What I've Just Watched: Part 3 - The Search for Spock

In & Out (1997), directed by Frank Oz, this is possibly the first film that was inspired by an Oscar acceptance speech, in particular, when Tom Hanks won an Oscar for Philadelphia, and thanked his high school drama teacher, and outed him, when it hadn't been made public. It might sound hard to make a film from an acceptance speech, but in Paul Rudnick's screenplay, lay the foundations for a very funny comedy with a very good cast. In the town of Greenleaf, Indiana, Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline) works as an English literature teacher, and is a well liked member of the community, and he's getting ready to get married to his longtime sweetheart Emily Montgomery (Joan Cusack). One of Howard's former students and resident of Greenleaf, Cameron Drake (Matt Dillon) has been nominated for an Oscar, which he wins. In his speech, Cameron thanks Howard, and says that he's gay. Howard is shocked, but not as shocked as his parents (Debbie Reynolds and Wilford Brimley) and Emily, and despite Howard's protests that he's not gay, reporter Peter Malloy (Tom Selleck) comes to town to see if the wedding goes ahead. It has some very funny moments, and films about homosexuals don't normally do well at the box-office, but it has a brilliant cast, and it shows homosexuals in a positive light, without having to resort to crass stereotypes, as many films portraying them sometimes do. 4/5



The Invention of Lying (2009), the directorial debut of Ricky Gervais, which he co-wrote and co-directed with Matthew Robinson, the latter came up with the original concept, which Gervais expanded. This is a high concept romantic comedy-fantasy, which is cut from similar cloth to Groundhog Day. It's not perfect, and if you ignore the dozens of plotholes and paradoxes that litter this film, then it is very funny, and Gervais proves himself to be a good director. This is a world where there's no such thing as lying, and everyone in the world tells the truth. Movies just have historians in chairs telling stories and adverts are blunt and to the point, one movie writer Mark Bellison (Gervais) has just lost his job because his movies are unsuccessful, and he can't get a date with Anna McDoogles (Jennifer Garner). Nearly penniless, he goes to the bank to get his savings out, but something in his brain occurs, and he tells the world's first lie, and says he has more money than he has, which he gets out. So, Mark and his friend Greg Kleinschmidt (Louis C.K.) use this gift of lying to great effect, but soon people look to Mark as a messiah. It's a good idea for a film, but not all of it works, but it is a lot better than some critics made it out to be. But, Gervais got a lot of his celebrities chums in it, like Jonah Hill, Karl Pilkington, Christopher Guest, Tina Fey, Jeffrey Tambor and Barry of Eastenders. 3/5

Hitchcock (2012), directed by Sacha Gervasi (Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008), and writer off The Big Tease (1999) and The Terminal (2004)) and produced by Ivan Reitman. This is an amusing, light-hearted biopic based on Stephen Rebello's 1990 book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho. While some artistic licence might have been applied here and there, it does have some good moments, and some good performances throughout. Alfred Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) has just released North by Northwest (1959), and is looking for his next film, and he finds it in Robert Bloch's recent best-selling book, Psycho. Hitch is determined that this will be his next film, but his wife and artistic collaborator, Alma Reville (Helen Mirren) thinks otherwise, and tries to get him to read a screenplay by Whitfield Cook (Danny Huston), but Hitch has made his mind up, Psycho will be his next film. Paramount Pictures won't fund it, so Hitch funds it himself, casting Janet Leigh (Scarlett Johansson) and Anthony Perkins (James D'Arcy), but Hitch is plagued with visions and dreams of Ed Gein (Michael Wincott), whose gruesome story inspired Psycho. It's very light-hearted stuff, while Hopkins is more of a characture of Hitchcock, it's Mirren as his wife who is brilliant, blunt and honest, Reville was the woman who made Hitchcock's films work, and whose decisions made Psycho the horror classic that it is. 3.5/5



Iron Man 3 (2013), it had to happen, after the success of the first two Iron Man films and now The Avengers (2012), a third Iron Man was inevitable. Here, it's co-written and directed by Shane Black, best known for writing classic action films like Lethal Weapon (1987), The Last Boy Scout (1991) and The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996). It's a winning combination, and it has some insane action sequences in it, and it's great fun to watch, and makes up for the inconsistencies of Iron Man 2 (2010). After battling with The Avengers, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is having panic attacks, which he can't seem to explain, and he's spent ages in his lab building prototype Iron Man suits, which has put a strain on his relationship with girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). When Stark's security chief Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) is injured in a terrorist bombing instigated by The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), Stark swears revenge, but the Mandarin retaliates by bombing Stark's home, nearly killing him. Stark then discovers a link between the bombing and scientist Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), who Stark had encountered years earlier. It's a superhero film with a lot of twists and shocks along the way, Downey Jr. is brilliant as always, and this is the darkest Iron Man of the lot, and with Black on board, it feels fresh and revitalised, but lets hope there'll be an Iron Man 4 soon. 4.5/5

Quills (2000), based upon the acclaimed play by Doug Wright, who adapted it for the film here, and directed by Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff (1983), The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1987) and Rising Sun (1993)). This is a lurid, but visually stunning character piece with some great performances. It's not meant to be historically accurate, it only imagines the last few years of the life of it's central character, and his little escapades while locked up, but it's entertaining. Set during the Reign of Terror, right slap bang in the middle of the French Revolution, the Marquis De Sade (Geoffrey Rush) has been incarcerated at an asylum at Charenton for his obscene, pornographic works of literature. The asylum is run by administrator Abbé du Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix), who is in love with the asylum's laundress Madeleine LeClerc (Kate Winslet), who smuggles the Marquis' works out to the world. Napoleon (Ron Cook) orders all of the Marquis' works to be destroyed, and sends in Dr. Royer-Collard (Michael Caine) to silence the Marquis once and for all, but the Dr. Royer-Collard gets more than he bargain for in the asylum, and with the Marquis. You can't believe this sort of thing went on, but Rush is brilliant as the insane, flamboyant Marquis, and it has some very good performances throughout, and it shows that historical drama's don't all have to be about good manners and the higher classes behaving. 4/5



Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008), the directorial debut of visual effects supervisor Eric Brevig, who later directed Yogi Bear (2010), this is a spirited adaptation of Jules Verne's 1864 novel, although the author and his work are referenced throughout the film frequently. It's a very cheesy film, but it manages to be great fun to watch, even if some of the visual effects used are a little ropey, but that's irrelevant, it still manages to be a good film to watch. Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser) is a volcanologist who is visited by his nephew Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson), whose father Max seemingly died years earlier, but they find a copy of Journey to the Center of the Earth which belonged to Max, and find notes by Max, which seem to suggest that Verne's writings were correct, after noticing seismic activity on the Icelandic volcano of Snæfellsjökull, Trevor and Max travel to Iceland, where they meet Hannah Ásgeirsson (Anita Briem), while scaling the volcano, they become trapped in a cave, which leads to an abandoned mine, which leads to a shaft which takes them to the centre of the Earth. It's a fun adventure film, which most of it done in front of blue and green screens, which action which seems to have been lifted from the Indiana Jones and Spy Kids films, but that doesn't seem to matter, there's a lot to like about the take on the classic novel. 3.5/5

King Ralph (1991), directed by David S. Ward (Major League (1989), Major League II (1994) and Down Periscope (1996) and produced by Sydney Pollack. This was adapted from the 1980 novel Headlong by Emlyn Williams, but after the producers decided they couldn't make a faithful adaptation of the novel, they tinkered with it, keeping the central concept there, but making it more accessable to Americans. It proved to be a good decision, but it has heart and good laughs along the way. After the entire Royal Family is electrocuted in a freak accident, the hunt is on for an heir to the throne, Sir Cedric Willingham (Peter O'Toole) and Duncan Phipps (Richard Griffiths) lead the search, and they find an heir in Ralph Jones (John Goodman) who works in Las Vegas as a lounge singer. He can't believe it, but when he's flown to London and schooled in English etiquette by Willingham, such as English history, foods and how to play cricket. After Ralph sneaks out and meets exotic dancer Miranda Greene (Camille Coduri), he believes he's met the love of his life, but Lord Percival Graves (John Hurt) uses that to ensure he gets the claim to the throne of England. It's a silly film, with a lot of culture clashes going on, but Goodman is likeable as a monarch, showing the aristocracy how to loosen up and have fun, plus this film puts Love Thy Neighbour stars Jack Smethurst and Rudolph Walker together again!! 3.5/5



On Deadly Ground (1994), after finding success in Above The Law (1988), Hard To Kill (1990) and Under Siege (1992), Steven Seagal had become one of Hollywood's biggest action stars, and for his next film, he convinced Warner Bros. that he should direct it. It was the chance Seagal had been waiting for, and was fully in charge of his own film, but it was a troubled production which went over schedule and over budget, and it alienated audiences too, and despite Seagal's best intentions, it doesn't work. Aegis Oil, which is run by Michael Jennings (Michael Caine), and it owns several oil rigs and a new oil refinery in Alaska, after a fire delays the opening of the refinery, oil fire expert Forrest Taft (Seagal), arrives and puts it out. Foreman Hugh Palmer (Richard Hamilton) tells Taft that there's been cutbacks with safety equipment and Taft decides to investigate further, but Jennings gets to find out about his activities, and sets up a trap, setting Taft up. But Taft, badly wounded, manages to escape with Masu (Joan Chen), who comes from a tribe of Eskimos, who sold their land to Jennings years ago, he recovers with them and plots payback. For a film that promises so much, it's a very maudlin, melancholy affair, even the action seems uninspired, and the environmental message doesn't belong in a film like this, as a result, Seagal has never directed another film again. 2/5

The Avengers (3rd view) - Loads of fun - 4/5




Star Trek (3rd view) - The best Trek I've seen that doesn't involve Tribbles - 4/5




Season Of The Witch (2nd view) - I know it's crap but I like it a lot - 4/5




Werewolf: The Beast Among Us (1st view) - Passable - 3/5*





Tintin and The Golden Fleece (1st view) - The Spielberg Tintin wipes the floor with this - 3/5*

Secretary (2002), directed by Steven Shainberg (Hit Me (1998) and Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006)), this was adapted from a short story called Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill. On first viewing, it looks like a lurid, sadomasochistic film done to shock people, but it isn't, beneath the surface is a weird love story. It has two brilliant lead performances, and it tackles this very tricky and controversial subject well, but it's definitely not a film for everyone. Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has had bad luck in life, she had trouble when she was younger after a self harm incident, but she has since come over that, after taking a typing course, she finally gets a bit of luck in her life when she gets a job as a secretary with attorney E. Edward Grey (James Spader). Despite her appearance and stitled social skills, she settles in OK. However, after a series of typing errors, Grey calls Lee into his office, and it turns out he's sexual aroused by her errors, and he wants to punish her for it, and Lee experiences a sexual awakening as a result, and this sadomasochistic relationship turns into something more passionate, which leaves Grey at a bit of a loose end. It's clear that this would never be the stuff of mainstream cinema, but Shainberg manages to show this difficult subject in a serious, sympathetic light, and it's aided with Gyllenhaal and Spader both giving excellent performances, and it's for those who like 50 Shades of Grey. 4/5



Gulliver's Travels (2010), directed by Rob Letterman (Shark Tale (2004) and Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)), and loosely based on Jonathan Swift's 1726 novel, (by loosely, they've only adapted a quarter of the original book.) This is a dumbed down version of the original book, but it does have some funny moments, but you get the nagging feeling that there is a longer cut somewhere which explains some of the plotholes that this film has. It's not perfect, and it could have been better. Lemuel Gulliver (Jack Black) works in the mailroom of a New York newspaper, he has a crush on journalist Darcy Silverman (Amanda Peet), and he convinces her he can do travel journals, so Darcy sends him to Bermuda, to cover ships that have gone missing in the Bermuda Triangle. He travels into the area, and is sucked up in a waterspout, and he finds himself in the Kingdom of Lilliput, where Gulliver is a giant compared to the residents. Despite this, he manages to befriend prisoner Horatio (Jason Segel), save King Theodore (Billy Connolly) from a fire at the palace, which makes General Edward (Chris O'Dowd) very jealous indeed. This film would have benefitted from a longer cut, and you get the feeling there was better material cut out. It's a shame, as Black is very likeable as Gulliver, but it's a shame they only adapted one part of the book, when they could have made a great film with all of it. 3/5

Rise Of The Guardians (1st view) - Nice concept, some good vocals and gorgeous visuals - 4/5*

Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs (1974), produced by George Harrison for Apple Films, adapted from avid Halliwell's play and adapted here by Stuart Cooper (Overlord (1975) and The Disappearance (1977)). This is a very odd curiosity, and a little seen one too. Harrison wanted to make a film version of the film after seeing the production, it was allegedly the only play he'd seen in his life, he made a good choice. Set in a snowy Lancashire, Malcolm Scrawdike (John Hurt) has been expelled from the local arts school for various misdemeanors, his fellow students Wick (John McEnery) and Irwin (Raymond Platt) tell Malcolm they've been forbidden from seeing him again, or they'll be expelled too. Malcolm convinces them to stand up against the teachers in the school, and they form The Party of Dynamic Erection, where Malcolm plans an elaborate revenge on one of the tutors who expelled him, by kidnapping this tutor and blackmailing him, they're joined in their plot by the oddball Nipple (David Warner), and they plan out how it will go, but tensions between Malcolm, Wick, Irwin and Nipple threaten to tear this party apart. You can tell it was a stage production, and it's a very sparse and dark affair, with brooding cinematography by John Alcott, plus it was hardly seen no thanks to Apple briefly folding, but Harrison got it released, and it has some brilliant performances in it. 4/5



Stormy Monday (1988), the directorial debut of Mike Figgis, who before he'd moved into the world of cinema, had been a musician, working with the likes of Bryan Ferry and performing in the experimental group People Show. Figgis was able to raise the money for this, and even for a debut feature, got very lucky, and was able to get two top Hollywood actors cast. It's a dark noirish thriller which owes more than a debt of gratitude to Get Carter (1971), but it's still a very powerful film. In Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Brendan (Sean Bean) get a job in The Key Club, owned by gangster Finney (Sting), who is looking to leave the criminal underworld behind and do legitimate, legal work in the world, but he's threatened not to back out, especially because there's a party of visiting Americans in town, led by Cosmo (Tommy Lee Jones), whose girlfriend Kate (Melanie Griffith) is used to seduce investors in Newcastle for a redevelopment plan Cosmo is behind. Things get complicated when Brendan and Kate fall in love, while Finney is the only man standing in the way of Cosmo's redevelopment plans, and Cosmo won't take no for an answer. It's a dark love story, a four way character piece with each character playing off one another, betraying one another. Figgis gets the best out of his cast, and it has some good cinematography by Roger Deakins, and it shows off Newcastle well. 4/5

Brannigan (1975), directed by Douglas Hickox (Theatre of Blood (1973) and Zulu Dawn (1979)), this is a tough British thriller which put John Wayne as a fish-out-of-water cop in London, that's the novelty about it. It was the second of only 2 cop films Wayne did, the other one being McQ (1974), but there is quite a bit to admire about this film, it has a great cast, although it does owe alot to Coogan's Bluff (1968), only set in London, but it does work. Chicago cop Jim Brannigan (Wayne) is sent to London to extradite American gangster Ben Larkin (John Vernon). Brannigan is aided by local policewoman Jennifer (Judy Geeson), and Brannigan reports to Commander Swann (Richard Attenborough), who runs the Metropolitan Police, and doesn't like that Brannigan carries a gun to sort out matters. But when Larkin is kidnapped by Mel Fields (Mel Ferrer), Brannigan goes on a manhunt across London looking for him, but a contract has been put out on Brannigan's life to prevent him sending Larkin back to America, with hitman Gorman (Daniel Pilon) sent to London to stop Brannigan, but Brannigan won't be stopped at doing his job. It's a routine action thriller, but it's very light hearted, with Wayne playing it up, and causing a bar-room brawl as he would have in one of his westerns, but it has some amusing sights like Wayne fighting Brian Glover and Wayne throwing Tony Robinson into the Thames. 4/5



Year of the Dragon (1985), directed by Michael Cimino, whose career had self-destructed beyond repair with Heaven's Gate (1980), it looked like he would never direct again, but he was thrown a lifeline by Dino De Laurentiis, who offered Cimino this adaptation of Robert Daley's 1981 novel, which Cimino adapted for the screen with Oliver Stone. It's a good film, and it showed Cimino could do good, entertaining commercial films, something he's seldom done since. Captain Stanley White (Mickey Rourke) is a respected New York Cop and decorated Vietnam veteran, married to Connie (Caroline Kava). He's newly assigned to Chinatown, where White makes it his mission to come down hard on Chinese gangs, there's an uneasy truce with Joey Tai (John Lone), a young gangster who rises through the ranks to become head of the triads. With the truce ended, an all out war begins between the police and Tai's gang. Caught in the crossfire is TV reporter Tracy Tzu (Ariane Koizumi), but White promises to protect Tzu, as she knows too much, and it makes him even more determined to bring down Tai. It's a very epic film, and Cimino brings out the best in his cast, especially Rourke who was aged to look older, it's a decision that worked. It's not very sympathetic towards the Chinese or other ethnic minorities, but it manages to be a good action film that reeks of the 1980's. 4/5

Devil (1st view) - Films about elevators generally suck. Downtime with Paul McGann and Down with Naomi Watts are both in my 25 worst films. This one's much better than those two efforts, as five strangers get bumped off one by one in a lift - 3/5*





Inception (3rd view) - First time I saw this it made perfect sense, less so second time round and now it just hurt my head. There's so much exposition in the first hour as the rules of dream inveiglery are explained and then broken, it's almost like playing Monopoly for the first time, it's impossible to not want to refer back to the instructions during gameplay. There's no heart to the film either, or at least not in the intended fashion. I simply cannot care at all for Cobb's anguish over Mal. But the film overall is immensely entertaining - 4/5





Repo Men (1st view) - Jude Law and Forest Whitaker star as the titular repo men, going around and extracting transplanted organs from those who've fallen behind in their payments - 3/5*

Air America (1990), directed by Roger Spottiswoode, then hot off the success of Turner & Hooch (1989), he took on this adaptation of Christopher Robbins' 1979 book which focuses on a side of the Vietnam War that not many people know about. It was originally to have been directed by Richard Rush (The Stunt Man (1980)), but there were numerous directors and actors attached before it ended up as it was. It's not bad, but it is a bit ramshackle in places, but there's fun to be had. During the Vietnam War in 1969, pilot Billy Covington (Robert Downey, Jr.) is sent to Laos to help with the war effort there after the Vietnamese invade Laos. But, it's a top secret covert job done by the CIA, which no-one can know about. Billy is employed as part of the Air America "civilian group" which sends supplies to civilians in Laos, he's working with pilot Gene Ryack (Mel Gibson), who knows all the tricks of the trade. Meanwhile, Senator Davenport (Lane Smith) has come from Washington to investigate alleged drug trafficking rumours, while trying to appease Royal Laotian General Lu Soong (Burt Kwouk) who has an opium trade going on. It's trying to be another M*A*S*H, and it was marketed as a knockabout buddy buddy comedy, but it's a lot darker than it makes out. But, Gibson and Downey make a good partnership on screen, but that's one of the few saving graces about this film. 3/5



The Secret of Kells (2009), from Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon, and the directorial debut of comic book artist Tomm Moore, this is an enchanting and magical fantasy based on Irish legend. It's absolutely beautiful to look at, and it owes a debt of gratitude to the works of Studio Ghibli. It shows that hand-drawn animation can still look brilliant, and trump many CGI and 3D efforts, this is a cartoon with heart and imagination in spades. Set in the 8th Century, Abbot Cellach (Brendan Gleeson) is obsessed with building a wall to keep the Vikings out of the Abbey of Kells, he's raised his 12 year old nephew Brendan (Evan McGuire) to follow in his footsteps, and has been forbidden from leaving Kells. But all that changes when Brother Aidan (Mick Lally) arrives with his cat Pangur Bán, and Aidan has the Book of Iona, and he teaches Brendan about the book, musch to Abbot Cellach's ire. Aidan even sends Brendan out into the surrounding woods to get gall nuts to make ink. Out in the woods, Brendan meets fairy Aisling (Christen Mooney), who is suspicious of Brendan at first, but they become friends. There hasn't been an enchanting animated film like this in ages, but it's beautiful to look at, and it makes you want more. Director Moore and his team at Cartoon Saloon are talents to watch out for, as they've made a masterpiece with this film. 5/5

Valdez is Coming (1971), directed by Edwin Sherin (TV's Law & Order) and adapted from Elmore Leonard's 1970 novel of the same name. This had potential to be a good revisionist western, but it turns out being dull and lifeless, which is a shame given the pedigree of the cast, and the best-seller it's adapted from. It's just another western made in Spain, and there were loads of them made around that time, this just has no personality at all. Mexican-American town constable Bob Valdez (Burt Lancaster) is tricked into killing an innocent man by evil rancher Frank Tanner (Jon Cypher), but Valdez wants to get his own back against Tanner, but Tanner sends his men to torture Valdez, by tying him to a wooden cross and have him walk through the desert. But, he breaks free and walks to the ranch of his friend Diego (Frank Silvera), who helps Valdez recuperate. He plans a revenge, but kidnapping Tanner's woman Gay Erin (Susan Clark) whose husband was inadvertently murdered by Valdez. Also kidnapped by Valdez is Tanner's hired gun hired gun R.L. Davis (Richard Jordan), but Tanner sends a posse out to stop Valdez. It has a good plot, but non of it seems to gel on screen which is a great shame, as it has so much potential. Lancaster, usually full of charisma and gravitas, seems bored and brooding throughout the film, this is one Leonard book in need of a new film adaptation. 2/5



Thumbsucker (2005), based upon the book by Walter Kim first published in 1999, and directed by Mike Mills (Beginners (2010)), this is a touching, quirky and funny film about growing pains and the stuggle to break certain habits. It has a very good cast, and made for a meagre $4 million, it manages to do quite a bit with not a lot, but it is a very memorable film. It's odd and it won't be for everyone, but something rings true about it. 17 year old Justin Cobb (Lou Pucci) is a shy high-school student who keeps to himself, but he still sucks his thumb, which irritates his parents Audrey (Tilda Swinton) and Mike (Vincent D'Onofrio), who he refers to by their first name. This habit has led to Justin having major orthodontic repair work, but his dentist Dr. Perry Lyman (Keanu Reeves) is able to put Justin into a hypnotic trance to get him off sucking his thumb, but this makes him even more miserable, and it affects his schoolwork. His parents put him on Ritalin, which improves his social skills and leads to him doing really well at school, but it leads to him becoming quite aggressive. Thumbsucker is a good little indie film, and it's a good character piece, but it's quirkiness does work against it at times, especially in the middle. But it manages to be likeable for the most part, and it shows how teenagers can deal with the angst that happens. 3.5/5

Heavy Traffic (1973), after Fritz the Cat (1972) made a lot of money being the first X-rated cartoon, director Ralph Bakshi was offered to do the sequel The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat (1974), he turned that down in favour of something alot more personal. It's an episodic, personal odyssey, but it's absolutely brilliant as well. This tells the story of young twentysomething cartoonist Michael Corleone (Joseph Kaufmann), who we see in live-action playing pinball, but it disolves into animation as it shows his family life, his Italian father Angelo (Frank DeKova) has connection with the Mafia and work unions who is constantly cheating on his Jewish wife Ida (Terri Haven), they constantly fight but Michael tends to ignore them and he carries on with his cartoons. In a bar, he meets black bartender Carole (Beverly Hope Atkinson), who accepts to hang out with Michael because she likes his cartoons, his father doesn't approve of his son going out with a black girlfriend, and he's having problems of his own with the union, and Carole and Michael have aspirations of moving out to California together. It's a brilliant film done with a raw energy and Bakshi's visual eye, from mixing animated characters on real streets to old 1930's cartoon sketches coming to life, but it perfectly encapsulates the angst someone in their 20's go through, it's as relevant now as it was then, and the soundtrack is brilliant as well. 5/5



Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), it was inevitable that J.J. Abrams would do a sequel to Star Trek (2009), the film which reinvigorated and rebooted the stale and tired Star Trek franchise, it took a few years but Abrams and his team worked on a good, compelling plot. It would be darker than the 2009 reboot, but it's a sequel which is a better film, it puts it's characters first, then the action second, and there's some good performances throughout this film. In London, there's a terrorist bombing at an archive, which was masterminded by renegade Starfleet agent John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), and he flees to Kronos, which is Klingon territory. Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller) authorises Captain James Kirk (Chris Pine) to hunt down and capture Harrison, together on the Enterprise with Spock (Zachary Quinto), Bones (Karl Urban) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) go to Kronos to find Harrison, which seems like an easy task, but they're nearly outnumbered by Klingon's, and when they do eventually capture Harrison, the crew of the Enterprise learn a few horrible secrets, which tests their loyalty to the Starfleet. It's a massive epic sci-fi adventure, and just like the last film, it's great for those who aren't fans of Star Trek. But it's worth it for Benedict Cumberbatch, who is an absolute force of nature as the baddie, and he steals the film from nearly everyone else. 4/5

The Secret of Kells is amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing!


Alex Cross (1st view) - James Patterson's Alex Cross novels might not be great literature but they are good page-turners that deserved better than this. Matthew Fox looks like he's having fun but Tyler Perry is utterly useless as the lead. The Morgan Freeman films were better - 3/5*





Star Trek: Into Darkness (1st view) - SPOILERS - Srek '09 was better but this was still very enjoyable. I've read some complaints about it being similar at times to The Wrath of Kahn, but I've not seen that film in at least 15 years and can't remember a thing about it so I don't really care. Benedict Cumberbatch was ace - 4/5*

The Natural (1984), directed by Barry Levinson, who had made his directorial debut with Diner (1982), the critical plaudits the film won was enough to pique Hollywood's interest, and Levinson was offered this adaptation of Bernard Malamud's 1952 novel, which he accepted. It's a sentimental tale, but it has a good cast, and it's a novel enough idea, and it works on screen. It's a baseball film for people who don't like baseball, and it has a touch of fantasy about it. It begins in 1923, when 19-year-old Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) is given a tryout with the Chicago Cubs, where he strikes out "The Whammer" (Joe Don Baker). However, his promising career comes crashing down when he's shot by Harriet Bird (Barbara Hershey). Cut to 1939, and Hobbs is back in action when he's signed up by the New York Knights by owners Pop Fisher (Wilford Brimley) and Red Blow (Richard Farnsworth). Although they're non-plussed at having signed up a "middle-aged rookie", he soon surprises them all, and Hobbs' secret weapon is a bat he made when he was a boy, which he calls Wonderboy, and his success turns the clubs fortunes around. If you're wondering where you've seen this before, the answer is in the Simpsons episode Homer at the Bat, but that doesn't stop The Natural from being an enjoyable film, and it has a good supporting cast including Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger and Michael Madsen. 4/5



Avalon (1990), the 3rd film in Barry Levinson's series of Baltimore Films after Diner (1982) and Tin Men (1987). Avalon was a project Levinson had in mind for a few years, but he could never get it funded, but it was only after Levinson won the Best Director Oscar for Rain Man (1988) that he got the money. It's a sweet and innocent tale of a world long since gone, and it's a good character piece as well with some lovely performances along the way. It begins in Baltimore in 1948, and Sam Krichinsky (Armin Mueller-Stahl) moved to America from Poland in 1914, and he and his brothers Hymie (Leo Fuchs), Gabriel (Lou Jacobi) and Nathan (Israel Rubinek) have all settled down with their families. Sam and his brothers made their living with a wallpaper business, but Sam's son Jules (Aidan Quinn) is looking to start an appliance store with his cousin Izzy (Kevin Pollak) after seeing how popular television is becoming in Baltimore, but there's certain customs that Sam can't understand about America, like the etiquette used in the school of his grandson Michael (Elijah Wood) or why his son has changed his surname to Kaye. It's a touching and gently funny film, and it's a good timepiece of post World War 2 America, and Baltimore is a colourful town indeed, Levinson gets the very best from his ensemble cast, and it might actually be his best film, and an underrated one at that. 4.5/5

The Great Gatsby (2013), Baz Luhrmann is back, unfazed by Australia (2008) not doing that well at the box-office, he's taken on a true American epic for his next film, this adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel. It's been adapted for the screen before, but not like this. Baz has used 3D to bring 1920's New York to life, and he uses the glitz and glamour he used for Moulin Rouge (2001) to make it look magical, and it works, it's an emotional rollercoaster and beautiful to behold. New York, 1922. Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) has come to New York from the Midwest to work on Wall Street, he rents a little cottage in the Long Island village of West Egg, which is next door to the lavish mansion of Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), who is a mysterious man and is subject to rumours. Across the water in East Egg lives Nick's cousin Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan) and her husband Tom (Joel Edgerton). Nick is invited to one of Gatsby's wild parties, and they meet, and Nick learns that Gatsby knew Daisy a few years earlier, and that Gatsby is wishing to reunited with Daisy, but they don't know how to tell Tom, who is very short-tempered. To those who say the novel cannot be adapted, they're wrong, Baz has done the novel justice here, complete with added Jay-Z music, which works. It looks absolutely stunning and it's compelling and an amazing accomplishment. 4.5/5



Repo Man (1984), the directorial debut of Alex Cox, who got lucky by being able to study film at UCLA, where he made a couple of short films. He had intended to make this for a meagre $70,000. Then Cox met ex-Monkee Michael Nesmith, who loved the idea, and was able to get Universal Pictures to put up a bigger budget, complete with a big cast. Cox was lucky to be given this for his feature debut, and it's a dark and funny satire on Reagan's America. Otto Maddox (Emilio Estevez) is a punk rocker living in Los Angeles, who has been fired from his job at a supermarket, and his parents have given his education money to a televangelist. Frustrated, Otto meets Bud (Harry Dean Stanton), a repossession agent who goes around repossessing cars and collection commission for doing so, Bud invites Otto to come and work for him. Otto is disgusted at the thought, but he soon fits in, and comes to enjoy this life. But, when Otto learns of a 1964 Chevrolet Malibu is wanted for £20,000. He goes looking for it, but there's others looking for this car, because it holds a dark secret in it's trunk, something out of this world. It's a very enjoyable and daft romp, although it was dumped on release at the time because Universal didn't know what to do with it, but it won a cult audience and it made a profit and got Cox (briefly) some fame and fortune, it's a shame it didn't last for him. 4/5

Despicable Me (2010), the directorial debut of animators Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, and based on a story by fellow animator Sergio Pablos. This was the first animated film by Illumination Entertainment, set up by ex-Fox Animation Studios head Chris Meledandri. It's a very entertaining animated film with a lot of imagination, humour and heart, and a lot of slapstick cartoon violence that Chuck Jones would have been proud of as well. Gru (Steve Carell) is a super-villain who feels burnt out after he learns he has a rival in Vector (Jason Segal), who has just stolen the Great Pyramid of Giza. Gru needs money so that colleague Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand) and team of Minions can pull off the ultimate plan, stealing the moon. To get the money, Gru needs to steal a shrink ray, which is stolen by Vector, in order to get into Vector's lair to get the shrink ray back, Gru adopts 3 little girls Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Elsie Kate Fisher) to get into Vector's lair, but this is mostly to impress Gru's mother (Julie Andrews). It's a very original film, even if it does have a touch of The Incredibles about it, but the show is stolen by the Minions and their antics, and there's some good slapstick moments along the way, it leaves you wanting more. 4/5



Hop (2011), directed by Tim Hill (Muppets from Space (1999), Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006) Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)) and produced by Illumination Entertainment, at the time hot off the success of Despicable Me (2010), this is a seasonal film with a difference, it isn't about Christmas, Thanksgiving or Halloween. It's a sweet-toothed affair, even if it fall into all the pratfalls that films like these usual have, but it is fun in places. On Easter Island, young rabbit E.B. (Russell Brand) is in line to succeed his father Mr. Bunny (Hugh Laurie) as the Easter Bunny, but E.B. is scared by all the responsibilities the title has, so E.B. runs away to Hollywood to follow his dream of becoming a rock drummer. It's in Van Nuys where he meets out of work slacker Fred O'Hare (James Marsden), who is looking for a job, but is amazed when he learns about E.B.'s calling. Meanwhile, back on Easter Island, a trio of ninja bunnies are sent to Hollywood to look for E.B. however, Easter Chick Carlos (Hank Azaria) plans a revolt against Mr. Bunny, while in Hollywood, E.B. auditions for David Hasselhoff. It's a very silly film, and it's done with kids in mind, but if you lower you expectations enough, then it's actually a good film to watch. It's not perfect, films like this seldom are, but it has it's heart in the right place, and it mixes live-action and CGI animation well enough. 3/5

Wanted (3rd view) - Insane action film. If breaking the laws of physics and wanton destruction are your thing, this is the film for you - 4/5





Stand By Me (2nd view) - Four annoying kids each try to out-manipulate the audience into feeling sorry for them. There's one great scene, but that occurs in the first minute. It's downhill from there - 2/5

Independence Day (8th view) - Hard to believe that this is now 17 years old. Even if I didn't like the film so much I'd still appreciate of for kickstarting the 90s disaster revival. Still tremendous fun - 4/5





The Train (5th view) - Burt Lancaster stars as a French resistance fighter trying to stop a train full of priceless French art reaching Germany, shortly before the liberation of Paris. One of my all-time favourites films and it has been for years. A more weighty WWII action film than many of its contemporaries, but it doesn't skimp on nerve-shredding tension. For me it's one of the best-looking films ever made. The crisp cinematography, imposing camera angles and long-tracking shots - especially those that involve director John Frankenheimer gleefully blowing up trains or Lancaster really lending the film credibility doing his own stunts - really help ramp up the action and tension. An amazing piece of work - 5/5

Speed (6th view) - I’d forgotten just how tense this film was, basically one long thrill ride that never lets up, even if the bus bridging the gap is one of the most preposterous things I’ve ever seen - 4/5




Crimson Tide (1st view) - The first and best of Tony Scott's film with Denzel Washington - 4/5

Gimli The Avenger wrote:

The Secret of Kells is amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing!

Glad you think so!!

[img]Armageddon (5th view) - I want Michael Bay to start making films as good as enjoyable as this again and forget about robots beating each other up - 4/5

I thought Armageddon was OK actually.

I love it. It's great fun!

The Rock (7th view) - The best action film of the 70s - 5/5




Blitz (1st view) - Jason Statham stars as a hardknock cop on te trail of a police killer - 3/5*



Jack Reacher (1st view) - Nice to see an action film these days that has action and fight scenes that don't have crazy fast edits - 4/5*