DVD reviews: Something Borrowed - Priest

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17:

Something Borrowed ***

Genre: Romantic comedy

Rating: R

Director: Luke Greenfield

Actors: Kate Hudson, John Krasinski, Ginnifer Goodwin

After too many drinks at her surprise 30th birthday party, single hardworking lawyer Rachel White (Ginnifer Goodwin) grabs a cab with Dex (Colin Egglesfield), the fiancé of her best friend Darcy (Kate Hudson).

She then playfully reveals she has had a crush on him ever since they  went to law school together.

The expected one night stand ensues, followed by an emotional rollercoaster after Dex tells Rachel he is in love with her.

Rachel’s best friend Ethan (John Krasinski) is the only one who knows what has happened between the two and vows to keep the secret, while at the same time keeping his own love for a Rachel hidden.

In the meantime Darcy is having an affair with Dex’s friend Marcus and becomes pregnant.

And so, in typical romantic comedy fashion true love struggles but in the end you can’t fight destiny.

As a genre, romantic comedy is meant to entertain and not have a deeper more significant social meaning.

Something Borrowed is a good example of the genre.

Kate Hudson has made a nice career starring in these types of movies and delivers a solid performance.

The key ingredient to a successful romantic comedy is chemistry between the love interests, and in this case Rachel and Dex demonstrate a strong friendship for each other but not much in the way of unbridled passion.

Priest **

Genre: Adventure/horror

Rating: PG-13
Director: Scott Stewart

Actors: Cam Gigandet, Paul Bettany, Maggie Q

Tights and capes, masks and gadgets are the normal things in a superhero’s arsenal.

Fast-forward a century and we’re introduced to the superhero of the future — the warrior priest.

Armed with holy water and crucifix-shaped weapons the priest sets out the save his niece from a band of vampires.

In a world ravaged by decades of war between humans and vampires, the humans have taken refuge in walled cities controlled by the church, whose law is absolute.

The tide of the war takes a turn in favour of man when a band of warriors are trained and commissioned by the church to take the fight to the vampires and destroy their hive.

Priest (Paul Bettany) is one these warriors, but has no war to fight as the vampires are all thought to have been vanquished.

The priests are ordered to disband and take vows of non-violence.

But word comes from outside of the walled city that a new wave of vampires have kidnapped Priest’s niece.

Enlisting the help of her boyfriend (Cam Gigandet) and another former priest, known as Priestess (Maggie Q), he fights to save his niece (Lily Collins).

One the way he runs into another former priest — Black Hat (Karl Urban), who is determined to get revenge after being left for dead.

While Priest may offer a new type of superhero, you are left with the feeling of ‘Where have I seen this before?’.

The movie itself could use some brightness — the drab darkness of the set does nothing for the energy of the movie, which seems to drag in parts.

If you happen to miss this movie, fear not, you really have not missed much.