BIGDOG Goes to the Cinema: Dredd 3D, Killing Them Softly and Taken 2

Cinema season is still holding up strong and we’ve been to see three of the biggest, action-packed movies to be released this year. Brad Pitt and Liam Neeson have both got new films out, so how are they?

Dredd 3D (Pete Travis, 95 mins, 18 – out now)

Mega-City’s favourite crime-stopper is back in the big screen outing that he deserves, ready to make you forget about the abysmal 1995 Stallone effort, Judge Dredd. Karl Urban stars as the titular law enforcer who must fight his way through 200 storeys of hell to put an end to a violent drug lord. The 3D is put to good use as you dodge bullets with the rest of the cast. Fantastic, even if you’re never read the 2000 AD comics.

5/5 – bloody and beautiful action which puts the 1995 original to shame

 Killing Them Softly (Andrew Dominik, 97 mins, 18 – out now)

Brad Pitt has teamed up with director Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James) again and it is nothing short of brilliant. Covered in more grit than roads in winter, Killing Them Softly may not be everyone, but if you’re a fan of gangster flicks or the dark humour of Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, you’ll feel right at home.

5/5 – overly violent scenes may scare some away, but this is not to be missed

Taken 2 (Olivier Megaton, 91 mins, 12A – out Oct 5th)

The original Taken went over surprisingly well back in 2008, so there was bound to be a sequel. Well, Taken 2 is here and it’s a huge disappointment. Packed with more of the same, with none of the soul, Taken 2 is a perfect example of how studios can ruin a sequel by having the same thing happen to same person/people twice (see also: Die Hard 2, Home Alone 2, The Hangover Part II).

1/5 – a cheap cash-in that fails to entertain or earn your money

BIGDOG Goes to the Cinema: The Expendables 2, The Bourne Legacy and Keith Lemon: The Film

With the weather being so dreary around BIGDOG HQ, there’s not much else we can do than go the cinema and eat our weight in popcorn. We’ve reviewed three more of this summer’s latest movies, so check them out below!

The Expendables 2 (Simon West, 103 mins, 15 – out now)

The biggest action film of all time is finally here! Featuring a star-studded cast of your favourite action heroes, including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Jason Statham, and packed with explosions, roundhouse kicks and testosterone, The Expendable 2 is a must-see for any adrenaline junkie.

4/5 – off-the-scale action to satisfy any action fan

The Bourne Legacy (Tony Gilroy, 135 mins, 12A – out now)

It’s easy to be put off by the fact that Matt Damon isn’t returning as Jason Bourne, but The Bourne Legacy, the fourth film based on the Robert Ludlum spy fiction series of novels, is definitely worth a watch. Despite a relatively slow start and a bloated running time, Bourne is back with a bang!

3/5 – much better than expected, but be sure to have watched the first three before viewing

Keith Lemon: The Film (Paul Angunawela, 85 mins, 15 – out now)

Telly’s rudest ginger (sorry, ‘strawberry blond’) is finally on the big screen after managing to get himself a feature-length film based on his rise to celebrity stardom, all thanks to the Lemon Phone. Fans of Celebrity Juice and Lemon La Vida Loca will laugh, though you can’t expect a film to hold up on catchphrases alone. Bang tidy, this is not.

2/5 – even the biggest Keith Lemon fans should expect to be disappointed