'The Dilemma' as a movie, is one big dilemma after another. 

At best, The Dilemma is a mediocre comedy, that you are likely to forget before ejecting the DVD. Despite its inefficiency to work as a movie, it is hard to pin-point exactly where The Dilemma goes wrong. The story line, actors, and script are all okay - nothing standalone screams "fail". The movie just plods along, presenting us with an easy Sunday afternoon watch while we wait for the potatoes to boil.

The premise centres upon two middle aged ordinary guys, who have been best friends since college, Vince Vaughn as Ronny Valentine and Kevin James as Nick Brannen. They are both happily in relationships and have recently started their own automotive design firm. Ronny is the cheeky-charmer who glides business to their firm, and Nick is the brains behind the company. ‘The Dilemma’ arises when Ronny awkwardly stumbles upon Geneva (Winona Ryder) his best friend’s wife, kissing an random stranger (Channing Tatum). He is left with the decision of whether to tell his best friend (and possibly hinder their firms success) or keeping the affair a secret (and face damaging his friendship). As a friend, the answer would be fairly simple… but as the genre is comedy the fairly indubitable decision is throw up into the air, with Ronny instead opting on a journey through dangerous and disastrous times.

Vince Vaughn (who I respect as a valued comedic actor) plays the role well, his script is fairly limited in a comedic sense, which restricts him as a actor. None the less, he does provide a few laughs along the way. Tatum’s role as Zip, the electric tattooed hunk and the target of Genevas affections, is the tie that holds the film together, his role is fairly small, yet provides the majority of the humour. Tatum is convincing as a raving loony and showcases his acting ability to diverge from his usual mans-man role.

The Dilemma - which is - a middle aged woman’s affair, is never explored enough to leave you understanding the whole concept of the film. You don’t know how, or why, Geneva and Zip’s got together, and their obvious differences make you question their relationship, this isn't helped by their lack of charm and chemistry together.  

The Dilemma attempts a few heartfelt moments, yet lacks in believability. Many of these 'serious moments' are either started or followed by attempts of comedy, in which effects the results of both the comedic effect and the emotional aspect. As a whole The Dilemma fails as a ‘Vince Vaughn comedy’, and isn't heartfelt enough to be a drama, instead, it ends up falling somewhere uncomfortably in between both - with neither the comedy or drama succeeding. 

Release Date: UK: 21/01/11

Certificate: 12A

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder

Director: Ron Howard 

A brawn and bred cinematic dream! Your visit to see Magic Mike is a night you won’t forget! 

Over time cinema has seen an array of movies showcasing female flaunting, take for instance, Coyote Ugly and Burlesque. However, a long time has passed since a movie bared the bulge and had us ladies in a fluster. Magic Mike takes what audiences loved about The Full Monty (1997) and provides audiences with a regenerated and contemporary take upon the male entertainment industry. If you’re ready to handle some buff, bronzed and boorish male heart-throbs tease their way into your lives, then allow Magic Mike to fulfil your needs.

Magic Mike is based loosely upon Channing Tatum’s experience as a male stripper in his teens. Tatum co-produced the movie, and honestly plays the lead role as “Magic Mike”, a thirty year old self-described “entrepreneur”, who owns small businesses in roof tiling, car detailing and designing custom furniture. Money struggles are a plenty, so in order to continue building his businesses’ he earns some extra cash (usually screwed up and attached to his g-string) as one of the “Cock-rocking Kings of Tampa”, a male stripping act who work at the club Xquisite. The plot evolves when Mike meets a nineteen year old naïve and directionless football scholarship dropout Adam (Alex Pettyfer) whilst working on a roofing job. Their working relationship quickly blossoms into a friendship, which leads Mike to introduce Adam to his “Kings of Tampa” work mates. Adam begins by lending a hand backstage at Xquisite, before he is awkwardly thrust on stage and encouraged to undress in front of an awaiting female audience. His shyness is an instant hit with the ladies as they see his timidness as an act. After Alex is hired by the clubs manager Dallas (Matthew McConaughey), he is taken on a wild journey through some dark and dangerous times, where he makes more than one too many implausible decisions.

The actors are perfectly cast for their roles; Tatum and Pettyfer showcase their ability to give a humorous, yet touching performance. While McConaughey works a treat as the straight-talking erratic manager, who at one point teaches Adam how to gyrate in the gym, wearing a crop top and the shortest shorts (you won’t be able to keep a straight face through this scene!). Matt Bomer, Adam Rodgriguez and Joe Manganiello are the buffed bronzed and frankly beautiful fellow dancers, who spend the majority of the film undressing, gyrating, and looking pretty - (what more could we want?).

The storytelling may be pretty foreseen, but there’s no doubting the films honesty and good humoured nature. Magic Mike is the perfect movie for a girly night out!

Release Date: UK: 11/07/12

Certificate: 15

Starring: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey

Director: Steven Soderbergh 

The latest Nicholas Sparks' adaption that you must see!

Before going to see a movie I try and keep my expectations under wrap. I’m a firm candidate for building up expectations, and willing for a movie to sweep me off my feet. When the movie doesn’t quite kick to this standard, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed.

Recently I’ve started leaving my expectations at the cashier counter, and enjoying the fact that I’ve only spent around £3 (Thanks Orange Wednesdays) around the same price you’d pay for a half decent sandwich.

However, now I face my first stumble. As I have already built up a bundle of hopes for this one movie. 'The Lucky One' – The adaptation of the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks, the author of ‘The Notebook’, ‘Dear John’, and ‘The Last Song’, and to note - some of my most beloved.

‘The Lucky One’ appears to target the same rom-com lovers who indulge in a deep thought provoking tearjerker. Zac Efron ("17 Again," "Charlie St. Cloud") stars alongside Taylor Schilling (TV's "Mercy") and Blythe Danner ("Meet the Parents" franchise).

U.S Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, holding the one thing he believes has kept him alive – a photograph he found of a woman, a woman he has not yet met. He searches to discover her name – Beth (Taylor Schilling) where she lives, and then turns up one day at her door. After a brief introduction he ends up taking a job at her family-run local kennel. Beth has a complicated and misleading life, which leads to her have her doubts about Logan. Yet as time passes the two develop a romance and a friendship that will touch may hearts.

Certificate: 12

Release Date: 2/5/2012

Starring: Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner

Director: Scott Hicks

The director of Charlie’s Angels – ‘McG’ hits the movies again with This Means War.

The ravish pairing of Chris Pine and Tom Hardy alongside Reese Witherspoon works a treat for this predictable yet laugh-out-loud romantic comedy. Like Charlie’s Angels it attempts to take the cushy softness out of rom-coms, by adding elements of danger, separating the film from the genre and appealing to different audiences.

This is Hardy’s first role in a rom-com. Despite sticking to a tough guy role, his character certainly appears soft on the inside, and his versatility as an actor is shown as he plays to role with such ease and precision. Hardy’s and Pine’s natural chemistry on-screen and an equality rewarding script, formulates a ‘bromance’, which becomes the admiring factor within the movie.

The film centres upon two top CIA agents (Pine and Hardy) who test their friendship when they partake in an ‘i-want-i-get’ challenge to win the affections of a beautiful woman (Reese Witherspoon) who they both meet separately on the same day.

The emotional level is not quite the same as some of the rom-com greats, but if you can look past the stalker tendencies and two-timing; there is a romance somewhere in the mist you can enjoy.

Like every rom-com the eye candy is abundant and pristinely turned out, and Witherspoon is always a treasure in such a role - the sweet girl next door, who even manages to get away with the fact she’s two-timing two guys.

As the plot unravels the ending becomes pretty predictable, but it doesn’t have the potential to ruin the film, it just reassures you that what you thought was going to happen… does. Critics have disregarded this movie, mainly down to the genre, yet – audiences seem to love it!

(Take on this challenge: I bet you can’t make it all the way through the movie without weighing up the options as to which one you’d choose… Pine? Or Hardy?)

Certificate: 12

Release Date: 2 march 2012

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Tom Hardy

Director: McG

One for the Money is an adaptation of Janet Evanovich's beloved novel, yet fails to thrill on any level. Appearing mis-script, mis-cast, and mis-directed.

I’m usually the first to rave about Katherine Heigl’s movies – such as the likes of 27 Dresses, and Knocked Up. Yet, One for the Money was by far her most unbearable and soporific work yet. Heigl is such an adorable actress whose natural wit and charm usually coincides perfectly with crude and humorous material, yet her role as harder edge Jersey girl – Stephanie Plum, doesn’t play to her strengths. Plum is supposed to be an independent ‘miss-attitude’, but Heigl’s role in this character appears to flop at every hurdle, proving to be flat, unconvincing and awkward. The only savoir - is that Heigl differs from her usual ‘girl next door cutesy image’ – and appears brunette and dressed as her mum, which inversely prevents the movie from looking like a Jessica Simpson movie.

Stephanie Plum is a divorcee, who’s an unemployed ex-lingerie seller, who has recently lost her car to a debt collector. Desperate for some cash, Stephanie convinces her cousin Vinny to give her a job: as a recovery agent at his bail bonding company. Yes, the girl that is convinced pepper spray is an armed weapon, and who is squeamish at the thought of holding a gun becomes a Bounty Hunter. With no experience she puts herself forward and opts to track down the number one fugitive and bail-jumper – Joe Morelli (Jason O’Mara). The same guy that seduced her at high school…then didn’t call.

The film has no character depth, fails to surprise, and lacks any essence of flirtation or romance. The potential for flirtation and sexual tension is there – yet fails to exude. There are a few moments within the film where you are left hanging, waiting for the erosion, such as when Morelli ties Plum to a shower curtain naked. The banter and potential is there - but there is no connection what-so-ever.

There are parts that may give you the giggles, the majority due to the sassy black hookers, whose ghetto language brings a humorous edge or Plum’s battle-axe grandmother who also has a comedic script – it’s just a shame they have an unimportant small role in the movie.

If you haven’t seen any of Heigl’s previous movies, and don’t expect to see a female James Bond, then you possibly won’t be too disheartened. If you take this film with a pinch of salt, and look past the flaky premise then it’s worth a watch.

Let me know what you think!

Release Date: 24 February 2012

Certificate: 12

Starring: Katherine Heigl, Jason O’Mara, Daniel Sunjata

Director: Julie Anne Robinson

In the animal world, the male species are renowned to fight. Fight for food, fight to mate, fight to prove that they are the ‘alpha male’. Others may try and step in their way and challenge them, but it is always the greatest and strongest that will conquer.

Little differences can be drawn from the human species – in particular males. Who compete over - Who gets the last Mars bar? Who can get the most girls? Who has the best ‘abs?

But imagine the conflict when mates and colleges Foster (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) realise that their desirable girlfriend – the one they they’ve both been bragging about for weeks – is the same girl – the very own Lauren Scott (Reese Witherspoon).

So here’s the premise – Both don’t opt to go down the ‘normal guy’ resolution to the problem. Instead of leaving her, fighting over her, or humiliating her, they collectively choose to both continue to date Lauren to her discretion – all in the bid to see who she favours over the two. As unusual, yet simple as that may sound – things don’t stay that way for long. Did I ‘forget’ to mention that they are both CIA agents with a hidden vengeance?

This flick’ doesn’t appear to have the force to win many awards, but looks certain to put a few smiles on our faces this February.

I’m sure fans of Mr. and Mrs. Smith will approve.