Not magic

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)

Directed by Don Scardino this film stars Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin, James Gandolfini and Jim Carrey. After losing his love for magic a Vegas based magician has to rediscover himself.

There are plenty of good elements to this film but the problem is that it seems the script has been through so many rewrites nearly everything is washed out. It is a real shame the plot and the final magic trick our protagonist uses are such a let down as there is so much potential here. Steve Buscemi gets pretty screwed as his character gets sidelined pretty heavily through out the film.

2/5

snikt snikt

The Wolverine (2013)

Directed by James Mangold this comic book adaptation stars Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima and Svetlana Khodchenkova. Following the events of the third X-men film Wolverine heads to Japan to visit a dying businessman he saved in WW2.

While the plot of this film may not exactly reflect the story as presented in the comics it does do a good job of capturing the spirit of Chris Claremont. The story itself is a vast improvement on the previous Wolverine film but does not really become more than just a decent super hero action film. Also improving from the previous Wolverine film is the special effects but I would have liked to see more of the Silver Samurai rather than the main villain not appearing until the final battle.

3/5

Arcade story?

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

Directed by Rich Moore this animated film includes the voice talents of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch. The bad guy from an arcade video game seems to earn respect and friendship from the other characters in his game.

There is a slight hint of Toy Story (1995) in the set up of this story but thankfully the plot goes it's own way and is a nice little gem in it's own right. The story has a decent heart to it and I really enjoyed the numerous references to classic video games that litter the film. While there may be a lot of product placement in this film it does do a great job of fitting it in fairly seamlessly and the animation is spot on for the worlds that are depicted.

4/5

Die Hard 5: Mission to Moscow

A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)

Directed by John Moore this 5^th film in the franchise stars Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney and Sebastian Koch. John McClane travels to Moscow after his son is put on trial for murder but not all is what it seems.

You kind of expect the plot to be a little silly in action films like this but the real problem here is that there are very few redeeming features in the script. Personality goes a long way but this film has none so it is really impossible to muster even an iota of care as to what happens to the characters. There are plenty of action set pieces but with no play off between protagonist and antagonist most of these fall rather flat.

2/5

The kid's gotta dance

The Red Shoes (1948)

Directed by Powell and Pressburger this film inspired by the fairy tale of the same name stars Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook and Marius Goring. A young dancer and a young composer join the ballet company of a famous Russian ballet director.

Much like Black Swan (2010) this film does an excellent job of interleaving the plot of the main story with that of the ballet the cast is performing. The script does a good job of using the fairly tale to ask how much a performer must sacrifice for their art and gives the film some excellent layering. As with any Powell and Pressburger film this is excellently made with great early use of colour as well as more fantastical elements with special effects.

5/5

An explained journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Directed by Peter Jackson this film based on the first part of the novel of the same name stars Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and Ian Holm. A hobbit minding his own business is convinced to join a wizard and 13 dwarves on an adventure.

This film very much has the feel of the first part of a story and while being plenty entertaining lacks a clear end point for the plot. The script scratches round some ideas of home for a theme but never really goes deep enough and the character arc of the protagonist being excepted into the group is decent but we never get an explanation for why he changed his mind to go on the adventure. As with any of Jackson's middle earth films this is a really well made effort with attention to detail as well as excellent special effects and landscapes on show.

4/5

To eternity and beyond!

From Here to Eternity (1953)

Directed by Fred Zinnemann this film based on the novel of the same name stars Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Cliff, Debroah Kerr, Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed. During 1941 soldiers in a company based on Hawaii struggle with woman and a self interested officer.

There are a some changes between the novel and the plot of the film but the film still manages to get in a surprising amount of explicit material, even if only in implication, for the period in which it was made. Compared to the propaganda material that Hollywood was putting out mere years earlier this is a series departure and covers some fairly dark stuff. The cast of this film is really good and there is also a famous beach scene that is really well done.

4/5

Coming at ya

Cleopatra (1963)

Directed (mostly) by Joseph L. Mankiewicz this film stars Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison and Roddy McDowall. The young queen of Egypt seeks to keep her kingdom free of Rome and increase her power base.

As with any historical film there are some inaccuracies here but largely the film sticks to what really happened. Where the script may be weaker is in dealing with the relationship between Cleopatra and Anthony which never really seems to have the right chemistry which is odd as the actors were famously having an affair at the time. While the plot may be long and average this film certainly makes up for it in scale and spectacle, some sequences really show where the huge budget went.

4/5

Camp dud

Friday the 13^th (1980)

Directed by Sean S. Cunningham this film stars Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Kevin Bacon and Jeannine Taylor. A group of teenagers head out to the woods to help re-open a summer camp but are stalked by a serial killer.

Despite having a reputation as one of the grandparents of the slasher genre this is a fairly weak effort that lacks much plot of character. While the revelation of the killer's identity is a change from the usual it is not enough to over come the fact this about 30 minutes of film dragged out to 90 minutes. Some of the gore may have been new to cinema a the time but the direction is not especially filled with tension or interesting.

2/5

Death of a Ronin

Harakiri (1962)

Directed by Masaki Kobayashi this film stars Tatsuya Nakadai, Rentaro Mikuni, Shima Iwashita and Akira Ishihama. In 1630s Japan a down on his luck Ronin arrives at the gates of a large Samurai clan asking for a place to perform ritual suicide.

As a film about suicide the plot of this film works both as a critique of the hypocrisy in the Samurai code but also as to how we still struggle to deal with both those who are seeking to make a “cry for help” and actually trying to kill themselves. While the film is fairly slow moving it builds nicely to an action packed to conclusion and creates an intricate puzzle for the antagonist to deal with. It is well worth waiting for the eventual confrontation as the final fight scenes are excellently shot and performed.

5/5

74 years later, 20 years earlier

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

Directed by Sam Raimi this film based on the classic series of novels stars James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Zach Braff. In 1905 a carnival magician who is con man and a womaniser is transported to the magical land of Oz.

Inevitably this film will sit in the shadow of The Wizard of Oz (1939) but it actually works really well as a prequel as well as tying in nicely with the world of that film. There are hints at a slightly more mature side to plot than we are used to from Disney but all in all this is a decent story of an anti hero turned hero. What criticism you can aim at the film is that the special effects do create a slightly sterile world but in general this is a really enjoyable if slightly unusual fairytale.

3/5

Nuns up a mountain

Black Narcissus (1947)

Directed by Powell and Pressburger this film based on the novel of the same name stars Deborah Kerr, Sabu, Jean Simmons and David Farrar. A group of nuns travel to a remote community in the Himalayas to set up a new convent.

While there are some differences between the novel and the film the film does an excellent job of filling the film with implied sexual tension and temptation without offending anyone by the delicate subject matter. The story works well showing the nuns struggle between faith and temptation, while some of the characters maybe a little backwards in their views of other races the film itself is not. What is most impressive about the film is that despite being shot entirely in England the external shots do an amazing job of capturing the scale of the Himalayan setting.

5/5

No gold here

St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold (2009)

Directed by Oliver Parker and Barnaby Thompson this sequel stars Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, David Tennant and Talulah Riley. Girls from the worst behaved school in the country take on misogynists in the hunt for pirate gold.

The plot for this film is it's weakest element by far, focusing too much on the adult characters and being a pretty disinteresting investigation. Adding a feminist or anti-misogynist element to the story is a good idea but is never really taken far enough or considered seriously. Maybe it was decided to let the adult cast dominate as the cast of students is not as strong this time around but they don't get much chance for growth in the script which does not help matters.

2/5

What year is it?

Jumanji (1995)

Directed by Joe Johnston this film based on the novel of the same name stars Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, David Alan Grier, Bonnie Hunt and Bradley Pierce. A boy plays a strange board game in 1969 and disappears, 26 years later two orphans start playing the same magical game.

There is plenty of fun to be had in this film but I am not sure it ever uses any of it's qualities to the maximum. The plot does take a little while to get going and it is entertaining but lacks much depth. Building a film around Robin Williams is never a bad idea but he does not really get to make the most of his talents, at least the CGI holds up pretty well given that it is now nearly 15 years old.

3/5

In the zone

Stalker (1979)

Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky this film loosely based on the novel “Roadside Picnic” stars Alexander Kaidanovsky, Anatoli Solonitsyn and Nikolai Grinko. Three men enter a quarantined zone in search of a room that gives you whatever you want.

The plot of this film may stray pretty far from it's source material but it is still a fascinating watch that looks at the themes of greed. This may not be the most dense sci-fi film you will see but it is well worth watching and is certainly a departure from the usual. Long, slow takes litter the film and they really help emphasis the haunting locations of the film showing Tarkovsky's skill as a director.

5/5

A loss of magic

Miracle on 34^th Street (1994)

Directed by Les Mayfield this remake of the classic film of the same name stars Richard Attenborough, Mara Wilson, Elizabeth Perkins and Dylan McDermott. An old man starts work as Santa Clause at a New York department store, is he the real thing or mentally ill?

Inevitably this film will always be compared with the original and in pretty much every area it is weaker. The script tries to simplify the story both in plot and character terms which detracts from the impact of the story. When it comes to the cast Attenborough does a decent job but Elizabeth Perkins is not even close to being in the same league as Maureen O'Hara.

3/5

Someone stole the jokes

Identity Thief (2013)

Directed by Seth Gordon this comedy stars Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Favreau, Amanda Peet and Robert Patrick. A man has to find the woman that stole his identity to save his job and financial well being.

The general plot of this film is pretty much a paint numbers affair and you can see it ticking off the boxes as the story trundles along. Where the real problems lie is the fact that someone forgot to put the funny in which is a real surprise given the two lead who are usually pretty good. As much as it can be the film is well made but without any humour we are flogging a dead horse here sadly.

2/5

Life and time

Cloud Atlas (2012)

Directed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer this adaptation of the novel of the same name stars Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess and Jim Broadbent. Six stories spread over six hundred years chart the interconnection of life and humanity.

Generally this film is impressive all round, managing to get the complicated narrative structure onto the screen in a way that makes sense is no small feat. The idea of life being interconnected and the most important things being who we spend our time with are not especially new ideas but they add depth to the story here and are handed well. The film is well made blending different genres admirably and there are some nice Easter eggs buried through out.

5/5

Genesis of a killer

Halloween (1978)

Directed by John Carpenter this film stars Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P. J. Soles and Nancy Loomis. A six year old boy stabs his sister to death then fifteen years later he escapes from a mental home to kill once more on Halloween.

For a film that had such a big effect on it's genre this is a surprisingly average effort in retrospect. The story has little real depth to it, never really goes into how the antagonist became evil and few of the characters have any real personality either. Where you have to give the film credit is in the direction which unlike all the slasher films that followed it this film does not rely on blood and gore but is a bit more subtle in making it's scares.

3/5

Who Goes There Again?

The Thing (2011)

Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. this film stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. Norwegian scientists discover a crashed alien space craft with a frozen survivor in the Antarctic.

By being a prequel the plot of this film is fairly heavily boxed in by John Carpenter's earlier film and the story here essentially a retreat of that film. What this film lacks compared to it's predecessor is a protagonist with more personality and maybe a little more speculation about the team's amazing find. Over all the film is well made with better special effects but really this film does little better or different from the original.

3/5

Defective

The Defector (1966)

Directed by Raoul Levy this film based on the novel “The Spy” stars Montgomery Cliff, Hardy Kruger and Roddy McDowall. An American scientist is sent to East Germany by the CIA to retrieve a microfilm from a Russian scientist.

The plot of this spy film is not the most realistic you will run into as both sides indulge in amateurish behaviour. You can find plenty of films with a similar premise but are better done so it is hard to find a reason to recommend this film. Montgomery Clift made his final appearance in this film shortly before his death and you can tell he is not well as his hands are shaking in most scenes.

2/5

The Original Santa

Miracle on 34^th Street (1947)

Written and directed by George Seaton this film stars Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gween. Is an old man working as a department shot Santa Clause the real Santa Clause or is he mentally ill?

At times this often remake film pushes the barriers on being sappy but for the most part is a really well made film that while aimed at a younger audience holds up to older viewers too. The film may not completely divulge itself of materialism in favour of “the real Christmas spirit” but does a pretty good job otherwise. Largely the film is well made and Edmund Gwenn is excellently cast as Kris Kringle.

4/5

A voyage into slumber

Dreams (1990)

Directed by Akira Kurosawa this film stars Akira Terao, Martin Scorsese and Chishu Ryu. We explore a number of short films inspired by Kurosawa's own dreams.

Like many films of collected shorts this film is a bit of a mixed bag with varying quality of the individual parts. Some are interesting insights and broadly sketch the different stages of life although some seem a little disconnected from the general theme. As with anything by Kurosawa there are parts which are excellently shot but Scorsese seems an odd choice to play Vincent van Gogh.

4/5

Four ways to fail

Timecode (2000)

Written and directed by Mike Figgis this film has a large cast including Salma Hayek, Stellan Staksgard, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Saffron Burrows. Four continuous 90 minute takes, shot simultaneously are presented at the same time to tell the a story at an LA film production company.

This may be an experimental film but there is much to be impressed with here in the staging, filming and acting of this film which must have been some effort in logistics. Unfortunately all the hard work is for little as the final product is confusing and plenty of the story ends up being lost in the execution. It is hard to decide where I stand on this film as it is as impressively made as it is disappointing in it's final form.

2/5

Misstory

Hyde Park on Hudson (2012)

Directed by Roger Michell this film based on real events stars Bill Murray, Laura Linney, Samuel West, Olivia Colman and Olivia Williams. On the eve of WW2 the King and Queen of England travel to visit with President Roosevelt.

This is one of those films that is not really sure what it wants to be, a look into historical events or a look into the human side of those involved and does not really do either properly. It seems that there are some liberties that have been taken with history as the film takes that which is speculated about and sketches a much larger picture based on it. Casting Bill Murray as FDR is an odd choice but actually works pretty well unlike the rest of the film.

2/5

More bullets than a gun factory

Hard Boiled (1992)

Directed by John Woo this film stars Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Teresa Mo and Philip Chan. A police inspector and an undercover policeman clash over an investigation into gun smugglers in Hong Kong.

Compared to Woo's earlier The Killer (1989) this is a weaker film with less character and less artistic depth. The story is fairly simple and particularly Chow Yun-fat's character takes it's inspiration from a number of western detective stories. What makes this film worth watching is Woo turning the action all the way up with plenty of massively over the top action sequences to keep you entertained.

4/5

Young Swords

The Three Musketeers (1993)

Directed by Stephen Herek this film based on the classic novel of the same name stars Charlie Sheen, Keifer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, Oliver Platt and Tim Curry. In 17^th century France a young man travels to Paris to become a musketeer like his father before him.

While this film may take it's cue from the classic novel there are a number of departures in the plot which turn this into a pretty standard action adventure story. There is plenty of swashbuckling along the way but the story is kept simplistic and does not have much character development. Tim Curry does his best to ham it up as the villain of the piece but a lot of the other actors are out of place in a period film.

2/5

The President goes on a date

The American President (1995)

Directed by Rob Reiner this film stars Michael Douglas, Annette Benning, Martin Sheen and Michael J. Fox. A widower President of the United States starts dating an environmental lobbyist.

If you are a fan of the TV series The West Wing it is easy to see the foundations of that series in this film, both of which were penned by Aaron Sorkin. The plot of this film is fairly simple with the central romance being slightly rushed at times and the conclusion heading towards slightly preachy cheese. In general the film is well made but is largely unremarkable being neither a full romance or a full insight into the political workings of the US.

3/5

Horrible monster

Deep Rising (1998)

Written and directed by Stephen Sommers this film stars Treat Williams, Famke Janssen, Kevin J. O'Connor and Anthony Heald. Smugglers and mercenaries end up trapped on a cruise liner with a sea monster.

Essentially the script of this film steals from a lot of places but is mostly a third rate Alien (1979) knock off. Like many 90s action films this film does not have any character arcs, character motivations that make sense or much personality either. When it comes to the monster the film relies heavily on early CGI that is not really up to the job it was being asked to do at this point.

1/5

And they all regretted laughing

Carrie (1976)

Directed by Brian De Palma this film based on the novel of the same name stars Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving and William Katt. An innocent girl with telekinetic powers and an over bearing religious mother is picked on by the girls at school.

The plot of this film is a good combination of high school bullying and religious oppression of female sexuality. While it may be obvious that the events are going to end terribly the film is so well made that right up to the last minute you are hoping all will go well for the protagonist when that is impossible. There are some trademark De Palma touches in the big action sequences that work well and the whole film is well done from start to finish.

5/5

Fuck you too

The Thing (1982)

Directed by John Carpenter this film based on the novella “Who Goes There?” stars Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley and Keith David. An alien shape shifter attacks scientists at an American research base in the Antarctic.

While there may not be a lot original about this film it does a good job of combining parts of Alien (1979) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers with a remote, hostile environment. There are some good moments of tension and action but the plot does not tie into some universal fear or comment on the way we live. At the time it was released this film was over looked by audiences and while some of the effects are no longer cutting edge it is still well worth a look.

4/5