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I choose... Wisely.
The Indiana Jones films are weird. I saw the first film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, when I was young and loved it - so much that I decided to see its sequel, Temple of Doom. Big mistake. TOD is by far one of the most nightmarish films I've ever seen, with its Cult Sacrafices and Child Enslavement. Years later, I go with caution into the third film, Last Crusade...
And it was fantastic! Brandishing the dark tone of Temple of original PG-13 (expect for one Gruesome death seen at the end), Last Crusade is what an Indy movie should be - spirited, Funny, and incredibly entertaining. This is in large part to the excellent chemistry between Sean Connery and Harrisnon Ford, which gives the film heart and charm, as well as a variety of incredible action scenes and great music.
The script is filled with laughs, and the pacing is spot-on. The ending is possibly my favourite Indy tomb-raid scene there is, and the culmination of the Grail Plotline is perfect. If I do have some gripes it would be that that the Venice sequence is a bit dull compared to the rest of the film, through still great, and that some of the side characters are forgettable. But really, it's hard to care when you're having so much fun.
A first time watch of Pirates of the Carribean.
Short Version: It was fun.
Long Version: This is a masterfully fun adventure that really does not demand much more description. It knows its not a serious film - during a scene where Sparrow is nearly hanged, a man has a bird poop on his shoulder - and it acts on it, with quips, fights, double-crosses and Swashbuckling fights galore.
Everyone knows that Johnny Depp mis fantastic as Captain Jack Sparrow, the loony, utterly insane and completely hilarious Pirate with one-liners that should not work but just do-the line 'Why' s the rum gone? ' actually made me laugh, and I'm not the only one, based on the memes.
Orlando Bloom is fine but nothing great as the' main' hero, but Keira Knightley has some great burns as the resourceful damsel-in-distress. Geoffrey Rush, meanwhile, as the menacing Villian Barbossa, is just having so much fun that it's hard not to like him (and his pet monkey, who is adorably meaning.)
The CGI and practicals still hold up very well, and the Set Design and cinematography are all-round spectacular. There are some cheesy and cringey lines, practically from Barbossa's crew, and it's not perfectly paced. But it's still fun at it's most, well, fun.
But Sparrow testing out the hot irons on a donkey was uncalled for. Shame on you, Jack.
Fun family film tugs on heartstrings.
Harrison Ford and his dog go on a trip across Alaska? What's not to like?
I know that all the animals are CGI, but honestly, aside from a few jiggy shots, if you know and accept that going in then you're going to love Buck and the other animals. Buck is a really cute, heroic protagonist and you really feel for him throughout the majority of the runtime (plus the CG work is also stunning). There is also a truck-load of visual gags with him that I really liked.
The first 40% of this film is entertaining but its very forgettable and, overall, carries little plot relvence to the latter part. But once Harrison Ford snags Buck from a Pantomine Villian from a Cartoon, the film picks up pace, with a super fun, engaging journey across Alaska with some fun hijicks and an emotional end.
With beautiful cinematography and music, and a likeable lead, this Call of the Wild is a definite thumbs-up for families.
I've forgotten how fun this is!
The Avengers, despite its flaws, is a hilarious, entertaining and fun superhero blockbuster that lifted the MCU from hit-or-miss to biggest franchise in film history (along with mabye Star Wars.)
The storyline I'd pretty basic - the superheroes must team up to stop evil Demigod Loki destroying Earth - but what crackles is the script. Joss Wheldon makes the dialogue so sharp and witty ("Puny god; He was adopted; A Steven Hawking... Eh, smart person) and the pacing works really well, as, despite being 2 hours and 28 minutes, it feels only 2 hours.
The performances are also great: Tom Hiddleston being the highlight as Loki, one of the MCU's best villains, and the rest of the cast being great as well. The action scenes (despite being really long) are filled with quips and entertainment, and are thus regarded as some of the best superhero battles, and for good reason - the Helicarrier battle and the New York battle being particularly great.
I do have problems here - namely the TV-movie lighting scheme and lenses, and some moments that need some tinkering - but it's hard to care when it's so enjoyable. Better than I remember, and a full on thumbs-up from me - epically for the two iconic post credits scenes.
Moto Moto likes you.
I honestly find this film utterly hilarious. Nana, the Penguins, MOTO Moto, there's so much to love. It's a little bloated and the middle stretch is a tad sloggy, but I don't care because this film is too much fun. Bright, colourful and completely crazy, this is up there with Shrek 2 as one of the best Dreamworks films.
One of the best Animated sequels of all time.
Shrek 2 is not perfect. The storyline goes a little back and forth, the animation isn't spectacular and there are some forgettable moments. That being said, Shrek 2 is so much fun. From the excellent character of Puss in Boots, to the scene_stealing Fairy Godmother, all the way to the amazing climax, it just works. It also helps that it is hilarious - I think nearly every joke worked, which is strange for a kids animation. There is also a lot of strangely great character development (particularly for John Clesse's King Harold) and it never overstay its welcome. Fun for everyone!
Not as good as second film, but still fun.
Dog Days, the finale to the original Wimpy Kid trilogy, is good enough viewing. There are enough funny jokes, hilarious set-pieces and charming performances to keep families entertained, but it does lack some of the wit of second film. This time, Steven Zahn's dad Frank is the second lead, and when he's on screen the films great, but when he's not the script seems to forget itself. Like the first two, there are a mix of not so good comic 'episodes' (the entire plot with Rowley's holiday, the opening scene, the dog subplot) and their are some hilariously entertaining ones (the Country Club, the camping scene, the military school). However, sometimes this one feels more bloated than the other too - did we really need subplots about Rowley's parents, Sweetie the dog, Heather Hills and the camp (through hilarious) in one 90-minute movie, when we have tons of other plots carried over from the first 2 films to contend with too? Regardless, this is still a funny family film that will defiantly entertain you, but it's nothing you haven't seen before in these films.
Great, witty fun.
Rodrick Rules, the second Diary of a Wimpy Kid film and defiantly my favourite, is a funny, entertaining family comedy with a charming cast and lots of laughs. This film has a lot of episodic but hilarious sequences, some a little throw-away (the Mall sequence, the Internet plot line, the opening), some gut-bustingly hilarious (the horror film, the stay at the old folks home, the climax.) The cast defiantly contribute to why this is such a fun romp, epically Devon Bodstick as Rodrick and Steve Zahn as the boy's dad, but everyone is doing a really great job here (even the kid actors!) Their is an over-use of pop songs and the script is nothing special, plus when some jokes don't land they REALLY don't land, but it's too much fun to really complain.
Hilarious, underrated animation.
Megamind is one of those forgotten classics that you porbaly have never heard of (unless you are a fan of Schaffrillas Productions), but when you watch it, you are propelled by the wit, charm and likeability of this great family film. Will Ferrell is tremendous as the titular anti hero, and the supporting voice cast is also great (Brad Pitt as superhero Metroman being the highlight.) Like a lot of Pixar films, the animation is visually unappealing, and their are a few clichés here and there, but it's just such a fun, energetic, quotable ("and I love you random citizen!") watch. Families should defiantly check it out.
Possibly my favourite Bond film.
I'm not a big fan of the Roger Moore Bond films in general - they range from fun enough (Live and Let Die, Moonraker, For your Eyes Only) to just about watchable (Octopussy) to terrible (The Man with the Golden Gun.) This one is, surprisingly, really great, from the outstanding opening ski chase to the explosive Tanker finale. Nearly everything works, and it's all done in a slick (through very 70s) style that all Moore's other films have honestly lacked.
One of the best things about this film is Jaws (Richard Kiel), the steel toothed henchman trailing Bond around the globe. He's fun but also intimating, and he proves an amazing antagonist for this film. (the main villain is pretty weak, but he's not in this much so it's mine.) Moore does a great job in this, and so do the rest of the supporting cast, and the effects are actually good. The action is also suberb, epically for a 70s film.
In the end, this is a really great film with a good script and amazing action. There are some pitfalls, But I do really love this film, epically the first scene. Oh, also this film contains one of my favourite cuts in film.
Worst MCU Movie.
While Iron Man 2 is still a very watchable film, it's also very bland, boring and occasionally cringey (anyone remember what Tony did in his suit?). Robert Downey Jr. and the rest of the cast do a great job as usual, but the awful script and characterisation really strain them. The plot is contrived and thin, and the amount of pointless subplots present is laughable. Same with the villian - Russian weapons maker Ivan Vanko's (Mickey Rourke) most memorable scene is him asking for his pet 'bord' again and again. At least secondary villian Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) is more entertaining. Also, the middle 50% of this film is a sleep inducing.
The action, through, is mostly solid and entertaining, and the effects do their job well. Their are some nice camera shots as well, but overall, Iron Man 2 is an extremely weak film that is bloated and sometimes boring, making it the worst MCU film. But, as I've said, at least its watchable.
Well-made, but incredibly dissapointing
Tenet, Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster, is great for super genius thinkers. The rest of us will be lost.
True, this is a Nolan film, and that means one thing - spectacle. And this film's full of it, from the opening terrorist attack at Kiev to the apocalyptic final battle, there is a lot of breath taking action set pieces and, to back it up, the scope has never been larger. The practical and CGI effects are great, and some of the things they pull off is the type of stuff you never see. The physics, putting aside how hard to understand they, are clever (putting on a mask so you can breathe while time goes backwards?) and the acting is really good, epically from Robert Pattinson (as a Bond-like deutoragnist) and Kenneth Branagh (as the sadistic villian). The second half of the film is also a lot more enjoyable than the first half - and that is where my praises end.
Nolan is my favourite director, but this film honestly isn't great. First of all, you may be surprised to hear that the film isn't really that entertaining - it's too complex for you to enjoy, and the dark, tension-building tone makes it feel like every scene will end with something horrible happening. Also, the characters are very emotionally distant - our lead character doesn't even have a name! - and it's hard to get invested in a lot of their struggles. The music is also super loud and not really anything else, and, as you may know, the film is far too complicated, and the first half suffers a lot from this.
Tenet is disappointingly meh, and it sadly doesn't have any real enjoyment factor, particularly in the first half. However, if you are looking for spectacle, there is still a lot to enjoy.
Sweet, charming, and very overlooked.
This is just such a heart warming film that everyone seems to forget about. Why? I will admit, the plot is conviential, but everything else is top notch in this lovely family drama, which also features an amazing performance by Matt Damon. The soundtrack and cinematography are just so beautiful, and the script is filled with a lot of laughs, as well as some emotion. The film makes you care about all the characters and their relationships, and there is a few cute animal antics (through not so much that they overshadow the main plot) to back it up. Anyone looking a heartfelt feel good family film should most defiantly check this one out.
Just outstanding.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a modern masterpiece. Everything is so well made to the best of it's degree - to the heart-thumping amazing music to the visionary (and still great) effects. The entire cast do a magnificent job (particularly Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortenson and Andy Serkis) and the script is very tight for a 3 and a half hour movie. The battle scenes are a showing of how breathtaking fantasy cinema can achieved, and, despite all the fighting, the film is still very beautiful and human. This is my favourite film of all time, and a brilliant ending to the greatest trilogy of all time.
But if you really can't stand spiders, the scene in this one might be a little too horrific for you.
Classic stands test of time.
The Great Dictator is just a great film, a masterpiece really. Charlie Chaplin does an amazing job playing dual roles as the Jewish Barber/Dictator Hynkiel, epically as Hynkiel, showing a hilarious array of over the top Hitler-parody acts, including getting into a hilarious argument with a rival Dictator over the fate of a nearby peaceful country. The speech at the end is also really powerful. 8 also love the greatly comical war scene near the beginning of the film, as well as Hynkiel's nonsense Gibbersh speech. The Jewish plot line isn't as funny, but it does have a good story to it. Overall, a much watch for film lovers seeking a classic gem. Oh, and also it's good for teaching kids about Dictators, too.
Awful Fowl.
The Artemis Fowl book is great. The movie is awful. I could end this review there, but I'll go on. The script and storyline for this movie is beyond bad. It's atrocious. The actors look like they're really trying, but they just can't make the flat, emotionless script work. Josh Gad's dwarf comic relief Mulch Diggums is really irritating, and the pacing is flat out dreadful. So is the over fast editing, that makes the action scenes impossible to watch. The only thing worthy of praise is the CGI effects - they look impressive and translate the book well. But still, skip this mess.
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Average rating:6.8
