Thenewreviews reviewed Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

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.. ...

Thenewreviews reviewed Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

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.

Thenewreviews reviewed The Call of the Wild (2020)

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.

Thenewreviews reviewed The Avengers (2012)

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) ...

Thenewreviews reviewed Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)

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.

Thenewreviews reviewed Shrek 2 (2004)

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 ...

Thenewreviews reviewed Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012)

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 ...

Thenewreviews reviewed Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011)

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 ...

Thenewreviews reviewed Megamind (2010)

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 ...

Thenewreviews reviewed The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

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.

Thenewreviews reviewed Iron Man 2 (2010)

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 ...

Thenewreviews reviewed Tenet (2020)

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 ...

Thenewreviews reviewed We Bought a Zoo (2011)

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 ...

Thenewreviews reviewed The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

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 ...

Thenewreviews reviewed The Great Dictator (1940)

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 ...

Thenewreviews reviewed Artemis Fowl (2020)

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 - ...