Film and Book Reviews
for 2008
Films released in 2008
The Dark Knight directed by Christopher Nolan
In the second instalment of Christian Bale's take on Batman, the caped vigilante of Gotham City takes on The Joker.
Blindness directed by Fernando Meirelles
One woman struggles to protect those close to her as an epidemic of blindness sweeps through the population.
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button directed by David Fincher
What would it be like to be born old, and age in reverse?
The Colour of Magic directed by Vadim Jean
Rincewind finds himself acting as a guide for a naive tourist in this parody of high fantasy. This movie adapts the first two Discworld novels for the screen.
Hancock directed by Peter Berg
Can a down and out superhero find a reason to change his lifestyle?
Hellboy II: The Golden Army directed by Guillermo del Toro
An elvish prince attempts to raise an unstoppable army to destroy mankind.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian directed by Andrew Adamson
The second film in the Chronicles of Narnia series, adapted from the novels of C. S. Lewis, sees the Pevensie siblings return to a Narnia they don't recognise.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars directed by Dave Filoni
In the midst of the Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker has to rescue a kidnapped Hutt in this animated film set in the Star Wars universe.
Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs directed by Peter Avanzino
A pink tentacled monster the size of a planet comes through a rift in the fabric of the universe, in this sequel to Bender's Big Score.
The Andromeda Strain directed by Mikael Salomon
A deadly plague from space threatens mankind in this updated adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel.
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder directed by Ed Neumeier
In the third Starship Troopers movie the war rages on and religion comes in the firing line.
The Day The Earth Stood Still directed by Scott Derrickson
In this remake of the 1951 movie an alien tasked with determining the fate of mankind arrives on Earth.
Mirrors directed by Alexandre Aja
A disturbed ex-policeman takes a job as a night guard in a creepy, burnt-out department store.
Jumper directed by Doug Liman
Hayden Christensen stars in this film about a young man who discovers he has the ability to teleport at will.
Journey to the Centre of the Earth directed by Eric Brevig
A scientist takes his nephew to Iceland, where they discover a cave that leads to a lost world hidden in the depths of the Earth.
Inkheart directed by Iain Softley
A man has the talent to read fictional characters to life, but can he prevent a freed villain from destroying everyone? An adaptation of a novel by Cornelia Funke.
The Spiderwick Chronicles directed by Mark Waters
When his family moves to an old Victorian house, Jared finds a book full of forbidden knowledge about fairies. But is the price of this information too high?
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep directed by Jay Russell
Adopting a pet rock isn't the safest of hobbies for boys who live on the shores of Loch Ness.
City Of Ember directed by Gil Kenan
The subterranean city of Ember is falling apart, so two young people search for a way out of the darkness.
Twilight directed by Catherine Hardwicke
Bella Swan is worried about being the new girl in school. But making friends turns out to be the least of her problems when she falls for a vampire.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor directed by Rob Cohen
In this sequel to The Mummy Returns, Rick O'Connell and his family awaken an Emperor of ancient China and his terracotta army.
WALL-E directed by Andrew Stanton
A small, lonely robot cleans up a future Earth devastated by mountains of rubbish.
Mutant Chronicles directed by Simon Hunter
In the future, a massive and ancient machine is unearthed that spawns mutants intent only on destroying humanity.
Ghost Town directed by David Koepp
After a routine operation a dentist starts to see ghosts, but far from being amazed by them he simply finds them annoying.
Doomsday directed by Neil Marshall
A deadly virus breaks out and Scotland is cut off from the rest of the world. Years later Eden Sinclair is sent there on a desperate mission to find a cure.
Babylon A.D. directed by Mathieu Kassovitz
A mercenary fights to protect a young woman on a journey through dangerous regions in a post-apocalyptic future.
The Dragon Chronicles: Fire and Ice directed by Pitof
Dragons terrorise a kingdom and a princess searches for a hero in this traditional high fantasy.
Dead Space: Downfall directed by Chuck Patton
The crew of a mining ship unearth a sinister artefact in this video game prequel.
Chemical Wedding directed by Julian Doyle
A professor of English becomes convinced he is the reincarnation of Aleister Crowley after an experiment goes awry.
Books published in 2008
The Way Of Shadows by Brent Weeks
A young man becomes an assassin to escape a life of poverty. But can he bear to leave all his friends behind?
Beyond The Shadows by Brent Weeks
Kylar finds out that his extraordinary powers come at a price. The third in the Night Angel trilogy.
Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky
A small group of agents take on the might of the encroaching Wasp Empire in this unconventional fantasy.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
To save her sister, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take part in a brutal tournament in which only one person can emerge alive. The first book in The Hunger Games trilogy.
The Gabble And Other Stories by Neal Asher
This collection of short stories set in the Polity universe features man, machine and alien testing the limits of what they will do to survive.
Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
In the third book of The First Law the kingdom faces war. But Superior Glokta wants to know who is really pulling the strings.
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
When the state begins to remove the civil rights of ordinary people, a young man takes on the system.
Quantum by Manjit Kumar
How the discovery of the astonishing quantum world threw physicists into turmoil.
Principles of Angels by Jaine Fenn
A young man without family gets entangled in a plot that threatens his city in this far-future thriller.
The Sweet Scent Of Blood by Suzanne McLeod
A Sidhe fae takes on a host of supernatural threats in this modern murder mystery. The first book in the Spellcrackers.com series.
The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett
Demons rise out of the ground at night to feast on people. The first book in the Demon Trilogy.
The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu
Tattooed warrior Maxine Kiss is going to need more than a scary look to keep the demons at bay. Luckily her ink has a life of its own.
Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks
In the second part of the Night Angel trilogy Kylar Stern tries to leave the life of an assassin behind him.
Pretty Little Things To Fill Up The Void by Simon Logan
In a nightmarish urban dystopia five very different people search for what matters most to each of them.
Of Quills and Kings by Joel Reeves
In a world of demonic hedgehogs and cannibalistic giants, Jonathan Quintain is a young man who can forget about a quiet life.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Katsa has a natural gift for killing, but this talent means she is unable to get close to others and is at risk of exploitation. The first in the Graceling Realm series.
Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
Ben Goldacre blows open the world of scams, quacks, and the misreporting and misunderstanding of science.
Shadowmagic by John Lenahan
Conor is a normal student who finds himself transported to a land of myth, legend, and backchatting topiary.
Jeff Hawke: Overlord by Sydney Jordan and Willie Patterson
In this collection of stories first published in the 1960s, can Jeff Hawke talk his way out of trouble with the Overlord?
House Of Suns by Alastair Reynolds
Millions of years into the future, the fate of the galaxy may depend on the lost memories of a damaged robot.
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
The third instalment of the Inheritance cycle sees Eragon and Saphira attempting to keep some of their promises.
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Bella Swan is about to get married, but what kind of life can she expect if she weds a vampire? The fourth in the Twilight series.
The Ice Crown by Sean Beech
A young prince sets out to discover what happened to the lost crown of the Lands of the Moon in a bid to unite his people.
In This Year
The author
Arthur C. Clarke died.
