And so the return of the once-great director's continues ... Joe Dante came back with one of my faves last year - "The Hole in 3D" - and now the King Of The 80's returns.

Carpenter has alot to live up to, but equally alot to answer for. For every "Halloween" there's a "Vampires" and for every "Escape From New York" there's a "Escape From L.A." His return sees him on familiar ground - a thriller/horror rather than action/sci-fi. And maybe that's the problem for him and for us - it's too familiar. A plethora of ghost killer thrillers has audiences all-too prepared for shock tactics so to scare them an atmosphere of uneasiness and creepiness has to be delivered in spades.

And that's where Carpenter fails. All the elements line up waiting to work their magic - the creepy psychiatric hospital; the sour-faced head nurse; the creepy doctor; the inmates with a secret... but none of them match up to what has gone before. The hospital is no Overlook Hotel; the nurse is no Nurse Ratchet; the doc is no Lector... and the inmates are, well, there-in lies the problem!

Without trying to give anything away, "The Ward" tries a ploy that has been done before in movie history but with a twist like that, once you've seen it deployed, it can never surprise you again. The man who literally had you watching through fingers has those fingers clenched into a fist that supports your weary head. No shocks, no surprises, no script.

Carpenter has always worked on a budget that is probably equivalent to that of the catering budget on a Hollywood movie but he has always managed to make the best of it and make up for it with chills and thrills. But here with a "ghost" that seems like an after-thought and a well-trodden run through the halls of horror, it would be best to self medicate rather than take a dose from this hospital.

There is a film that you should see instead of this, which will be listed at the end if you wish to read it if you don't mind a spoiler.

UK release date: 21/01/11

Certificate: 15

*SPOILER ALERT* Watch "Identity" instead - it's a much better personality thriller.

BLACK SWAN

So, another entry from the "Marmite" director - will you love or hate Darren Aronofosky's new experience of a ballerina trying to be the part of both the White Swan and the Black Swan?

If you think it sounds dainty or boring, then think again. What we actually have here is an intriguing portrayal of a woman slipping into uncertain madness as her work-obsessed, sheltered life is assaulted from all sides - including herself - as she tries to embody the passion and freedom of the Black Swan to secure the coveted role.

Throughout, you are hit with images of reflections - normal and altered - as mirrors feature in nearly every other shot. Infact, you may not realise how incredibly clever it all is as you become accustomed to them, but to have all these shots without one cameraman in frame (especially during Portman's first training session as the Swan Queen) is a truly astonishing feat indeed.

With the uncertainty from Portman as her mind plays ever increasing tricks on her, it's hard to decipher exactly what is real and what is imagined - even characters become questionable as to whether they are real or not. Kunis is the perfect ying to Portman's yang as the new seductress on the block her motives and even her actual existence is wonderfully (or annoyingly) never fully answered.

These two can be likened to Edward Norton and his extreme solution to achieving things he couldn't normally do by creating Brad Pitt's character in David Fincher's comparable descent into mental meltdown. How can be sure what we see is real or imagined by Portman? This level of psychological toying from the script and direction may not be for every ones taste - if you don't want to think about what you see or like slow turning tension building, then this is not for you.

So, the first rule about Black Swan is, don't talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Black Swan is do not talk about Fight Club....and beware of what you see in your reflection - you might not like what you see, or like what it's capable of!

UK release date: 21/01/11

Certificate: 15

THE GREEN HORNET in 3D

New Year, New Hero? Before the early Summer brings us more characters of The Avengers to add to "Iron Man" and "Hulk" - "Thor" "Captain America" - we have what for the older generation fondly remember as a great TV serial but many others may not have heard of.

After one of those "troubled journeys" to the screen where writers and directors have jumped ship due to the always worrying comment - creative differences - the final line up of director Michel Gondry and writer/star Seth Rogen deliver the familiar story of a billionaire-turned-vigilante/hero.

However, what could have been a quirky take on a hero from the guy that directed the likes of "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind" is a mis-cast and badly-scripted one. It's almost as if Gondry wasn't present during the shoot apart from the odd moment - a Benny Hill-esque snog-athon where a speeded up couple work their way through some classic cars.

The biggest flaw is unfortunately is its center character - billionaire Bret Reid aka Green Hornet. Rogen brings his trademark "winging it" type of acting where its all hand waving and sentences that should appear as natural but come across as not knowing the lines. This, for a lay-about who gets a girl pregnant is fine, but for a man who is willing to face danger to protect citizens from evil, just doesn't wash it my friend. You need to believe in that guy, or at least like him and Rogen is just simply a dick who deserves neither your belief nor like. All he does is manage to push your feelings towards Chou's interpretation of Kato, immortalised by none-other-than Bruce Lee. And this is despite a cringe-inducing fight between them that reeks of a Clouseau vs Kato rehash.

It comes to something when the best things about a 2 hour movie is the car - a stunning vehicle indeed - and the opening sequence where an uncredited James Franco goes head-to-head with Christop Waltz's baddie... it's no "True Romance" but its still the movies highlight. A wasted opportunity even with their nice take on "The Matrix's" bullet time.

UK release date: 14/01/11

Certificate: 12A