First class?

X-Men: First Class (2011)

Directed by Matthew Vaughn this prequel/reboot of the X-Men franchise stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Kevin Bacon. Against the back drop of the Cuban missile crisis a group of young mutants come together to save the world.

The major problem this film has is that it exists in comparison to a large back catalogue of comics and two superior films from Bryan Singer. Despite all the things the film does well it lacks some gravitas in comparison to the earlier films and while most of the changes from the comics work changing Moira MacTaggert to a CIA agent is the weakest of these. While the film retains the core minority rights issues from the comics this film does nod heavily in inspiration to the early James Bond films in it's plot and this Cold War setting does work well in terms of providing a back drop of mistrust and suspicion. What the film does well is capture the journey of Magneto and show case his friendship with Charles Xavier even if this does leave some of the other characters a little under developed.

4/5

Another Invisible Man

The Invisible Man Returns (1940)

Directed by Joe May this sequel based on the H. G. Wells character stars Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Price and Nan Grey. The brother of the original invisible man turns a friend invisible so he can escape the hang man and find who really committed the murder he is accused of.

It took Universal seven years to come up with a sequel to the original film and that is probably because there is really no room for a sequel given how the previous film ends. Despite the slightly tenuous links to the previous film the plot of this film is not that bad even if it is not especially good and seems to have most of the same supporting characters under different names. The invisibility special effects are still the main draw here but are used fairly sparingly this time round and of course are not as revolutionary.

3/5

The Last Leisure Complex

Cherrybomb (2009)

Directed by Lisa Barros D'sa and Glenn Leyburn this film stars Rupert Grint, Robert Sheehan and Kimberley Nixon. Three teenagers struggle to find their place in life over a weekend of debauchery around a leisure complex.

Being made on a low budget a film lives or dies on it's script and in this case the script is found wanting. The film draws three one dimensional characters and then struggles to find a plot for them or any real character development. In the films favour is that the young actors manage to pull off the Northern Irish accents well but it is hard to find a lot to like about the film.

2/5

Bombs

Fortress (2011)

Directed by Michael R. Philips this film stars Bug Hall, Donnie Jeffcoat and Sean McGowan. A new co-pilot struggles to fit in with the crew of the B-17 he is assigned to based in North Africa.

Although this film claims to be based on true events there seems to be little information to back up this claim and I would take it with a pinch of salt, especially as the plot the film does have seems extremely formulaic with pretty weak characterization. It is clear the film was made on a small budget and nearly all the out door sequences are clearly CGI, even if they are not terribly bad CGI this still detracts some what. The film is watch-able at a push but has little to recommend it against the much better offerings on a similar subject out there.

2/5

Tower Block Invasion

Attack the Block (2011)

Joe Cornish makes his directorial debut with this film staring John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker and Nick Frost. Teenage members of a street gang have to deal with an alien invasion of the tower block they live in.

Superficially this is a great little low budget action film with plenty of thrills and spills to entertain. Under the surface this film has a lot to say about urban youth culture, using the fantastical events to make the characters face up to the consequences of their actions which they normally ignore. The best performance is from John Boyega but all the young characters have some real personality that help carry the film.

5/5

Two generals, one battle field

Waterloo (1970)

Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk this historic epic stars Rod Steiger and Christopher Plummer. Following his escape from exile Napoleon launches one last gamble to defeat his enemies.

Thanks to being made in the Soviet Union this film has a cast of thousands which really helps bring an epic quality to the film and give a real sense of scale to the battle. Inevitably there are some historical errors but these tend to be on the side of detail rather than being deal breakers. There is the occasional long shot which suffers from poor quality but otherwise this is an excellent retelling of the last grand battle of the Napoleonic wars and is certainly a sight to behold.

4/5

Scottish Deliverance

A Lonely Place to Die (2011)

Directed and co-written by Julian Gilbey this film stars Melissa George, Ed Speleers and Eammon Walker. Five friends go climbing in the Scottish Highlands, they discover a young girl buried alive and things take a turn for the worse.

It is hard not to see some hints of Deliverance (1972) creeping into the early portions of this film but this is more of a straight forward thriller rather than a film about modern man and his relationship with nature. There are some great helicopter shots in the first part of the film that really show off the amazing landscape of Scotland. When we get down to business this is pretty much a run of the mill thriller that serves it's purpose but little more.

3/5

Doctor Who the vampire slayer

Fright Night (2011)

Directed by Craig Gillespie this remake of the 1985 film of the same name stars Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, David Tennant, Toni Collette and Imogen Poots. A high school student in Las Vegas thinks his new next door neighbour might be a vampire.

I have not seen the original film but this version does seem to have a good amount of humour and action, where the film is weakest is in the use of simple scare tricks we have all seen before. David Tennant plays a drunken version of his time lord character who has most of the best lines. In the end this is an entertaining if unremarkable film which involves a lot of ground already well trodden by other films in the genre.

3/5

MMA stay away

Circle of Pain (2010)

Directed by Daniel Zirilli this film stars Tony Chiena, Dean Cain, Heath Herring and Bai Ling. A retired mixed martial arts fighter is forced to come out of retirement for one last fight.

About the only cliché this film is missing is needing to win the fight to have enough money to save the kiddies orphanage, other than that this film is so predictable you want to smash your head on something. Nearly everything about this film is suspect including the script, the acting, the fighting and the random nudity put in to appeal to the lowest common denominator. If there is anything good to say about this film then it is that there are one or two nice shots of the sky but that is about it.

1/5

Fragmented

Fragments (2008)

Based on the novel “Winged Creatures” this film from director Rowan Woods stars Dakota Fanning, Forest Whitaker, Guy Pearce and Kate Beckinsale. A group of strangers struggle to cope with surviving a shooting in a restaurant.

The major problem with this film is that it has 5 main characters but only a 90 minute run time which really restricts the screen time the various stories get. While the film does manage to show case a variety of reactions to what happens it could really have done with more time to give the characters depth rather than giving them one characteristic each. Kate Beckinsale's performance is the best part of the execution of the film which otherwise is pretty average.

3/5

A film you can't refuse

The Godfather (1972)

Based on the novel of the same name this film from director Francis Ford Coppola stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan and Robert Duvall. The youngest son of a mob boss returns from fighting in WW2 and is slowly drawn into the family business.

Everyone has heard of this film and it is easy to see why it has such a reputation as the film looks excellent and has a great cinematic conclusion. The plot focuses on the family elements of mob life, exploring some rich characters and offers a metaphor for American capitalism. About the only negatives are the casting of James Caan (forced by the studio) who seems a bit out of place and that the film offers a slightly romanticised view of mob life but these complaints do very little to detract from the quality of the piece.

5/5

Not a happy company

H.M.S. Defiant (1962)

Based on the novel “Mutiny” this film from director Lewis Gilbert stars Alec Guinness, Dirk Bogarde and Anthony Quayle. A disciplinarian first officer and a more lenient captain fight for control of their ship during the Napoleonic wars with an undertone of mutiny running through the crew.

Despite being entirely fictional this film does hint at real events and conditions during the period the film was set. The plot itself is fairly run of the mill but does have a slightly unique slant on proceedings by switching the usual traits between the captain and first officer. Some of the image quality in night scenes is not great but over all the model work for the sea battles holds up pretty well.

3/5

Soldiering on

Soldier in the Rain (1963)

Directed by Ralph Nelson this comedy adapted from the novel of the same name stars Jackie Gleason, Steve McQueen and Tuesday Weld. Two miss matched sergeants in the US army share friendship, scams and plans for leaving the army.

There is not a huge amount of plot in this film nor are there tones of laughs but there is enough character to give the piece some charm. Steve McQueen's character is interesting in that instead of his usual quick witted roles his character is decidedly on the slower side. Despite the decent performances from the cast there is an underlying feeling that this film was probably made on the cheap but not so much that it detracts from the overall quality.

3/5

Delivers?

30 minutes or less (2011)

Directed by Ruben Fleischer this comedy stars Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride and Aziz Ansari. A slacker pizza boy is forced to rob a bank after two delinquents strap a bomb to him.

As a slacker comedy this film has a surprising amount of pace and mixes in a decent amount of humour. The plot may seem a little ridiculous but does have some real world inspiration and is really only there to set up the comedy. There are some good performances from the cast but maybe a little more character development would have really helped elevate this film.

3/5

Bridesmaid

Bridesmaids (2011)

Directed by Paul Feig this film stars Kriestn Wiig (who co-wrote the film), Maya Rudolph and Rose Byrne. While made of honour for her best friends wedding a woman's life and friendships fall apart.

This film comes with a pretty big reputation and to be honest it did not really hit my expectations. The plot is about the protagonists struggle to get confidence in her self and come to terms with place in the world which is slightly off what the film is billed as but works well. When it comes to the comedy element of the film there are funny parts, mostly revolving around Melissa McCarthy's character but the do at times feel a little forced.

4/5

A little bit of history repeating itself

Faintheart (2009)

Directed by Vito Rocco this British comedy stars Eddie Marsan, Ewen Bremner and Jessica Hynes. A member of a historical reenactment group is kicked out by his wife and must win his family back.

Nearly everything about this film is highly derivative from the plot to the jokes aimed largely aimed at people knowing too much about nerdy hobbies. Despite being able to see where nearly every element of the plot is going this film is not too bad and it does not dip into sentimentality. Jessica Hynes gets the short end of the stick with her role being the “sensible one” with very little material to work with.

2/5

I spy with my little eye

The House on 92^nd Street (1945)

Based on real events this film from director Henry Hathaway stars William Eythe, Llyod Nolan and Signe Hasso. With the help of a double agent the FBI look to round up a ring of German spies operating out of New York during WW2.

As with many a film based on real events this film takes it's inspiration from the capture of the Duquesne spy ring but inserts it's own fictional elements. The film is in the style of a semi documentary, it comes across as a recruiting tool for the FBI and a warning to the Soviets at the start of the cold war. Some of the boasts made by the film's narrator about the effectiveness of the FBI do fall short given we now know how well the Soviets penetrated the US during WW2.

2/5

An American director in London

Gideon's Day (1958)

Directed by John Ford this adaptation of the novel of the same name stars Jack Hawkins and Dianne Foster. A high ranking British police officer has a busy when faced with a never ending stream of crimes and incidents to deal with.

You will be hard pushed to find a more unusual entry in John Ford's cannon than a police drama set and filmed in London. Plot-wise the film the film is not much more than the protagonist racing round trying to crisis manage and both shows it's age in some of the attitudes while occasionally stretching believability. The film is well made but the setting does not really lend it self to the type of direction that Ford is best known for.

3/5

The Parisian transformation

Sabrina (1954)

Directed by Billy Wilder this adaptation of the play “Sabrina Fair” stars Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn and William Holden. The chauffeur's daughter has an unrequited crush on the playboy second son of the family her father works for, upon returning from a trip to Paris she gets the boys attention.

This film really fits into what your expectations are of an older romance film and despite having a fairly simple love triangle plot is well made. Casting Bogart as the male lead does seem a little out of place to me but his performance is good and Audrey Hepburn is always excellent as the wide eyed young girl. Despite being a lighter piece than some of Billy Wilder's other films this is still well worth a look for the right occasion.

4/5

The Stake Road

Stake Land (2010)

Directed by Jim Mickle this film stars Nick Damici, Connor Paolo and Danielle Harris. In a world over run by vampires a mysterious vampire hunter and his young side kick travel across America looking for a haven in the north.

Despite being about vampires the spectre that hangs over this film is The Road (2009) which clearly served as a massive influence on the tone and style employed here. There is not really much originality here with this film being a pretty simple combination of obvious inspirations. Like the content of the film the execution is pretty average as well and there is little to recommend this film against a number of entries in what is an increasingly popular genre.

3/5

Days of blunder

Days of Thunder (1990)

Directed by Tony Scott this Jerry Bruckheimer production stars Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall and Nicole Kidman. A maverick young race car driver gets his shot at NASCAR but has to file down his rough edges to become a winner.

Days of Thunder is one of the greatest film titles of all time in my opinion, unfortunately the rest of the film does not really come close to living up to that level. The plot for the film is essentially lifted from Top Gun (1986) with every cliché in the book and when you see Tom Cruise with a story credit during the opening titles that is the most ominous piece of foreshadowing in the whole film. When it comes to the actual racing in the film not much of it actually makes sense despite the film being fairly well made even if there is some suspect dialogue along the way.

2/5

Man child

Arthur (2011)

Directed by Jason Winer this remake stars Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner and Greta Gerwig. An heir to a large banking family is a spoilt man child who is told by his mother that he must marry her assistant.

It seems that the plot follows the original film fairly closely but is a pretty good fit for Russell Brand and the film has plenty of humour. Despite being a fairly simple romantic comedy which fits into a number of the usual clichés there is enough charm to keep you entertained. Where the film did lose me was in the final moments it rather undermined itself and the title characters journey by letting him keep his inheritance.

3/5

We are such things

The Tempest (2010)

Director Julie Taymor adapts the classic Shakespeare play The Tempest for the big screen with a large cast including Helen Mirren, Felicity Jones and Djimon Hounsou. Exiled a former duchess uses magic to seek revenge on those who have wronged her.

If any of Shakespeare's plays benefit from modern technology in adaptation then The Tempest is probably it as in this adaptation the magical elements of the play can really be brought to life. Switching the gender of the title role does not have a negative affect, indeed it slightly enhances the back story and Helen Mirren gives a good performance. Strangely for all the positive elements this film has going for it I was left underwhelmed but this is still a decent adaptation.

3/5

FREEDOM

Passport to Pimlico (1949)

Directed by Henry Cornelius this comedy stars Stanley Holloway, Margaret Rutherford and Barbara Murray. A street in London finds out that it is the last remaining part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and declares independence.

Made by Ealing Studios this film fits into what is considered part of a golden era for comedies produced at the studio. The plot of the film is a bit silly but events with in the plot do provide an interesting nod towards political events of the time such as the Berlin Blockade. What the film does come up short on is jokes in my opinion, while it maybe one clever joke stretched out over 84 minutes it lacks the energy and consistent jokes to really sustain the film.

3/5

9 days to rule them all

Lady Jane (1986)

Directed by Tervor Nunn this historical drama stars Helena Bonham Carter, Cary Elwes and Patrick Stewart. As the young king Edward VI faces a premature death his advisers scheme to put a young girl on the throne to be their puppet.

As with many historical pieces this film matches fact with a large amount of fantasy which sadly undermines the content of the film somewhat. The tale of Lady Jane is pretty interesting in being a young girl used as a pawn but the addition of too much fiction waters down the possibility of getting to grips with the real Jane and events of her 9 day reign. One negative element of the execution of the film is that some of the dialogue does suffer from a fair amount of echo and the sound track is over bearing at times.

2/5

Returned donations

Jesus Henry Christ (2012)

Written and directed by Dennis Lee this is an expansion of his own earlier short film and stars Jason Spevack, Toni Collette and Michael Sheen. The child prodigy son of a single mother wants to find his biological father.

This film does not really break a lot of new ground in terms of content or the subjects it explores and does reach a bit of a predictable conclusion. What the film does have going for it is really good performances from the cast, especially the children which gives the film enough personality and humour to carry the piece. Being a little on the short side does indicate the film could have done with a bit more content but for a piece about characters it is not bad.

3/5

Finger cuffs

Chasing Amy (1997)

Directed by Kevin Smith this film stars Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams and Jason Lee. A comic book writer falls for a girl at a comic book convention only to find out she is a lesbian.

It is a rare romantic comedy that actually has any depth to it but this is one of the best you are likely to come across in a genre that is littered with cynical paint by numbers efforts. A number of themes including sexuality, gender roles and sexual history are explored in a mature fashion while the film manages to remain genuinely funny. Despite this film being shot on a tiny budget you would be hard pressed to realise that from watching it and this film is well worth watching.

4/5

Freedom, man

Easy Rider (1969)

Dennis Hopper directed, wrote and starred in this film along side co-star and was co-writer Peter Fonda. Two hippies on motorbikes travel from California to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.

It is easy to see the Western inspirations for this film and it does a great job of capturing the culture clash in America brought on by the various counter culture movements of the time. Despite only having a small part in the film Jack Nicholson has an excellent cameo that launched his career. Not just relevant for it's content this film helped launch the “New Hollywood” phase which was heavily influenced by the “French New Wave”.

5/5

Lifeless

The Tree of Life (2011)

Directed by Terrence Malick this film stars Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain. In 1950s Texas the eldest son has a rocky relationship with his father as he starts to come of age.

This film is beautifully shot and scored but I have some serious problems with it. I like non-linear story telling as much as the next person but this film stretches things too far in my opinion, it seems to take over half an hour to actually get started and despite the universe formation sequence being amazing it is far too long and seems completely out of place. As much as I admire the execution of the film the opening and end of the film are just too far removed from what seems to be the main narrative that it makes large portions of the film seem redundant. Maybe I am missing something but I would suggest that at best this film is an acquired taste which is a real shame as it feels like there is a great film in here somewhere.

2/5

Royal appointment

The Queen (2006)

Directed by Stephen Frears this is the second part of writer Peter Morgan's informal Blair trilogy which stars Helen Mirren and Michael Sheen. Following the death of Princess Diana the monarchy and the government struggle to reflect public opinion.

Being based on real events the best thing about this film is the transformations of Mirren and Sheen giving credible performances as well known public figures. The plot does a good job of showing the personal struggles of Queen Elizabeth but lacks a detailed view of the wider feeling and does not really attempt to explore the complex relationships Diana had with the royal family. This is a good character piece but one does have to wonder how much fabrication there is given the private nature of someone like the Queen.

4/5