Latest releases reviewed.
THE ISLAND ***
Directed by Michael Bay. Starring Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan 12 cert
McGregor and Johansson, occupants of a bland futuristic city, are shocked to discover they are clones, bred by a sinister corporation to provide organs for the wealthy and powerful. Michael Bay's least terrible film - it's dumb, but never boring - somehow became his first flop. It's an absurd universe. Donald Clarke
THE LONGEST YARD *
Directed by Peter Segal. Starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Burt Reynolds, Nelly, James Cromwell, William 15A cert
Sandler, once a successful quarterback, now banged up after drunkenly pranging his girlfriend's car, is urged by the prison warden to help organise a football game against the screws. The star's ability to spread crassness everywhere he goes satisfactorily renders this remake of Robert Aldrich's gritty original all but unwatchable. Donald Clarke
WOLF CREEK ****
Directed by Greg McLean. Starring John Jarratt, Cassandra Magrath, Kestie Morassi 18 cert
The young director's strikingly unsettling debut follows the plight of three backpackers who, after becoming stranded in the Australian outback, get chopped to pieces by the sort of bluff cheery bloke you meet in those parts. Available in a generous two-disc edition, Wolf Creek is both an effective shocker and a cheeky meditation on Australian archetypes. Donald Clarke
THE DUKES OF HAZZARD *
Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar. Starring Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, Jessica Simpson, Burt Reynolds, Joe Don Baker, Willie Nelson, Lynda Carter 12 cert
It is interesting to note just how few "worst of the year" lists were graced by this adaptation of the little-mourned TV series. One supposes the film ended up being exactly as bad as it sounded and no more. Mr Chandrasekhar may regard that as some sort of achievement. The DVD includes a "How to Launch a Muscle Car 175 Feet in 4 Seconds" extra, which should not be confused with the feature itself. Donald Clarke
LAST DAYS ***
Directed by Gus Van Sant. Starring Michael Pitt, Lukas Haas, Asia Argento, Scott Green, Ricky Jay 15 cert
Van Sant's impressionistic picture of a strung-out, barely coherent rock star - inspired by Kurt Cobain - is set over the days before he takes his own life. Pitt plays him with a smouldering intensity, striking a magnetic presence that adds immeasurably to this largely improvised, non-linear movie.Michael Dwyer
YES **
Directed by Sally Potter. Starring Joan Allen, Simon Abkarian, Sam Neill, Shirley Henderson 15 cert
Here's a film from Sally Potter. She's made it in verse, the dirty rotter. Joan Allen falls in love with a Lebanese doctor. He's . . . er, um. Oh, forget it. Though there are some lovely moments here, the artificiality of the language fast becomes wearing. Worst line: "I was a doctor with a knife/Who cut the flesh to save a life." Donald Clarke
