Toy Story 3 2D, The Secret in their Eyes and Piranha 3D

Why is it that I have always thought the Toy Story movies to be overrated. OK, they are quite good, but never outstanding in the way that Wall-E and Up captured my imagination and gave me that emotional tug. Is it that childhood is now so far away that I just don't feel anything for Buzz Lightyear and that annoying cowboy. Reading all the rave reviews, I wonder what is wrong with me?

The Argentina movie The Secret in their Eyes deservedly won the Oscar for best foreign film of last year. So why has it taken so long to be released in the UK? Probably because a very small distributor (Metrodome) picked it up before it was the surprising winner. This meant that advertising of the movie was virtually zero and the release was restricted to say the least. Cineworld, for example have ignored it completely. And the Odeon chain had it showing in about four cinemas in the south, despite huge critical acclaim. So I took the advantage of Alison having a ladies night for neighbours and took myself off to Muswell Hill on a Friday night and found an old Odeon cinema, actually with a free car park at the back. The big problem with an old cinema, despite looking great on the inside, is that we were in what was the old circle with the screen where it always was, and this seemed miles away compared with modern multiplexes.

So that may have been why I just felt the movie the be slightly uninvolving, and the only reason I give it less than five stars. Having said that, the story is the best I have seen for a long time, the cinematography outstanding, especially the helicopter tracking shot of a packed football stadium in Buenos Aires eventually closing in and following a great chase sequence through the corridors and stairs at the back. I liked the seamless switching between 1999 and 1974. The director, Juan Jose Campanella has apparently worked on a number of American TV shows including Law and Order and knows how to ring the most drama out of a fine script.

It is difficult to describe what I actually thought about Piranha 3D. I was attracted by a horror film in 3D, and by the reviews that said it was great "fun". I was just horrified that the script for the introduction of the characters could actually be that bad. But I suppose that was not what the movie was about. There were, as promised lots of references to Jaws, and some were a little amusing. But what were Elizabeth Shue, Richard Dreyfus and Christopher Lloyd doing, apart from taking the money? Trying their best with rubbish dialogue, whilst all the budget went on the set piece lakeside carnage. Interesting that Metrodome released a movie called Mega Piranha in July, but that sank without a trace. Perhaps this one should have too.