Change Your Image
rocket-russ-83319
Reviews
Santa Clarita Diet (2017)
Sad it Ended!
Such a shame that there wad no season 4. We are left with all manner of possibilities where season 3 left us, but I suppose we will just have to guess what happened next.
Addictive, funny, sharp, sinister and somewhat dark, this is a real mixed bag of content. And it works beautifully through deeply intriguing characters, delivered by extremely talented actors. The natural chemistry is evident between each character and their parts if the story cleverly woven together in a production that is as hilarious as it is compelling.
Toy Story 4 (2019)
Unnecessary 4th Instalment, but Enjoyable
There's no doubt that some serious effort went in to making this film visually brilliant and they succeeded. The animation and textures are utterly incredible. The Pixar humour is excellent with some really funny moments and they're are a couple of really good new characters....
But... Why did we need yet another "closure" film that wraps things up once more?
Toy Story 3 delivered a warm ending where everything was aligned and it felt like a natural way to conclude the journey for the toys, but Toy Story 4 creates another new reason to generate a revised ending.
You'll enjoy the movie if you love the Toy Story recipe. You'll enjoy the movie if you love the Pixar emotional roller coaster, but all in all, you'll wonder why they made it? Then you'll see the money generated through marketing, merchandising etc and it'll be extremely obvious.
The Grinch (2018)
Tedious Remake with many missed opportunities
Sadly it didn't hit the spots is how'd for on any level.
Brightly coloured dvd very detailed animation moves across large spaces far too quickly and far too often, causing a sense of motion sickness as you try to follow the blur.
What the Grinch desperately needs is comedy. This struggled to find it. The obese reindeer had potential, but became a tag along character with little input. Max the dog is likeable, but only scratched the surface of what could have been a great opportunity to create laughter.
Benedict Cumberbatch is great, normally... but with a weak script and that American accent, it's definitely not drawing the best from him.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
More enjoyable than expected!
I was ready to dislike this film from the very outset, but thanks to excellent performances from the "in game" characters, I was drawn in very quickly.
As a family film it ticks all the boxes it needs to. The humour works on all of the necessary levels and kept the children completely engrossed in the entire adventure.
A couple of nods to the story of the previous movie keep things on track, although everything happens a little too quickly in the very early scenes.
Even if you think that a cheesey Dwayne Johnson film isn't for you, you'll be surprised. This is exactly the right place for it and his chemistry with Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan brings a great level of comedy to our screen.
Incredibles 2 (2018)
Short story, long film!
Having young sons, it's safe to say that Pixar's Incredibles was a staple movie that delivered many of the cartoon giant's trademarks; compelling storyline, social messages and a very balanced sense of humour that strikes a chord across all levels. This set the bar reasonably high for the arrival of the very long awaited sequel.
Before it hit the screens, I wanted to love it. The trailers were reassuringly witty and there was hope that the cliffhanger from the first film would bring much more of the same.
So what happened? Well it's with disappointment that I gave too say Pixar probably misfired on this very rare occasion.
The plot was reasonably weak, literally dragged over the finish line. The "twist" was transparent and yet it took almost the while film to unravel.
It feels like Pixar's script writers were absent when the comedy elements were forged and so most of the jokes were already broadcast in the trailers.
The whole plot failed to muster anything more than mediocre pace as it meandered to a conclusion, leaving an empty feeling where the laughter and love of the latest Pixar production were meant to be.
Small moments of mercy from Baby Jack-Jack offered just a glimpse of how the film should have felt, but this brand is far greater than a single character and so for the first time in the history of Pixar, I felt like I needed to jump out abs help push the movie to the final credits to put it out of its misery.
Bill (2015)
Absolutely Stunning. On every level!
I'll start by saying that I think if I were left alone in the wilderness with only one film to watch, this would almost certainly be it!
Expectations are set against the extremely high bar that this troupe of guided actors and writers have delivered in other projects (Horrible Histories, Yonderland) and this film goes much, much further.
Every character offers a layer of brilliance, some only fleeting, but all adding to the web of comedy that keeps the viewer laughing from beginning to end.
The ability to play numerous roles in the same production has been mastered by the "Six Idiots" and they show that they are at the flagship end of modern British comedy.
"Bill" follows the legendary figure of Shakespeare through a period of time that remains undocumented, offering what should be clear from the outset, plenty of artistic license and freedom.
The story forms the backbone of the film, but as we have come to love of this team, there are plenty of small side-sketches and pockets of beautifully written and performed gags.
Rickard and Willbond deliver a script that their closest peers have delivered with perfection, both planned and ad-libbed.
The soundtrack is so good that it may almost be overlooked, helping provide an almost edible depth to every scene. It is worth listening to alone, to fully appreciate the brilliance of the compositions.
Finding new jokes on the fourth or fifth viewing of this masterpiece will make you realise how very clever the production is. And yet still inspires its audience to follow up on it's curiosity and pick up the interest in the past where "Horrible Histories" left off.
Christopher Robin (2018)
A new love for an adored classic
Welcoming back the characters that we all know so well, Christopher Robin gives us a chance to fall in love with them all over again.
The messages within the film are strong and very important, but nothing prevents the universal level of humour that our old friends from Hundred Acre Wood bring into the real world.
Ewan McGregor delivers a very solid performance, blending a strong, solid business professional with the echoes of his own childhood. Busy working parents will quickly relate to Christopher Robin's difficulties in balancing work and family commitments and Disney underpin the importance of the latter.
The adventures ebb and flow and the momentum of the strong storyline deliver us to a finale that leaves a very warm feeling and a refreshed adoration of characters we never really stopped loving.