SPLING MOVIES
Scroll down to browse 'N'
NANCY DREW - A flat 5! Bubbly junior detective story that lacks surprise and suspense. Like: Nancy Drew (TV)
NANNY DIARIES, THE - A flat 5! This comedy/drama has an amazing cast, but doesn't measure up as a modern day Mary Poppins. Like: The Devil Wears Prada
NANNY MCPHEE AND THE BIG BANG - A solid 7! Emma Thompson's lovable character returns for more charming family fun. An improvement on the original with a first-rate cast. Like: Nanny McPhee
NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS - A satisfactory 6! A fast-paced puzzle/action treasure adventure in the vein of Indiana Jones and James Bond. Like: National Treasure
NEVER BACK DOWN - A flat 5! Predictable, formulaic, cheesy... everything you've come to expect from a gutsy martial arts fight flick! Like: Kickboxer
NEW IN TOWN - A satisfactory 6! Sweet, heartwarming, formulaic, romantic fish-out-of-water comedy starring Zellweger and Connick Jr. Like: Sweet Home Alabama
NEWS MOVIE - A flimsy 4! Straight-to-video movie based on an online news parody website's satire. Adult content, not for everyone. Like: Brass Eye
NEVER LET ME GO - A solid 7! Solid performances, fascinating science-fiction drama and beautiful cinematography make this haunting film compelling as an idyllic English boarding school's dark agenda is unveiled. Like: The Village, Gattaca
NEXT DAY AIR - A flat 5! Excessive violence and bad language in South Central crime action flick outweigh stoner comedy and influences. Like: Lost in Transit
NEW MOON - A flimsy 4! Vague romance and hollow performances underscore this lack-lustre paranormal teen sequel. Twi-fans only. Like: Twilight
NEXT THREE DAYS, THE - A solid 7! Russell Crowe delivers a solid performance in this smart and engaging reworking of the prison break concept. Like: Prison Break
NICE GUY JOHNNY - A satisfactory 6! Predictable yet charming low-key indie romantic comedy with a sharp script and good performances. Like: Fever Pitch
NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST - A solid 7! Charming leads, NYC indie rock scene and enough romance/comedy/drama to make enjoyable. Like: Before Sunrise
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN - A satisfactory 6! Bigger effects, bigger stars smother loose direction. Just as entertaining as the original. Like: Night at the Museum
NIGHT DRIVE (18LV, min) - A gritty, provocative and bloody African safari horror/thriller. Like: Wolf Creek
NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, A (2010) - A flat 5! A slick, competent and formulaic remake doesn't measure up to scares, performances and creepiness of original. Like: Friday the 13th (2009)
NIGHTS IN RODANTHE - A flat 5! Contrived Nicholas Sparks romance/drama with Gere/Lane, overly sentimental with a manufactured feel. Like: Message in a Bottle
NIM'S ISLAND - A satisfactory 6! Decent family adventure/comedy stunted by unrealistic story and product placements. Like: Swiss Family Robinson
NINE - An excellent 8! Lavish cinematography, excellent lead performances and a terrific cast make this Fellini musical dark, beautiful and surreal. Like: Chicago
NINES, THE - A solid 7! A 3-tiered film with three people that seem to evolve into different characters. Like: Donnie Darko, The Number 23
NINJA ASSASSIN - A flat 5! Dodgy acting, video game action and an unreal feel to the plot, make for a bloody, middling martial arts flick. Like: Versus
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN - A solid 7! Faithful to a fault. Well-crafted, tense, dark, violent and thrilling cat-and-mouse game. Like: Psycho, The Fugitive
NO MAN'S LAND: RISE OF THE REEKER - A flat 5! This dull, no-name horror thriller sequel retraces the original Reeker to the point of being a remake with a few tidbits of information about its origins. Like: The Reeker
NO STRINGS ATTACHED - A flat 5! Superficial co-lead relationship doesn't translate well into comedy and romance, leaving it likable yet mild under the direction of Reitman. Like: Love and Other Drugs
NOT FORGOTTEN - A flat 5! Slow-moving, dull, predictable and run-of-the-mill thriller. Stylish with half-decent performances from Baker and Vega. Like: The Missing
NO RESERVATIONS - A solid 7! Great food, great music, great evening in "romcom" remake. Like: Mostly Martha
NOISE (2007/I) - A solid 7! Gripping Aussie cop thriller with taut performances and a fresh human drama approach. Like: Little Athens
NOISE (2007/II) - A satisfactory 6! Tim Robbins stars in this off-beat crime comedy drama about a NY noise vigilante. Like: He Was A Quiet Man
NOMAD - A satisfactory 6! Inconsistent big budget 18th Century warrior epic set in Kazakhstan. Like: Kingdom of Heaven
NOT EASILY BROKEN - A flat 5! Romance/drama has heart in the right place, but stereotypes, misogyny and melodrama diminish return. Like: Reservation Road
NOT MY LIFE - A flat 5! Entertaining, straightforward TV thriller about a mentally-deranged woman. Decent script, average performances. Like: Gaslight
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH - A solid 7! A first-rate ensemble, solid performances, gripping legal drama and contentious issues revolving around privacy, government and media in the US overcome TV feel. Like: All The President's Men
NOTHING LIKE THE HOLIDAYS - A satisfactory 6! An entertaining, although typical Christmas holiday comedy drama with a strong Hollywood Latino cast. Like: Four Christmases, Soul Food
NOTORIOUS -A satisfactory 6! A well-crafted biopic of the late hip-hop rapper, Christopher Wallace aka Notorious B.I.G. Like: Biggie and Tupac
NOWHERE BOY - A solid 7! A terrific lead from Aaron Johnson and a compelling coming-of-age drama about John Lennon's formative years. Like: Control
NANCY DREW - A flat 5! Bubbly junior detective story that lacks surprise and suspense. Like: Nancy Drew (TV)
NANNY DIARIES, THE - A flat 5! This comedy/drama has an amazing cast, but doesn't measure up as a modern day Mary Poppins. Like: The Devil Wears Prada
NANNY MCPHEE AND THE BIG BANG - A solid 7! Emma Thompson's lovable character returns for more charming family fun. An improvement on the original with a first-rate cast. Like: Nanny McPhee
NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS - A satisfactory 6! A fast-paced puzzle/action treasure adventure in the vein of Indiana Jones and James Bond. Like: National Treasure
NEVER BACK DOWN - A flat 5! Predictable, formulaic, cheesy... everything you've come to expect from a gutsy martial arts fight flick! Like: Kickboxer
NEW IN TOWN - A satisfactory 6! Sweet, heartwarming, formulaic, romantic fish-out-of-water comedy starring Zellweger and Connick Jr. Like: Sweet Home Alabama
NEWS MOVIE - A flimsy 4! Straight-to-video movie based on an online news parody website's satire. Adult content, not for everyone. Like: Brass Eye
NEVER LET ME GO - A solid 7! Solid performances, fascinating science-fiction drama and beautiful cinematography make this haunting film compelling as an idyllic English boarding school's dark agenda is unveiled. Like: The Village, Gattaca
NEXT DAY AIR - A flat 5! Excessive violence and bad language in South Central crime action flick outweigh stoner comedy and influences. Like: Lost in Transit
NEW MOON - A flimsy 4! Vague romance and hollow performances underscore this lack-lustre paranormal teen sequel. Twi-fans only. Like: Twilight
NEXT THREE DAYS, THE - A solid 7! Russell Crowe delivers a solid performance in this smart and engaging reworking of the prison break concept. Like: Prison Break
NICE GUY JOHNNY - A satisfactory 6! Predictable yet charming low-key indie romantic comedy with a sharp script and good performances. Like: Fever Pitch
NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST - A solid 7! Charming leads, NYC indie rock scene and enough romance/comedy/drama to make enjoyable. Like: Before Sunrise
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN - A satisfactory 6! Bigger effects, bigger stars smother loose direction. Just as entertaining as the original. Like: Night at the Museum
NIGHT DRIVE (18LV, min) - A gritty, provocative and bloody African safari horror/thriller. Like: Wolf Creek
NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, A (2010) - A flat 5! A slick, competent and formulaic remake doesn't measure up to scares, performances and creepiness of original. Like: Friday the 13th (2009)
NIGHTS IN RODANTHE - A flat 5! Contrived Nicholas Sparks romance/drama with Gere/Lane, overly sentimental with a manufactured feel. Like: Message in a Bottle
NIM'S ISLAND - A satisfactory 6! Decent family adventure/comedy stunted by unrealistic story and product placements. Like: Swiss Family Robinson
NINE - An excellent 8! Lavish cinematography, excellent lead performances and a terrific cast make this Fellini musical dark, beautiful and surreal. Like: Chicago
NINES, THE - A solid 7! A 3-tiered film with three people that seem to evolve into different characters. Like: Donnie Darko, The Number 23
NINJA ASSASSIN - A flat 5! Dodgy acting, video game action and an unreal feel to the plot, make for a bloody, middling martial arts flick. Like: Versus
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN - A solid 7! Faithful to a fault. Well-crafted, tense, dark, violent and thrilling cat-and-mouse game. Like: Psycho, The Fugitive
NO MAN'S LAND: RISE OF THE REEKER - A flat 5! This dull, no-name horror thriller sequel retraces the original Reeker to the point of being a remake with a few tidbits of information about its origins. Like: The Reeker
NO STRINGS ATTACHED - A flat 5! Superficial co-lead relationship doesn't translate well into comedy and romance, leaving it likable yet mild under the direction of Reitman. Like: Love and Other Drugs
NOT FORGOTTEN - A flat 5! Slow-moving, dull, predictable and run-of-the-mill thriller. Stylish with half-decent performances from Baker and Vega. Like: The Missing
NO RESERVATIONS - A solid 7! Great food, great music, great evening in "romcom" remake. Like: Mostly Martha
NOISE (2007/I) - A solid 7! Gripping Aussie cop thriller with taut performances and a fresh human drama approach. Like: Little Athens
NOISE (2007/II) - A satisfactory 6! Tim Robbins stars in this off-beat crime comedy drama about a NY noise vigilante. Like: He Was A Quiet Man
NOMAD - A satisfactory 6! Inconsistent big budget 18th Century warrior epic set in Kazakhstan. Like: Kingdom of Heaven
NOT EASILY BROKEN - A flat 5! Romance/drama has heart in the right place, but stereotypes, misogyny and melodrama diminish return. Like: Reservation Road
NOT MY LIFE - A flat 5! Entertaining, straightforward TV thriller about a mentally-deranged woman. Decent script, average performances. Like: Gaslight
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH - A solid 7! A first-rate ensemble, solid performances, gripping legal drama and contentious issues revolving around privacy, government and media in the US overcome TV feel. Like: All The President's Men
NOTHING LIKE THE HOLIDAYS - A satisfactory 6! An entertaining, although typical Christmas holiday comedy drama with a strong Hollywood Latino cast. Like: Four Christmases, Soul Food
NOTORIOUS -A satisfactory 6! A well-crafted biopic of the late hip-hop rapper, Christopher Wallace aka Notorious B.I.G. Like: Biggie and Tupac
NOWHERE BOY - A solid 7! A terrific lead from Aaron Johnson and a compelling coming-of-age drama about John Lennon's formative years. Like: Control
Home N - movie reviews 
SPLING MOVIES © 2010. All rights reserved. www.spling.co.za