Film reviews: Eames: The Architect & The Painter (12A) | The Three Stooges | Jackpot | The Watch | Expendables 2

By SIOBHAN SYNNOT
Published on 18/08/2012 17:54

THE rest of this week’s film releases reviewed, including a James Franco-narrated documentary on Charles and Ray Eames, and Sylvester Stallone’s retro-muscle spectacular

Eames: The Architect & The Painter (12A)

Star rating: * * *

James Franco narrates this documentary about Charles and Ray Eames, the husband and wife designers who revolutionised middle-class furnishings. A shame there’s 
a minimalist approach to detailing their emotional 
life together, but there are plenty of chatty testimonials to their professional work ethic and occasional ruthlessness.

Filmhouse, Edinburgh, from Friday

The Three Stooges (PG)

Star rating: * * *

The Farrelly brothers finally get their origin story of the Three Stooges on the screen – the original Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest. A lot of love is lavished on recreating 1930s one-reeler stars Larry, Curly and Moe and their slapstick-happy antics, but it raises only a few decent laughs. Slightly better than a poke in the eye.

On general release from Wednesday

Jackpot (15)

Star rating: * * *

Another Scandic adaptation of Jo Nesbo’s blissful black comedy pulp. Warning: even bloodier than Headhunters.

Glasgow Film Theatre, from tomorrow

The Watch (15)

Star rating: * *

An action-comedy in which an overenthusiastic, bumbling neighbourhood watch comprising Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill, Vince Vaughn and Richard Ayoade discover that their Ohio suburb is under attack from aliens. Somehow this ushers in many jokes about penises, human and inhuman, but no signs of intelligent life.

On general release from Friday

Expendables 2 (15)

Star rating: * *

What red-blooded fan of 1980s action warriors could resist another helping of Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li and Jason Statham, plus an extra dollop of Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger? Maybe you, because nostalgia can only carry these beefcake geriatrics so far. The movie equivalent of sucking in your stomach or spraying on hair from a can, this picture’s cursory script, self-congratulatory violence and horrible reminders of the perils of plastic surgery are not badass, just bad.

On general release