More than cold feet

Corpse Bride (2005)

Directed by Tim Burton this animated film features the voice talent of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Emily Watson. On the eve of his wedding a man accidentally marries a corpse while practising his vows.

As with any Tim Burton film this film has a visually impressive and highly unique world in which to tell it's story. While the plot is fairly original in details it does not go anywhere especially interesting, instead going through the sort of things you would expect. There is a good array of British acting talent behind the voices although some may be harder to notice than others.

4/5

The sons of Evelyn Mercer

Four Brothers (2005)

Directed by John Singleton this film stars Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin and Garrett Hedlund. Four men return home to Detriot to find out who murdered the woman that adopted them.

This film does a fairly good job of taking the plot of The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) and transplanting it into the modern. Where the film falls down is that it never really explores the characters and their past in any depth, rather focusing on being a straight up revenge piece. Giving the film a snowy back drop allows for some visually interesting, if slightly confusing at times, set pieces.

3/5

Alien on a tiny budget

Storage 24 (2012)

Directed by Johannes Roberts this film stars Noel Clarke, Colin O'Donoghue, Antonia Campbell-Hughes and Laura Haddock. People trapped inside a storage warehouse are menaced by a monster that has escaped from a plane crash.

There is not a lot to this film in any area, be it plot, character or special effects. This is pretty generic fare and as the characters are so bland it is really hard to care about anyone or anything. While the monster is not the worst you will ever see it is not really that impressive especially when compared to better films in the genre.

2/5

A pie too far

American Pie: The Reunion (2012)

Directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg this film stars Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klien, Sean William Scott. The gang all return home for a high school reunion and various hijinks.

Returning to see how sex obsessed teenagers have adapted to adult life may not be the worst idea ever but the central characters of the franchise lack the personality to carry this film. A lot of tired ideas are trotted out and most of the plot is a bit week or highly contrived. There are funny moments but rarely enough to make up for the deficiencies in the rest of the film.

2/5

Guns and fiction

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Directed by Arthur Penn this film stars Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman and Estelle Parsons. During the Great Depression in the United States two lovers and their gang go on a violent rampage of crime.

For breaking the production code this film opened up new levels of violence and more mature representations of sex in cinema as part of the New Hollywood movement. Unfortunately while the execution of the film was something new the plot is fiction masquerading as history which is always disappointing. This film may have been influential in it's day but for modern viewers this does not necessarily help the film stand out against the many films that have been made since.

3/5

$5000 for justice

Call Northside 777 (1948)

Directed by Henry Hathaway this film stars James Steward, Richard Conte, Lee J. Cobb and Helen Walker. Eleven years after they have been convicted for killing a policeman a reporter tries to get two convicts freed.

This film is based on a true story and seems to stick largely to what actually happened even if there are a few minor discrepancies. Not much stands out from the script which is a fairly average investigation piece. The film is shot in a documentary style but largely the direction keeps out of the way of the story telling.

3/5

American gladiators

Any Given Sunday (1999)

Directed by Oliver Stone this film stars Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid and Jamie Foxx. A third choice quarter back gets his chance to start for an American football team while the owner clashes with the coach.

It can be hard for those of us outside the USA to follow the intricacies of films about American sports at times but this film does a fairly good job of translating the sport to film. The script does a good job of considering the role of sportsmen in the modern game as well as the finite and fragile nature of their careers. As with any Stone film this is a well made film but at times the camera work does get a little annoying but otherwise there is little to complain about.

5/5

In the running

Gallipoli (1981)

Directed by Peter Weir this film stars Mel Gibson, Mark Lee and Bill Kerr. In 1915 two Australian sprinters join the armed forces and are sent to Turkey as part of the allied invasion of Gallipoli.

As with many war films this is a classic coming of age story not just for the protagonists but also for their country. There are some elements of the story which are not historically accurate but otherwise the script is really good. Making a film like this on a small budget and in Australia is certainly a big achievement.

5/5  

Montana problems

Legends of the Fall (1994)

Directed by Edward Zwick this film based on the novella of the same name stars Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn and Julia Ormond. Three brothers, one girl and a world war is a combination that will always end in tragedy.

The most striking thing about this film is how good it looks and how well the Montana landscape has been captured on film. When it comes to the plot of the film the story does seem to stray into being overly melodramatic at times and is often told by montage. There are decent performances from the cast but the story lacks a little depth beyond the literal.

4/5

Fishy

Piranha 3DD (2012)

Directed by John Gulager this film stars Danielle Panabaker, Matt Bush, David Koechner and Katrina Bowden. Attractive young people at a water park are menaced by killer sharks.

Somewhere in this script is some sort of plot but it is not much of one and contains a fair few holes. Various parts of the film make no sense and the film is more like a number of weak ideas strung together as an excuse to film a load of breasts. Even the horror element does little for the film thanks to some weak CGI and suspect acting.

1/5

C is for condom

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

Directed by Nicholas Stoller this film stars Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt, Alison Brie and Rhys Ifans. A couple get engaged and move to Michigan, a romantic-comedy ensues.

Probably the biggest surprise in this film is that it manages to stretch out the standard romantic-comedy plot for a full 2 hours when most manage to get business done in 90 minutes. There is the odd joke here and there but not much to really make this a laugh out loud comedy. The cast is decent but the material is decidedly average and there is little to make this film stand out.

3/5

A game of life and death

The Seventh Seal (1957)

Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman this film stars Max von Sydow, Bengt Ekerot, Gunnar Bjornstrand and Bibi Andersson. A knight and his squire return home from The Crusades to a land in the grip of plague.

This film does a great job of exploring the ideas of faith when faced with a silent god and disaster about the world. There are some iconic scenes and the film does a great job of mixing medieval art and film to create a world that might not be exactly 100% historically accurate but is a good approximation of what we expect. Despite having a fairly low budget the film does a good job of creating several medieval locations and is well made in general.

5/5

The cycle is complete

A Fantastic Fear of Everything (2012)

Directed by Crispian Mills and Chris Hopewell this adaptation stars Simon Pegg, Clare Higgins and Amara Karan. A writer researching serial killers becomes massively paranoid and has to face his fear of visiting the launderette.

This is one strange film with hilariously bizarre opening sections, the first half of the film is ridiculously funny. It is the second half of the plot that lets this film down with the resolution being a little bit too safe and wandering into more predictable territory. Simon Pegg is excellent as always in the lead role and the film is well worth watching for that alone.

4/5

In a hole

Gone (2012)

Directed by Heitor Dhalia this thriller stars Amanda Seyfried, Daniel Sunjata and Jennifer Carpenter. A young woman that survived being kidnapped or is a mentally ill fantasist thinks her sister has been kidnapped by the same man that kidnapped her.

This film is a pretty average thriller that uses a number of clichéd elements but never really builds on them properly. There is little of real fright and the fairly short running time of the film is a key indicator that the plot is not really developed that well. Given the weak script the cast and crew do about as well as they can but there is not a lot to work with here.

2/5

Budget bothers

Comanche Station (1960)

Directed by Budd Boetticher this western stars Randolp Scott, Nancy Gates and Claude Akins. A man recovers a woman that has been kidnapped by Comanches and has to stop outlaws from killing him and kidnapping her for reward money.

There is not a lot of plot or characterization to go around in this film but given that it is a low budget, 70 minute film it is hard to expect much. A lot of the scenes in between the few action sequences are pretty obviously there as filler but largely this is a pretty average film. While this B-movie does not give the cast or crew much to work with there is not much wrong with the film either.

3/5

Hour of the fiction

Hour of the Gun (1967)

Directed by John Sturges this film stars James Garner, Jason Robards and Robert Ryan. Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday hunt down the survivors of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and deal with the legal aftermath.

There are plenty of films about the famous gunfight but this one is unusual in that it starts with the gunfight and deals with the aftermath rather than the build up like most films. Although the film claims to be a true depiction of what happens it seems there are a number of differences from history. Generally the film is well made like many Sturges films but does little to stand out from the crowd.

2/5

Little Italy, Big Screen

Mean Streets (1973)

Directed by Martin Scorsese this film stars Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, David Proval and Amy Robinson. A street level gangster looks to move up in the local Mafia but is held back by feeling responsible for his reckless friend.

Catholic guilt is the main theme of this low level crime film and it works pretty well as the protagonist struggles between his desires and responsibilities. The script has a lot in common with many other films that follow it and in that sense is fairly influential. Obviously this film was made on a low budget which does show at times but otherwise this is a well made film given the constraints.

4/5

Snow White and the weak script

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

Directed by Rupert Sanders this film inspired by the classic fairy tale stars Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth. An evil and vein Queen rules the land, needing to kill her step daughter to retain her beauty and powers.

Nearly all the problems with this film stem from a weak script that is littered with unearned character moments that really fails to make the audience connect with it's heroine. It also does not help that Chris Hemsworth is miscast and uses a decidedly suspect accent through out the film. What highlights there are in this film come from Charlize Theron's excellent performance but that is not enough to build this film around.

2/5

Lessons from the past

The Battle of Algiers (1966)

Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo this film stars Brahim Haggiag, Jean Martin, Saadi Yacef and Tommaso Neri. We follow Algerian revolutionaries and the French colonial forces that oppose them between 1954 and 1957.

This film is one of the first to show case what we would now call “asymmetrical warfare” and now more than ever relevant to a large number of conflicts around the world. The plot does a great job of being balanced, showing both the indiscriminate nature of terrorism and the excess of counter insurgent tactics. Using a documentary style works really well and it is very easy to see how this film has been influential on both the public and military groups.

5/5

Dances with Forest Spirits

Princess Mononoke (1997)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki this anime has an English dub featuring Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Minnie Driver and Billy Bob Thornton. The industrialisation of a small town in historic Japan causes conflict with the forest gods and spirits.

Studio Ghibli is famous for it's animated out put and this film is really well made. The main themes of the plot are the environment, change and loss of innocence which are handled with a balanced view and religious over tones. Redubbing in English works pretty well but there maybe one or two cultural differences that confuse western viewers but otherwise this is a really good film.

4/5

Ape kills ape

Battle for Planet of the Apes (1973)

Directed by J. Lee Thompson this 5^th installment in the popular film series stars Roddy McDowall, Claude Akins, Paul Williams and Austin Stoker. After a nuclear war ape and man try to build a new peaceful society together.

There are some attempts at interesting themes in this film but ultimately the script is a rather weak effort that leaves too many things unexplained. The plot does not really go anywhere and it is easy to see that by this point the series was running out of ideas. Bringing in someone like John Huston for a cameo role seems fairly pointless when you are going to cover him in make up so that you can not tell who he is.

2/5

Lacking reaction

Chain Reaction (1996)

Directed by Andrew Davis this film stars Keanu Reeves, Morgan Freeman, Rachel Weisz and Brian Cox. Scientists discover how to make cheap, clean energy and government types seek to keep the technology secret while framing the scientists as terrorists.

Much of this film could be lifted from any number of similar 90s thrillers with little to set it apart either in action sequences or plot. What plot there is is paper thin and details are left entirely to the imagination rather than any attempt to actually explain what is going on. The performances of the cast are not too but but honestly they have very little to work with.

2/5

The Spectre of Death

The Crow (1994)

Directed by Alex Proyas this film based on the comic of the same name stars Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson and Rochelle Davis. A murdered rock musician returns from the dead to avenge the death of himself and his wife.

Much of this film is a fairly standard revenge piece with a supernatural twist and characters that do not exactly stand out. While the film has some what of a cult reputation it is hard not to see this in part being due to the death of Brandon Lee during filming. The film is fairly well made but does not do anything special in my opinion.

3/5

Summer escapement

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Directed by Wes Anderson this film stars Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray and Frances McDormand. In 1965 on an island in New England a 12 year boy runs away from Scout camp along with one of the local girls.

As with all of his other films this film showcases Wes Anderson's off beat style nicely and it really fits well with the innocent, youthful perspective of the story. The plot really captures both the essence of childhood summer holidays where anything could be possible and the nature of young romances. Having two unknown child actors in the lead is often a gamble but works well here and the supporting cast is a collection of great actors as well.

5/5

ODIN!

The Vikings (1958)

Directed by Richard Fleischer this film is based on the novel of the same name and stars Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Janet Leight and Ernest Borgnine. During the Dark Ages two Vikings and an English king fight over a Welsh princess.

If you even have a passing knowledge of history you will spot more historical inaccuracies in this film than you can shake a stick at. The plot is fairly simplistic, something that you will have seen or seen something similar to in many other films of this type. Casting Borgnine to play the father is Douglas is a slightly strange choice as Douglas is the older of the two and the battle sequences are not overly impressive.

3/5

The Doves from the East

The Killer (1989)

Directed by John Woo this film stars Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee and Salley Yeh. A hit man makes friends with a bar singer, gets double crossed by his bosses and faces off against a police detective.

The plot for this film is pretty average but that is not really what you come to a John Woo film for. Many of Woo's stylistic trademarks make their début in this film such as his use of religious imagery and crazy over the top gun battles. Sit back and enjoy this film for what it is, an excellent action film that just about manages to stay the right side of silly.

4/5

Extra, extra

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest (2009)

Based on the novel of the same name this film from director Daniel Alfredson stars Noomi Rapace and Micahel Nyqvist. Picking up where the last film left off our heroine is in hospital and facing trial while the reporters at the millennium magazine seek to defend her.

Much like the second film in the series this film does not reach the heights of the first film but does work pretty well as a thriller. The plot does decent into conspiracy theory land but manages to hold a fair amount of tension even when the plot gets a little out there. Having the female protagonist sidelined for most of the film is not the greatest part of the story and the ending seems to indicate that despite three films she has not really changed.

4/5

Playing with sequels

The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009)

Based on the novel of the same name this sequel is directed by Daniel Alfredson and stars Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist. After spending a year abroad our heroine returns to Sweden and ends up the suspect in a triple murder.

Given how well the previous film, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009), wrapped up it's story there has to be questions over the need for a sequel. The plot seems to veer away from it's initial basis, an investigation into sex trafficking, to a more standard thriller that relies a little too much on coincidence for my liking. While the film is not badly made it lacks the thematic depth of it's predecessor and at least one of the characters appears to be a straight rip off of Robert Shaw's character in From Russia With Love (1963).

3/5

Cut from above

The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)

Directed by Orson Wells this film based on the novel of the same name stars Joseph cotton, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter and Tim Holt. The youngest member of a rich family grows up in a changing America.

The plot of this film is very much about the changing ways of life in America from the old upper class with money to the new industrial giants and the story works well as a metaphor for that. Behind the scenes there were was a large battle between the studio and Wells over the final edit and it does seem like the film may have lost some of it's more impressive sequences thanks to this. It is a shame that this is a good film that may have been a great one but for studio meddling.

4/5

One-eyed Willie

The Goonies (1985)

Directed by Richard Donner this film stars Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman and Kerri Green. A group of kids hunt for pirate treasure to save their parents houses from being foreclosed on and demolished.

Between Richard Donner, Chris Columbus and Steven Spielberg there is a lot of talent behind this film and while it is fun you might have expected a little more. There is plenty of action and hijinks through out but the film does lack a greater level of depth. Most of the special effects still hold up and there are decent performances from the child actors.

4/5