Not an exact science

Weird Science (1985)

Written and directed by John Hughes this film stars Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchel-Smith and Kelly LeBrock. Two socially awkward teenage boys manage to create their fantasy woman but things do not turn out exactly as they planned.

This film is not really up there with the rest of John Hughes work but there is still some good stuff in this film. While it may lack humour the film does do a good job highlighting the difference between fantasy and reality as the protagonists have a coming of age weekend. Some of the special effects are a little on the ropey side but otherwise there are some good performances from the cast.

3/5

what's in a story anyway?

Top Secret! (1984)

Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker this film stars Val Kilmer, Lucy Gutteridge, Christopher Villiers and Omar Sharif. An American pop star travels to East Germany for a concert and gets caught up in a spy caper.

While this film may never hit the heights of Airplane! (1980) it is still chock full of jokes with small details in scenes being turned to comic effect. When it comes to the plot it is best not to worry about it too much as does not make a huge amount of sense but serves to keep the action moving. The film is well made and the backwards sequence in the Swedish book shop with Peter Cushing is a particular comic highlight.

4/5

Animation before Pixar

The Land Before Time (1988)

Directed by Don Bluth this animated film uses the voice talents of Gabriel Damon, Candace Hutson, Judith Barsi and Will Ryan. Five young dinosaurs have to learn to work together as they look for a fertile valley and their families.

At the time of release this was a large hit but I am not so sure it has aged very well, especially in comparison to the types of stories that the likes of Pixar are putting out these days. The plot is pretty short and fairly simplistic while being fairly blunt with any morals so is one for the younger children. When it comes to the animation it is not bad but about on par with what you would get on television during the same period.

3/5

East of understanding

The East (2013)

Directed by Zal Batmanglij this film stars Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgard and Ellen Page. An undercover agent for a private intelligence firm seeks to infiltrate a group of anarchists.

The opening half of this film is a nicely taught thriller that poses some interesting questions about corporate responsibility and modern anarchist groups but it never really goes anywhere. Our group of anarchists are essentially just rich kids playing at revolutionary with questionable morals but while this issue is raised it is never taken to a conclusion. I think the ending was the part of the film that worked least as it was too large of an change for the protagonist that was never foreshadowed.

2/5

Mining bad ideas

The Lone Ranger (2013)

Directed by Gore Verbinski this film based on the classic characters of the same name stars Johny Depp, Armie Hammer, Ruth Wilson, William Fichtner and Tom Wilkinson. An ageing Native American retells the story of the origin of the title hero in the wild west.

Of all the franchises you could pick to reboot this is one of the stranger as no one makes westerns any more and this is not a franchise that is relevant to many modern cinema goers. There is however plenty of room to update a genre filled with problematic elements but unfortunately this film has all the old problems in spades (Native American character player by a white person, Native American massacres trivialised as plot points and female love interests with agency waiting to be saved). I did enjoy some occasional references to Once Upon a Time in the West but otherwise this film just seems to be an excuse to try to launch another franchise around Captain Jack Sparrow but this time in the guise of a Native America.

2/5

Bear-ly watchable

Arctic Flight (1952)

Directed by Lew Landers this film stars Wayne Morris, Lola Albright, Alan Hale Jr. and Carol Thurston. A commercial pilot in the Arctic Circle thinks his passenger might be a Soviet spy rather than the big game hunter he claims to be.

Despite having a short run time the plot of this film takes far too long to get to the actual espionage story and it is over so fast you might miss it if you blink. The script for this film really needed a big rewrite to focus on tension and suspicion, a leaf out of Hitchcock's book would have been a good start. When it comes to the star Wayne Morris comes off as a third rate John Wayne but really no one has much to work with.

2/5

Not so adorable

Adore (2013)

Directed by Anne Fontaine this film based on a short story in “The Grandmothers” stars Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, Ben Mendelsohn and Xavier Samuel. Two middle aged women that have been best friends for life start relationships with each others sons.

The problem with this film is that I am not sure it ever really explores with enough depth why the unusual relationships it depicts happen. This is not what you would call a bad film but it does not seem to be a fully realised story either. Where the film is strong is in transplanting the story to Australia and is shot really well, making excellent use of the landscapes.

3/5

Marriage addiction

Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972)

Directed by Waris Hussein this historical film stars Keith Michell, Charlotte Rampling, Jane Asher and Donald Pleasence. On his death bed English king Henry VIII reflects on his six marriages.

Covering so much material in only a two hour run time means that this film can only really give an over view rather than a detailed picture of so many marriages. I would liked to have seen more of the behind the scenes political manoeuvrings that we only see glimpses of as various nobles try to increase their power through the king's marriages. Generally the film is decently made and has a good cast.

3/5

Robot romance

WALL-E (2008)

Directed by Andrew Stanton this animated film uses the voice talent of Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Sigourney Weaver and Fred Willard. Hundreds of years in the future the last working rubbish compactor robot on earth meets a more advanced probe robot.

This film is a classic example of what Pixar do so well, they mix simple but well told emotional stories with a little something under the surface. In this case the film is not just a romance but also points a finger at the commercial habits of the United States. All of the animation is up to the usual standard but the highlight here is dealing with main characters that communicate largely without language which works really well.

5/5

Human monsters

Downfall (2004)

Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel this film based on real events stars Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Ulrich Matthes and Corinna Harfouch. Berlin 1945, during the last days of the war in Europe the Nazi high command are trapped in a bunker as the city is ruined around them.

What this film does well is remind us that monsters of history were real people and shows them as humans which is an important reminder of where any of us can end up. This film never seems to portray a full portrait of the Nazis but does do a good job of showing those final desperate hours and how fanatics cope when forced to face reality. There are some good performances and while the film never explores the horrors of the regime it is still a good watch.

 4/5

All action, all the time

The Raid: Redemption (2011)

Written and directed by Gareth Evans this film stars Iko Uwais, Donny Alamsyah, Pierre Gruno and Ray Sahetapy. Police officers in a SWAT team launch a raid on a tower block run by a crime lord, everything goes bad.

If you are expecting any sort of story or character development you came to the wrong place as those are low on the concerns of the film makers here. What you get here is non stop action that is really well directed and has a frenetic pace to it. A film like this lives or dies on it's direction and the action is expertly handled here more than making up for the lack of plot or character.

4/5

Super return for superman

Man of Steel (2013)

Directed by Zack Snyder this film reboots the Superman franchise and stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe and Michael Shannon. A baby is sent to Earth from a dying planet and as he grows up has to come to terms with the way his super powers set him apart from everyone else.

There is a lot to like about this film, it has a truck load of behinds the scenes talent in Nolan, Goyer and Snyder, and it does a good job of the tough ask that is rebuilding the Superman franchise. Thematically the film takes a nod from the original Richard Donner Superman (1978) and includes plenty of religious undertones with more than a Christian slant to them. You could see this is as evolution rather than revolution in comparison to the Donner film and in terms of scale this is an infinitely bigger film (it makes Thor (2011) look small and even rivals The Avengers (2012) in terms of scope).

Of course the film is not with out it's problems as the extra final battle with the antagonist is unnecessary and at times the film is a little plot heavy in comparison to character development. More special effects do not always make for better action sequences but most of the time the film stays just about the right side of the line. In general this is a really good adaptation that does a decent job of reinvigorating a golden age character.

5/5

Surf movie

Chasing Mavericks (2012)

Directed by Curtis Hanson and Michael Apted this film based on a real story stars Gerard Butler, Jonny Weston, Elisabeth Shue and Abigail Spencer. A 15 year old boy trains to surf big waves with his mentor from down the road.

While this film is based on a real story the way it is presented here hits just too many of the classic Hollywood script plans to be taken at face value. The film is not too bad a watch but far too often you can see the paint by numbers beneath the surface which can be annoying. Most of the surfing scenes are well done but this film does little to push the envelope and is far too cynically constructed.

2/5

3 sisters and an idiot

Our Idiot Brother (2011)

Directed by Jesse Peretz this film stars Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer. Three sisters obsessed with their own lives try to deal with their laid back brother who sees the best in everyone and has recently been released from jail.

There is not much original or subtle about the plot of this film but what could have easily been a heavy handed, overly sentimental film is handled really well. What the film gets by on is a level of charm that gently draws you in. It really helps that the film has a great supporting cast with Steve Coogan in particular stealing more than one scene.

3/5

Historic bombing

The War Lover (1962)

Directed by Philip Leacock this film based on the novel of the same name stars Steve McQueen, Robert Wagner, Shirley Anne Field and Michael Crawford. In 1943 two American bomber pilots struggle to cope with the war.

This film works fairly decently and is a pretty average war film that focuses more on the mental state of the crews of bombers rather than being an action piece. While the psychological side maybe the focus of the story here it is not a ground breaking effort but a nice change from the propaganda pieces of the 40s and 50s. Generally the special effects work well although this is obviously not a big budget film.

3/5

Trouble from the track

Suspicion (1941)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock this film based on the novel “Before the Fact” stars Joan Fontaine, Cary Grant, Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Nigel Bruce. A young woman marries a man with a gambling addiction with money problems.

The plot of this film is very much the kind of thing you expect from a Hitchcock film, ambiguity and suspense but it does take a little while for the plot to get going. Inevitably the film strays slightly from the source material due to studio concerns and the production code of the era but this is still a really decent thriller. Maybe the film could have been a little darker but in general it is well made as you would expect from any Hitchcock piece.

4/5

No laughs or scares

The Man Who Laughs (1928)

Directed by Paul Leni this film based on the novel of the same name stars Conrad Veidt, Mary Philbin, Brandon Hurst and Olga Vladimirovna Baklanonva. In England in 1690 the son of a nobleman killed by the king is scared to look like he is always smiling.

Variously this film is described as either a horror film or an expressionist film and I would say that it is really neither but more of a standard melodrama with a hint of swashbuckler about it. I was really hoping for something darker from this film but in the end it is a fairly average story of romantic and political manoeuvring. Generally the film is well made but the film has some really bizarre character names given the period and setting of the film.

3/5

Shaft hunts vampires

Blade (1998)

Directed by Stephen Norrington this film based on the comic book character of the same name stars Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson and N'Bushe Wright. If Shaft was a human-vampire hybrid that carried a katana and hunted vampires this is the film you would get.

It may be slightly forgotten now but this was the first big hit at the box office based on a Marvel property and it creates an entertaining watch for sure. The story may not have a lot of depth but there is about enough character and action to carry the film. Some of the CGI may skirt the edge of holding but generally the film is well made and the opening sequence is pretty great.

4/5

Not grown up

Grown Ups 2 (2013)

Directed by Dennis Dugan this film stars Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Salma Hayek. A man wakes up to find a deer in the bedroom he shares with his wife and gets urinated on by the deer.

The original film this is a sequel to was bad but at least it had vague ideas of having a plot, here some stuff happens for no real reason. It would be nice to say this film has some funny moments but in truth it is hard to point to even one moment as a saving grace in this unfunny mess. Ultimately it is fairly baffling how Adam Sandler can keep serving up stuff like this and still have a career.

1/5

All at sea

Lifeboat (1944)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock this film stars Tallulah Banhead, William Bendix, Walter Selzak and Mary Anderson. Following the sinking of a ship in the Atlantic several Allied survivors are joined in a life boat by a German from the U-boat that sank them.

Unlike many films of the period this is not a pure propaganda piece and Hitchcock does a decent job of balancing the moral dilemmas faced by the characters. At the time the plot was somewhat controversial and while you can see that on racial grounds the script is fairly weak the portrayal of the German character is nicely nuanced. Setting the whole film essentially in a lifeboat provides an interesting challenge for the direction but obviously with a master at hand this works really well.

4/5

Drone warfare is bad 'mkay

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Directed by Anthony Russo & Joe Russo this film stars Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie and Robert Redford. Still coming to terms with his life in modern times super soldier Steve Rodgers hunts down an assassin known only as the winter soldier.

As a fan of the comics this film is allegedly based on I found this film to be a bit of bait and switch as the winter soldier material is largely held over for a third film and replaced with a post-Snowden morality tale. The story maybe more relevant but it does lose a lot of the character development and while it does hand out some big changes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe I can not help but feel a better story could have been told by sticking closer to the original comic. Story concerns a side there are plenty of explosions, twists and turns along the way making this a more than entertaining super hero film.

4/5

Inbetweeners go large

The Inbetweeners Movie (2011)

Directed by Ben Palmer this film based on the television series of the same name stars Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas. Four 18 year old boys head off on their first holiday together without their parents.

I was a big fan of the television series this is based on but I am not sure the transition to longer form really helps here and the film does little Kevin & Perry Go Large (2000) has not done before. The film does capture a slice of “lads on holiday” but lacks the disastrous antics that build to hilarious failure in the original series. Mostly the film is well made even if it does seem a little formulaic and is a decent if slightly underwhelming watch.

3/5

Ninja love child

Submarine (2010)

Directed by Richard Ayoade this film based on the novel of the same name stars Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Noah Taylor, Paddy Considine and Sally Hawkins. A 15 year old boy falls in love while his parents appear to be falling out of love.

There are many coming of age tales out there and this one is told with some personality and humour thanks to the highly quirky protagonist. It is very easy to sit back and enjoy this well told tale of youthful misunderstanding as an immature person tries to deal with mature situations. I like the way the direction reflects the pretentious attitude of the main character using hints of French New Wave and the like to accentuate the story telling.

4/5

A New Year's eve carol

The Phantom Carriage (1921)

Directed by Victor Sjostrom this film based on the novel “Thy Soul Shall Bear Witness” stars it's director, Hilda Borgstrom and Tore Scennberg. On New Year's eve a dying Salvation Army girl wishes to speak with an alcoholic.

The basic plot of this film seems to take a cue from A Christmas Carol in that a spectre, this time Death's henchman, helps a man realise the error of his ways. Where this film is unusual for early films is in it's complicated structure that managers to use flashbacks with in flashbacks. With the depiction of many ghostly apparitions the special effects in this film hold up well and it is easy to see why it is considers so influential.

4/5

'Armless

Frankenstein's Army (2013)

Directed by Richard Raaphorst this film stars Karel Roden, Joshua Sasse, Robert Gwilym and Alexnader Mercury. In the dying days of WW2 a small squad of Soviet soldiers come up against the monstrous results of experiments on the dead.

This is one of those horror films that relies heavily on gores on place anything actually scary and while it is not to bad in a pulpy sort way there is not much originality. The plot is very much as you would expect and I am not sure that presenting the story as found footage adds anything at all here. Obviously this film was made on a budget some some of the special effects are ropey at best but there is the odd creepy moment here and there.

2/5

Look into my eyes

Trance (2013)

Directed by Danny Boyle this film stars James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel and Rosario Dawson. The inside man on an art theft double crosses his partners then can not remember where he stashed the stolen painting.

As a pure psychological thriller there is a lot to enjoy here as reality and dream state become increasingly confused for the characters. Where the film is slightly weaker is that I am not sure that all of the character actions make sense and the reveal towards the end has no foreshadowing so does feel like a little bit of a cheat. There are good performances from the cast and decent direction, this is a highly watchable genre piece but it does not transcend that.

4/5

Road to Baltimore

Luv (2013)

Directed by Sheldon Candis who also co-wrote this film it stars Common, Michael Rainey Jr., Dennis Hasybert and Danny Glover. A young boy spends the day with this recently out of prison uncle who teaches him about “business”.

Being set in Baltimore and about drug deals this film is always going to be massively over shadowed by “The Wire” and does not even come close to dealing with the subject matter as well. Most of the set up of this film is fairly cliché and you could suggest that the plot is a poor man's knock off of Road to Perdition (2002). The acting in the film is not too bad but the cast has little to work with given the weaker nature of the script.

2/5

Icky implications

The War Lord (1965)

Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner this film based on the play “The Lovers” stars Charlton Heston, Rosemary Forsyth and Richard Boone. A Norman lord takes charge of a village here he falls in love with the finance of one of his peasants.

The premise of this film is the lord having the right to spend the first night with any virgin bride has little basis in history and that is more than likely not the only historical inaccuracy here. As a piece of mindless entertainment this film is not too bad and it does tend slightly more towards realism than other films made at the same time set in Medieval periods. At times the production values are a little wobbly but they do hold up fairly well.

2/5

Opening shots

Foreign Correspondent (1940)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock this film stars Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall and George Sanders. In August 1939 an American reporter is hot on the heals of a conspiracy involving enemy spies in Britain.

This is a fairly run of the mill thriller filmed in the opening months of WW2 that has more than a slight hint of propaganda about it. There might be one or two elements of the plot which do not entirely make sense but in general this is a watchable if slightly slow thriller. Mostly the direction is unremarkable apart from the sea plane sequence at the end which provides a really good action set piece.

3/5

Problems of the Frock

I Confess (1953)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock this film based on a French play stars Montgomery Cliff, Anne Baxter, Karl Malden and O. E. Hasse. In Quebec a priest is accused of murder but unable to give his alibi or name the real killer for ethical reasons.

It is easy to see how this film has been over shadowed by Hitchcock's other work as it has a fairly pedestrian plot where the audience knows all and the protagonist is largely passive through out the events of the film. The ending of the story appears to have been changed so as not to offend certain groups and in my opinion that does make for a weaker resolution. Early on there are one or two nice Hitchcock touches but even the direction here is not up to the master's usual standards.

3/5