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Fisheries expert Dr Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) gets reeled in by a billionaire Sheik and his lovely assistant Harriet (Emily Blunt) in attempting to bring salmon and fishing to the desert of Yemen. Can love bloom in the arid region? Despite his reservations, Dr Jones (far less exciting than his namesake, the adventuring archaeologist) accepts the offer of bringing fishing to the desert. This decision is made easier by his tentative relationship with the Sheik's delightful assistant but also because of the government's pressure to create a story of positive Yemeni-British relations.

Casting the net and catching Kristin Scott Thomas is the greatest achievement of director Lasse Hallstrom whose former glories (Chocolat, The Cider House Rules) seem like distant memories. Scott Thomas lands the tastiest role as the Prime Minister's press guru and gets all the laughs with the sneaking satire that made the book so well loved. Her oily spin doctor slices through the sentimentality of the script delivering welcome moments of spiky dialogue like a cactus in a sea of sand.

Despite being quite an appealing character with his musings on faith and fishing, the Sheik's motives for his expensive experiment remain fishy. The violent complications that briefly add excitement to the story are dubiously dealt out by those typically slippery Middle Eastern stereotypes but the film does question the ethics and intentions of both the wealthy Sheikh and those intent on destroying what he intends to create.

The love affairs of the upper crust characters fail to ignite the screen with the relationship between McGregor and Blunt being a little damp but both stars give charming performances given the limitations and predictability of the script. It's all very typically upper middle class with restraint and lip-chewing over who should jump in the sack with who but the resolution is never in doubt and the emotions are all so reserved, it fails to hook the audience or swim away with any tears.

Simon Beaufoy, an extremely reliable screenwriter adapts Paul Torday's book but has lost much of the political satire present in the source. Following excellent adaptations that even exceed their origins with 127 Hours and Slumdog Millionaire, this is somewhat of a disappointment from Beaufoy. Next up he's tackling Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire. Let's hope he hooks a bigger beauty with that one.

Nevertheless the film is infinitely more entertaining than anyone with no interest in salmon, fishing or Yemen would suspect. It's a sweet if only mildly satisfying romance that has a memorable turn from Kristen Scott Thomas. As a whole, most minds will release it as quick as they caught it.

While not even remotely close to being as boring as the title would suggest, this film is still highly unlikely to get you swimming upstream for it.

If you are in the unfortunate position of having seen the trailer for this little 'horror' flick, then you may already know too much. Erase it from your memory; stop reading this review and book a ticket, safe in the knowledge that this cabin is full of surprises that defy the clichés. But before you go, be aware that I will reveal nothing of what is in store if you choose to see this film.

It all starts with the typical set up familiar from a thousand other horror films. Five college kids head off the grid to find a secluded cabin belonging to a cousin. It's the perfect place for a bit of sex, drugs, swimming in a lake and getting picked off one by one in grisly ways. So far, so Evil Dead, Wrong Turn and Cabin Fever.

But right from the opening scene, there's something different about this Cabin in the Woods. Who are the corporate types in the opening scene and where do they come into the plot? Why is there a man on a roof spying on the college kids as they set off on their adventure? And how come these kids aren't quite the usual stereotypes we expect in this kind of film? To say anymore could ruin the experience for readers of this review. But what can be said is that this film is an occasionally hilarious white-knuckle ride. Horror fans will rejoice at the old school set up and the vicious violent deaths while all viewers will enjoy the comedy, the surprises round every corner and the clever subverting of genre conventions.

The cast do a good job but it's the mostly smart ideas and the clever writing that really make this stick out. Hemsworth can deliver handsome jock while sleepwalking, while Kristen Connelly and Fran Kranz ably tackle virginal sweet girl and stoner shtick respectively. There might only be the odd surprise in terms of who buys it next and who will make it to the final frames but what will surprise are the regular deviations from the main plot to the sinister activities of the corporate types from the opening scene.

And if you don't enjoy the brilliant and hilarious bloodbath finale, you'll need to look long and hard to find something else that can satisfy your horror needs. The final reveal may lack the surprise hoped for from the rest of the smart set up but it's a minor complaint when the ride is this much fun.

Verdict: It's fast-paced, fresh, frightening and ridiculously funny! But be warned: be careful what you read/see before you go in. Blessed is s/he that knows next to nothing about what is in store. www.ilovethatfilm.blogspot.com