Square Eyes

Television Reviews

Movie of the week, Crackerjack, Ten, Sun, 8.30pm:

Funny ol' world innit? For the first time in yonks, the three commercial stations screen first-release movies. This gets the nod because it's Australian and funny. Mick Molloy wrote and stars in this quirky comedy about an ordinary yob tangled up in the battle to redevelop an ailing bowls club. A beaut cast - Bill Hunter, Judith Lucy, Frank Wilson, John Clarke - make it an enjoyable romp.

The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, Prime, Fri, 8.30pm:

Looking for another way to wring cash out of an unsuspecting international audience who probably think Mick Dundee is Steve Irwin's real life brother, this thinly rendered rubbish involving a CIA agent and dangerous animals is amusing if only for Magda Szubanski's gun-toting cow cockie.

Spooks, ABC, Fri, 9.30pm:

This brilliant English spy series returns for a third round, reminding us where it left off - with an attempt to bump off the Defence Department boss and spunky MI5 agent spook Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) set up for the fall. It twists and turns with heart-pounding fury.

One Hour Photo, Prime, Sun, 8.30pm:

This unsettling thriller's hold comes from its implied violence. Seemingly mild-mannered Sy (an unexpectedly creepy Robin Williams) works in a photo lab, finding escape from his lonely existence in the photos of the supposedly happy family. His obsession turns pathological and the question pondered is when does the camera lie?

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking, ABC, Sun, 8.30pm:

Sherlock Holmes (Rupert Everett) is lured out of retirement onto fog-bound London once more for a spot of repartee with Dr Watson (Ian Hart), This version won't please the purists, but the story of a young girl murdered in the Thames trundles along, even if it feels a bit more Silent Witness than a century old adventure.

Dust to Dust, ABC, Tues, 8pm:

A fascinating reality version of Six Feet Under following an unusual Aussie family in a behind-the-scenes look at the funeral business, where they deal with an endless parade of elaborate Italian funerals.

Cocaine, SBS, Tues, 8.30pm:

This three-part doco follows the drug trail from Peru's valleys to the gangs and the Colombian Government's battle against civil war and entrenched corruption. It's a long tale of misery and blood-soaked riches.

We Can Be Heroes, ABC, Weds, 9pm:

Giving the now-disgraced (but promoted) head of the Immigration Department a gong was black comedy on the Government's part, but this six-part comedy mock-umentary series is about five Aussies on the shortlist for Australian of the Year.