More 'Merica!

White House Down (2013)

 Directed by Roland Emmerich this film stars Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Wood. A police officer takes his daughter to the White House for a job interview with the Secret Service on the day it gets taken over by bad guys.

 If Olympus Has Fallen (2013) was a right wing paranoid fantasy then this is the left wing (or what passes for left wing in the US) paranoid fantasy counter point. While this film may not hammer home rampant patriotism as much as it's counter point it is still lacking in subtlety and has plenty of clichés as well as ridiculousness along the way. This film may not be as stupid as Olympus Has Fallen but that is scant praise and it is not a huge amount better really.

 2/5

Above it all

Wings (1927)

Directed by William A. Wellman this film stars Clara Bow, Charles “Buddy” Rogers and Richard Arlen. In 1917 two men join the US army air corps and a woman joins the war effort as an ambulance driver.

The plot of this film is a fairly average melodrama with unrequited love and misunderstandings against the back drop of WW1. It would have been an improvement if we saw some of the psychological effects of war on the main characters but as an action piece the story works well. Where the film is strongest is in the excellent flying sequences that not only really put you inside the plane but also have plenty of great external shots too.

4/5

Evil engine

Christine (1983)

Directed by John Carpenter this film based on the novel of the same name stars Keith Gordon, Dennis Stockwell, Alexandra Paul and Robert Prosky. A high school boy buys a damaged old car that seems to have a dark will of it's own.

It would be easy to say that this is a male version of Carrie (1976) as both films are based on novels by Stephen King but I think this film lacks the thematic depth of Carrie. There is one major change between the novel and the film but I do not think it changes anything substantially. The film is well made but not especially scary or spooky, there is some tension towards the end but not a huge amount.

3/5

A small problem

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)

Directed by Joe Johnston this film stars Rick Moranis, Amy O'Neill, Thomas Wilson Brown and Matt Frewer. An inventor creates a shrink ray but his children and the children of the neighbours end up getting shrunk by accident.

At the time of release this film was a massive hit at the box office and had two sequels as well as a spin off television series but to modern viewers the plot is fairly basic. There is an interesting metaphor for kids feeling like they have been miniaturised in an adult world but this is never really explored to any degree. Some of the sets for the shrunk down sequences in the garden are not of a very high standard but the film just about gets by for the most part.

3/5

Sir, yes Sir!

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick this film based on the novel “The Short-Timers” stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey and Arliss Howard. New recruits join the Marine Corp during the Vietnam war.

This film focuses on how the military turns a man into a killing machine and the consequences that has, in this regard it works really well putting it in stark contrast to all the recruitment films of the 50s and 60s. What I like most is that despite the attempts by the powers that be to dehumanise the protagonist when he finally does kill at the end of the film it is the most humane of actions. As with any Kubrick film the direction is good and it is no mean feat to manage to pull off a film set in Vietnam but film in London.

5/5

The dream is not real

Eight and a half (1963)

Directed by Federico Fellini this film stars Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimee, Sandra Milo and Claudia Cardinale. A famous director struggles with fatigue, his personal life and his latest film.

This film does a really good job of mixing fantasy and reality as the central character struggles over the relationship between the two both in his relationship with women and his job (making fantasy from reality). Thematically the film works really well and is one of the best films on the film making process. There is some good use of classical music and while this film is designed to encourage thought in the viewer it never leaves you confused due to the complex execution of mixing reality and fantasy.

5/5

Join the air force!

The McConnell Story (1955)

Directed by George Douglas this film based on a true story stars Alan Ladd, June Allyson and James Whitmore. A young man who dreams of flying joins the US military during WW2 hoping to become a pilot.

It seems that the plot of this film at least keeps true to the broad strokes of the real story it is based on. Sadly the film is more interested in being a recruiting advert for the Air Force rather than actually exploring the characters involved in any depth. The action sequences are not too bad for the era the film was made in but are not that impressive to modern viewers.

2/5

Isn't Google great?

The Internship (2013)

Directed by Shawn Levy this film stars Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Max Minghella and Rose Byrne. Two middle aged sales men are made redundant and join the intern program at Google.

The basic story of this film is fairly well constructed even if it does nothing original and does come off a bit as a free advert for Google. What the film really lacks is humour, there are some funny moments but not many. Disappointingly Rose Byrne is relegated to a B-plot as the love interest and that rather sums up this film as being full of missed opportunities rather than necessarily being bad.

3/5

The exorcist lite

The Conjuring (2013)

Directed by James Wan this film allegedly inspired by real events stars Vera Farminga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor. A family move to a house in the countryside where strange evens happen and they call in a pair of paranormal investigators.

Despite claiming to be based on real events this film features many genre clichés and pretty much relies on jump scares. The plot has no real thematic depth and does not leave any room for ambiguity or discussion. Generally the film is well made and acted but it offers little new material.

3/5

Zombies vs robots

Battle of the Damned (2013)

Written and directed by Christopher Hatton this film stars Dolph Lundgren, Melanie Zanetti and Matt Doran. A team of mercenaries are sent into a quarantined city filled with zombies to find a rich man's daughter.

The script of this film is probably the weakest element on show here and while not necessarily bad it just leaves far too much undeveloped. What story there is is pretty simple and you can see the markers of a bad script writing guide a mile off. For the low budget this film was likely made it the action sequences are not to bad which is what you likely came here for anyway.

2/5

Stupid is as stupid does

21 Jump Street (2012)

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller this film based on the television series of the same name stars Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum and Brie Larson. Two bungling rookie policemen are sent to work undercover in a high school.

There is an interesting idea in here of having a second shot at your youth, particularly for characters that had a bad time first go around but the script never fulfils this potential. As a comedy this film is not very clever and the attempts at being self aware do not go down very well either. To be honest I am not really sure how changing the tone to a comedy from the more serious original is an improvement and generally I found this to be a weak effort.

2/5

Money for old robe

The Robe (1953)

Directed by Henry Koster this film based on the novel of the same name stars Richard Burton, Jean Simmons and Victor Mature. In 32 AD the son of a Roman senator is sent to Judaea and he oversees the crucifixion of Jesus.

Much like Ben Hur the plot of this film takes place against a back drop of Biblical events rather than being an actual Biblical story itself. The plot of the film is a fairly average tale of early Christians and does not really have anything special to say about religion or the protagonists conversion. This was the first film released in CinemaScope, it makes good use of deep focus as well as clever staging with some nice sets and while lacks the action sequences of Ben Hur (1959) it is still a pretty decent spectacle.

4/5

They seek him here, they seek him there

High and Low (1963)

Directed by Akira Kurosawa this film based on the novel King's Ransom stars Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai and Kyoko Kagawa. The son of a chauffeur who works for a wealthy executive on the verge of a hostile take over of his company is kidnapped by mistake.

The plot of this film is a police procedural that manages to fit in a nice bit of social commentry. While the story works well and the police investigation feels like it has a high level of realism to it the story moves a little slowly at times for my liking. As with any Kurosawa piece the film is well made but maybe lacks the ticking clock or high level of tension this genre needs.

4/5

Father of Yavin

633 Squadron (1964)

Directed by Walter Grauman this film based on the novel of the same name stars Cliff Robertson, George Chakiris, Maria Perschy and Angus Lennie. In 1944 a squadron of Commonwealth pilots are given the task of destroying a factory in Norway.

If you were to be unkind you could say that the plot of this film is essentially a cut down version of The Dam Busters (1955), which it probably is, but it does do about enough to stand on it's own two feet. The plot is fairly simple and not exactly nuanced but does well enough even if it would have been nice to see a more in depth exploration of the characters of the pilots. At times the film does feel cheaply made but just about scrapes by and is probably worth watching as the final action sequence was in part the inspiration for the attack on the Death Star in Star Wars (1977).

3/5

Rim job

Pacific Rim (2013)

Directed and co-written by Guillermo del Toro this film stars Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba and Rinko Kikuchi. In the near future giant mechanoids fight massive monsters from another dimension to protect the people of Earth.

It is nice to see a big blockbuster that has a real international feel to it with both characters and cast from all over the world rather than being just another slice of America is the world like we usually get. Sadly the script for this film is pretty weak and it never really explores the emotional or psychological side of a story that offers tons of potential. What you do get though is a really unique film that offers plenty of destruction and violence in a good genre mash up even if the script could have done with a few more drafts.

4/5

Hondo-reds of similar films

Hondo (1953)

Directed by John Farrow this film stars John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond, Michael Pate and Lee Aaker. A dispatch rider for the US cavalry meets a woman and her son at their ranch after his horse as been killed by Apaches.

You could say that the plot of this film was pretty much exactly what you would expect from a John Wayne western with a little romance, a bar fight and some battle scenes. Probably the best the best thing you can say in favour of this film is that while it does little new or original the treatment of the Native Americans in the film is a lot better than you will often find in the genre. Mostly the film is well made but again does little to stand out from the many similar films about.

3/5

Not enough Clough

The Damned United (2009)

Directed by Tom Hooper this film based on real events stars Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney and Jim Broadbent. Controversial manager Brian Clough replaces Don Revie as manager of Leeds United, a club and manager he had been highly critical of.

There is a fascinating story to be told here but I am not sure that this every really gets to grips with the enigma that was Brian Clough. As you would expect there are plenty of errors of detail and chronology but I think the biggest problem is that the film never shows why Clough was such a great manager or where his demons came from. I really enjoyed the locations used and the film does a good job of portraying classic stadiums but in the end this is a bit of a light weight effort.

2/5

Dangerous chess minds

Life of a King (2013)

Directed by Jake Goldberger this film based on a true story stars Cuba Gooding, jr. Dennis Hasbert and Lisa Gay Hamilton. Recently released from prison a convicted felon starts a chess club to try and help the youth in his inner city neighbourhood.

The plot of this film is a pretty standard turning your life around and helping poor youth film that there are plenty of similar versions of out there. While this film may be based on a real story it seems that nearly all the details have been changed and the story bares little similarity to the real Eugene Brown's story. In terms of the execution of the film there is nothing wrong with it but it offers nothing much of interest either.

2/5

Irresponsible

The Lifeguard (2013)

Written and directed by Liz W. Garcia this film stars Kristen Bell, David Lambert and Mamie Gummer. A woman who has just turned 30 quits her job in the city to return to her home town and regresses into adolescence.

There are a couple of problems with this film, the first is that the characters never really suffer for some pretty irresponsible behaviour which all gets brushed away in the rushed resolution of the story. Secondly what would be a seriously creepy relationship if the genders were reversed is also never properly addressed and is weakly written. Kristen Bell is actually pretty impressive in the lead role but the script needs more work frankly.

2/5

Spirals rather than loops

Looper (2012)

Written and directed by Rian Johnson this film stars Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt. In 2044 assassins kill people sent back in time but one assassin falls foul of his bosses when fails to kill his future self as part of his contract.

There is a lot to like about this film but in the end it did feel a bit like it was living in the shadow of another Bruce Willis time travel film, Twelve Monkeys (1995). On an emotional level the plot works well but I am not sure that the plot ever answers answers enough of the questions it creates in the viewer's mind. What I did really like was Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance as a young Bruce Willis, while he may not have the build you would expect he really captured the mannerisms and voice of Willis spot on.

4/5

Reluctant adaptation

The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012)

Directed by Mira Nair this film based on the novel of the same name stars Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson and live Schreiber. Following the kidnapping of an American professor in Pakistan an American journalist interviews a Pakistani professor with suspected fundamentalist links.

It seems that the plot of this film diverges fairly heavily from the plot of the novel on which it is based, changing both events and an important character relationship. The message of the film is fairly heavily handed and while frames the problem of distrust well it does little to offer solutions to the problem. Generally the film is fairly well made and there are good performances but there are many films on the relationship between the West and Islamic countries now and this film does little to set itself apart.

2/5

The final flavour?

The World's End (2013)

Directed by Edgar Wright this film stars Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman and Rosamund Pike. Five friends return to the town they grew up in to complete a pub crawl.

As with any Wright/Pegg collaboration there is tons of clever stuff to look out for here and I really enjoyed the heavy use of foreshadowing as well as the alien invasion as metaphor for the experience of returning home. There are some really funny moments but I am not sure the protagonists journey ever reaches a mature emotional conclusion. This may not be the best of the Cornetto trilogy but it is still a really great film with plenty of cameos and details to look out for.

4/5

Balancing act

The X-Files (1998)

Directed by Rob Bowman this film based on the television series of the same name stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. Our heroes are plunged into conspiracy after the bombing of a government building.

Fitting in a film between two seasons of a television show and keeping it open to new viewers is no easy task but the film here just about pulls it off which is pretty impressive. Compared to some of the two and three part arcs in the show this may not be one of the best mythology arcs to come out of The X-Files but it is still highly entertaining. What is done well is using the extra budget to allow for some much larger set pieces that bring a bigger sense of scale than you would get usually.

4/5

Budget Indiana Jones

Armour of God (1986)

Directed by and staring Jackie Chan this film also features Alan Tam, Lola Forner and Rosamund Kwan. A treasure hunter is tasked with recovering ancient artefacts for a cult holding his friend's girlfriend hostage.

This is a pretty cheap action-adventure film where writing and production value were clearly way down the list of priorities. At times the story gets fairly silly for comedic purposes that are a little out of place. Clearly what you watch a film like this for are the action sequences and there are some really good ones but maybe not enough to make up for the film's deficiencies in other areas.

2/5

An Albanian dinner

Barefoot in the Park (1967)

Directed by Gene Saks this film based on the play of the same name stars Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Mildred Natwick and Charles Boyer. The honeymoon period is over as a newly wed young couple move into their first apartment together.

The plot of this film is a fairly standard romantic comedy which follows the usual rules and features the plot points you would expect. On the comedy side there are a couple of chuckles but this is not a riotously funny film. Unlike many play to film adaptations this film does do a slightly better job than usual of shifting the action away from all being in one location.

3/5

The land before CGI

The NeverEnding Story (1984)

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen this film based on the novel of the same name stars Barret Oliver, Noah Hathaway and Tami Stronach. A young boy that struggles to deal with his real world problems steals a fantasy book.

There is not a lot that is subtle about this film and it seems that it only covers the first half of the book which greatly reduces the thematic resonance of the story. I liked when the story becomes slightly more meta towards the end but I think it waits too long to tackle this. The special effects are not that impressive to the modern eye but are not as bad as you might expect.

3/5

New state-ment of intent?

Red State (2011)

Written and directed by Kevin Smith this film stars Michael Parks, John Goodman, Melissa Leo, Kyle Gallner and Kerry Bishe. Three high school boys use an online service to find a woman to have sex with them but get more than they bargained for.

You could say this is anything but your standard Kevin Smith film and it is nice to see a writer/director moving so far out of their comfort zone. Depending on your point of view the problem or success of this film is that it never really fits into any genre as it is neither gory or scary enough to be a true horror film or insightful enough to be a political film. Michael Parks is really good as the bizarre pastor but in the end this film does feel like it needs to be a lot darker or scarier to work.

3/5

In the jungle the Connery snarls tonight

Medicine Man (1992)

Directed by John McTiernan this film stars Sean Connery, Lorraine Bracco and Jose Walker. A female biochemist is sent into the Amazon rainforest to find a reclusive and eccentric scientist.

Nothing about this film is very subtle and it is a classic example of what you might call 90s cheese. The plot largely consists of the two main characters shouting at each other with an after thought of preserving the rainforest as we do not know what we might lose. Lorraine Bracco did not win any plaudits for her performance in this film and at times her accent seems to stretch to almost a parody of a New York accent it gets so thick.

2/5

Pain & insane

Pain & Gain (2013)

Directed by Michael Bay this film based on a real story stars Mark Walhberg, Dwaune Johnson, Anthony Mackie and Ed Harris. Three body builders from Florida seek to get rich through criminal means during the mid 90s.

As with any story based on real events there are inevitably questions to be asked as to how close the film sticks to real events and in this case if the central characters are portrayed as stupid rather than ruthless. Inevitably the story has been simplified some what and while a fun watch I am not sure that it is much beyond that. I would not have guessed that this was a Michael Bay film but I do think the film has some questions to answer in playing for laughs what are pretty gruesome events as this is a real life story rather than fiction.

2/5

Kiss confuse bang rewind

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

Directed by Shane Black this film based on the novel “Bodies Are Where You Find Them” stars Robert Downey, Jr., Val Kilmer and Michelle Monaghan. A small time thief goes to LA, meets an old friend from his childhood and gets caught up in bizarre criminal antics.

Hilarious moments are always just round the corner in this film that manages to both entertain and send up the genre of detective novels/films at the same time. The story delights in both making use of and subverting genre expectations so that you never really know where you are going. There are many laugh out loud moments and great performances from the lead actors.

5/5

Idle by name, idle by nature

8 Minutes Idle (2012)

Directed by Mark Simon Hewis this film based on the novel of the same name stars Tom Hughes, Ophelia Lovibond and Montserrat Lomard. An idle call centre worker from Bristol is kicked out of his mothers house and spends ten days living at work.

This is a fairly pedestrian, low budget British film that fits into the lazy youth genre with a hint of coming of age about it. Occasionally there are funny moments but in general this film does little to impress or disappoint. The cast is decent but too many characters are not fleshed out, about the best thing about this film is that it does capture the local flavour pretty well.

3/5