Totally not Tarzan

The Lost Volcano (1950)

Directed by Ford Beebe this film in the “Bomba the jungle boy” series stars Johnny Sheffield, Donald Woods, Marjorie Lord and Elena Verdugo. A young boy is kidnapped by two men looking for riches of a lost civilization.

There is not a ton of plot to this film and frankly the story is pretty simplistic. Our hero is totally not a young Tarzan and none of the characters or events show much originality. Clearly this film was made on the cheap and some of the special effects leave a lot to be desired.

2/5

Gold digging 101

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

Directed by Jean Negules this film based on two plays stars Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable and Cameron Mitchell. Three gold diggers set themselves up in New York and seek to marry millionaires.

Despite seeming a bit light hearted there is a slightly grim underbelly to this film and I don't think it helps that the central characters bad attitude essentially ends up getting rewarded. On the surface this is a pretty fun film but closer inspection makes it hard to sympathise with any of the characters. It is notable that this was the second film shot in cinemascope but is not really the sort of film that can exploit it well.

2/5

Eye see problems

I Origins (2014)

Written and directed by Mike Cahill this film stars Michael Pitt, Brit Marling and Astrid Berges-Frisbey. A scientist seeks to prove there is no god through studying the evolution of the eye while dating a woman that believes in reincarnation.

At times this film becomes a bit heavy handed for my taste in it's dealing with the “battle” between science and faith. The ending in particular is overly melodramatic and ends up forcing itself to lean too heavily towards theism/spirituality. Having a mash up of genres keeps the film entertaining but thematically I think it losses it's way too much.

2/5

Shaping up nicely

Composition in Blue (1935)

Directed by Oskar Fischinger this is an animated film made using stop motion techniques. Coloured shapes move around in time to music against a blue background.

While this is no plot to this short film it is still an entertaining watch. It is hard not to admire how well the animation fits the music and the progression of shapes/movements used. Despite it's simplicity this is an enjoyable short film.

3/5

When the party stops

Top Five (2014)

Written & directed by as well as staring Chris Rock this film also features Rosario Dawson, Gabrielle Union and Cedric the Entertainer. On the eve of his wedding to a reality television star a comedian trying to promote his new film about a slave uprising spends the day being interviewed.

There is plenty to enjoy about this honest insight into the world of celebrity and it contains many funny moments through out. Towards the end the story might nudge a little towards the sentimental but otherwise it's a fairly well told story with a hint of Richard Linklater's before trilogy about it. All the cast are good and there is a great depth in the supporting roles.

4/5

Saving the world and other things

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Directed by Matthew Vaughn this film film based on the comic “The Secret Service” stars Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Caine. A young man from a poor back ground with his life going off the rails is offered the chance to follow in his father's footsteps and become a secret agent.

While this film departs a fair amount from it's source material it is another really good collaboration between Mark Millar and Matthew Vaughn. Some where between a gentle send up and loving homage to the genre of spy films this is always entertaining and occasionally poking at something deeper. There are some really funny moments and performances from the cast that indicate they are having a lot of fun.

4/5

Mountain problems

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

Directed by Peter Jackson this sequel stars Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage and Evangeline Lilly. A dragon is unleashed on a town of men and armies duke it out for the riches of the mountain.

Essentially this entire film is cleaning up matters left over from the last film then fully about the title battle. Clearly the battle is spectacular and of the standard we have come to expect from Peter Jackson in Middle Earth but at times it does descend into a bit too much CGI for my taste. A little more character development would have been nice but the film does round out a trilogy well.

4/5