LAIKA studios are rapidly becoming something nobody thought was possible; fierce competition for Aardman Animations. Their stop motion films both share a whimsical vibrancy and a taste for the bizarre. With their 5th feature film, Missing Link, LAIKA have delivered another exquisitely animated film with gentle comedy and a warm heart.
Hellboy is a comic book character created in 1993 by Mike Mignola. After two films by Guillermo del Toro, this R-rated reboot combines the brilliant design of the previous entries with bad language and an unbelievably excessive amount gore. Though it’s riddled with plot holes and story issues, the film is also confident to be utterly bonkers. By breaking the monotony of comic book adaptations to offer something different, you can almost forgive it's narrative sins.
Directed by Tom Harper, ‘Wild Rose’ is a musical drama that tells the story of a Scottish ex-con with Nashville country singer aspirations. While it doesn’t add much new to the genre, and does feel like a Scottish reworking of ‘A Star is Born’, it’s still a wonderfully uplifting and enjoyable affair. By a 'country' … Continue reading Jessie Buckley’s star is born (Wild Rose review)
With the full trailer for The Lion King remake being released yesterday, I thought I’d take the time to look through what I think are the positives and negatives of the film from what we know so far. THE POSITIVES The Special Effects Okay, so for computer animation, I have to admit that it does … Continue reading Trailer Thoughts – The Lion King
Mission: Impossible has one of the most recognisable themes in film. Used in the original 1966 TV series, the reboot 1980 series and all 6 feature films, the evolving style of the theme tune has helped define a franchise. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read along as I explore how the theme tune and the music of the franchise has been adapted over time, and see how those changes reflect each of the films.
Tim Burton has been the mind behind some of the most unique films ever made. Unfortunately, this is not one of them. The first of four Disney live action remakes this year(!), Dumbo adapts from the 1941 animated classic, and though Burton brings a wonderful cast and attempts his usual visual flare, the end result … Continue reading Flying Elephant remake fails to soar (Dumbo review)
Ever since Christopher Nolan moved on, DC have really struggled to make their movies work. From a bad start, to a dreadful middle and a strangely fishy end, their franchise so far has only delivered one great movie. Though Shazam! is probably the second-best film in the DCEU (DC Extended Universe) after Wonder Woman…it’s still not great.
The follow up is one of the hardest things to do, and Jordan Peele had an extraordinarily high bar to reach. The Oscar winning ‘Get Out’ was his debut feature, and his satirical horror as been hailed a modern masterpiece. Thankfully, he didn’t crumble under the pressure, and his second film ‘Us’ confirms that he is a visionary filmmaker who’s just getting started.
After Twenty MCU films, the Twenty First finally has a female lead. Captain Marvel is a fascinating character, and this origin film does wonders to explain her and her motivations. However, with a huge Thanos-shaped shadow still hanging over the MCU, this film suffers from a lack of stakes, originality or excitement.
I’ve never seen a boxing match, but I enjoyed Rocky. I don’t watch Skiing, but I like Eddie The Eagle. And now, Stephen Merchant has added Wrestling to sports I don’t watch, despite enjoying films about them. Fighting with My Family does what every great sports film does. It concentrates on the characters and story rather than the sport. And boy does it work.
