rchrdshelt Reviews

The Ice Road (2021)

A tremendous thrill ride

[9/10 · 26 July 2021]

Having been a huge fan of the work of Jonathan Hensleigh for much of my youth (after all this man has produced some of the best work in the history of the action genre) I was eagerly anticipating the release of this film after he'd been away from the big screen for so long. I was not disappointed. The movie is non-stop thrill ride that will leave you on the edge of your seat throughout and has real heart too between the two brothers in the leads and the central female character.

Having scanned through the comments on this IMDB page and the tomato meter, I just cannot understand why there's so much negativity surrounding this film. It's supposed to be a piece of pure 2 hour entertainment and escapism, not Citizen Kane! I've seen complaints about the CGI and accuracy of being on an ice road. As someone prepared to suspend my disbelief for a film, I can honestly say the effects were more than convincing and the scenes in the ice road were extremely tense to make a random observer overlook their accuracies. If we did this in every action film, we'd have no enjoyment from them.

All in all, top notch spirited performances, a fast-paced, and at times moving story and edge of your seat tension. Well worth spending time watching if you're an action fan!

Derailed (I) (2005)

Much better than expected - Check it out

[8/10 · 7 January 2009]

Going into this film, I had very low expectations after hearing several very negative reviews surrounding it. I have to say though, I was pleasantly surprised. I want to say much about the plot but for someone who has seen a fair share of thrillers, this one certainly kept me riveted to my seat, was unpredictable and had a very good twist which I did not see coming. What made this film particularly impressive was its plausibility. This could possibly happen.

With solid performances from Aniston, Owen and the supporting cast, a tight and well-written script by eattie and great direction from Haelstrom, this thriller is well worth seeing for 2 hours of entertainment 8/10 Highly recommended

The Deer Hunter (1978)

Despite being slightly too long, well worth watching due to some excellent performances and powerful scenes

[9/10 · 20 September 2006]

Having finally being able to see this film recently, I have to say it did live up to my expectations and is certainly a very good film. Although I don't think its as good as Apocalypse Now or other war films I've seen, it is still an interesting study of the effects of war people.

The performances are all great, particularly DeNiro and Walken during the Vietnam scenes where the terrifying and brilliantly filmed Russian Roulette sequence takes place. Although the film is slow moving during the first hour it is never boring and always keeps you interested.

An interesting and occasionally harrowing film. 9/10

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

What a wonderfully moving film

[10/10 · 18 September 2006]

Although, I haven't seen the other 4 films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar in 2004, Clint Eastwoods "Million Dollar Baby" was certainly a worthy winner. Beautifully written, acted and filmed, this is the sort of film you have to sit back and experience. It is a mature and realistic story that seems so original and interesting that you can't help but admire those involved with it.

As far as boxing films are concerned this is definitely on par with Rocky and Raging Bull- possibly the two most memorable ones of the genre for the last 30 years. They each tell a different story that works in its one way.

Eastwood, Swank, Freeman and the rest of the supporting cast are outstanding and Paul Haggis' script contains plenty of memorable scenes between the characters and you really do get more and more involved as the story progresses.

I urge you to see this moving film whenever you get the chance.

10/10

Psycho (1960)

Witness a master filmmaker at work

[10/10 · 18 September 2006]

The second most suspenseful and compelling film I've ever seen (just behind Jonatahn Mostow's outstanding but heavily underrated "Breakdown") Psycho is a true classic and is rightly hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. The story is so simple and easy to follow, but Hitchcock brilliantly uses the late Joseph Stefano's screenplay to squeeze every bit of nerve and suspense out of the viewer (most notably in the two death scenes).

The performances are all terrific, but the standout performance belongs to Perkins offering one of the most chilling portrayals your ever likely to see on screen.

If you haven't seen this yet you're truly missing out on a great piece of cinema. Watch it now! 10/10

Scary Movie 4 (2006)

Very funny and probably the second best in the series!

[9/10 · 16 September 2006]

Having found the original Scary Movie hilarious and Scary Movie 2 disappointing, I believe that David Zucker and Jim Abrams taking over from the Wayans brothers is the best thing that could have happened to this franchise. I was very impressed by Scary Movie 3 which was much funnier than I thought it was going to be and I looked forward to this movie with optimism. I wasn't disappointed.

This movie is 90 minutes of non-stop laughs and is just pure fun like Scary Movie 3. I won't spoil any of the jokes for you but I'll say the best spoofs are of Saw, Million Dollar Baby and War of the Worlds.

Check this hilarious movie out! 9/10

Good Will Hunting (1997)

Despite one or two flaws, worth watching for some excellent performances and a fairly original story

[8/10 · 7 September 2006]

Having been meaning to see this film for a long time I finally managed to last week and was largely impressed.

The film is very entertaining and has many memorable scenes of great acting and writing that are some of the best out there. I don't want to get into the plot other than say it is fairly plausible and original, borrowing from other genres but never feeling like its something we've seen before.

First of all, I'll talk about the films most impressive aspects. The best thing about this film by far is Robin Williams. I haven't seen too much of his dramatic work but his performance here is certainly the best I've seen him give and was definitely deserving of his Oscar. He wonderfully delivers some of the best emotional scenes in the film and is brilliant in virtually every scene he's in. Similarly, Minnie Driver is impressive as Will's girlfriend and brings a lot of welcome humour and credibility to her role and, along with Williams, keeps the film mature and not too immature- something I'll talk about soon. Similarly, Stellan Skarsgard is solid as a mathematician both jealous and fascinated by Will's talents.

The other good thing about the film is many scenes in the film. Many of the scenes between Will and Sean are well written and their is a fascinating and compelling speech made by Damon towards the end of the film on his refusal to work for the government.

The always excellent Danny Elfman delivers a very good score also.

Unfortunately these good aspects are held back by the completely unnecessary amount of gratuitous swearing throughout and average performances of Damon and Ben Affleck. If profanity is done tastefully and humorously (as shown by Quentin Tarantino) or is said out of desperation then that can help the material work. Here it doesn't. I didn't keep count but this film has an unbelievable amount of bad language that added nothing to the story and just felt like it was being used to fill dead spots in a conversation.

Another problem is the character of Will. He is far too cocky, arrogant and foul-mouthed to evoke sympathy and I believe his character should have been altered to make him a little more likable. Similarly Damon (despite one or two decent emotional scenes) is not very impressive either. Then again, thats probably his characters fault. The most annoying aspect of the film is Ben Affleck's character who I actually got so annoyed with I felt as though his screen time should have been shortened by half. Like Damon's, his character is the complete opposite to the one he plays in Armageddon and is largely unlikable and unappealing given he acts so stupidly throughout. Affleck (again, despite one good scene towards the end) therefore is unable to bring likability to his role either.

However, thanks to an original and intriguing story, some excellent performances by Williams, Driver and Skarsgard, the film is well worth watching.

8/10

The Good Son (1993)

A fairly good thriller worth watching thanks to some decent performances

[7/10 · 5 September 2006]

Having heard about this movie a while back and it being a fairly under-watched and underrated suspense film with a good cast I decided to buy it for a cheap price. I have to say I was quite surprised.

The film has a straightforward plot and features good performances by Eiljah Wood and Macauly Culkin. Coming off their breakout performances in "Radio Flyer" and "Home Alone" respectively these two proved to be great young actors with potential. It is furthered here, although it now seems only Wood has taken it to the next level with Culkin not acting for some time.

Wood is exceptionally good in the several emotional sequences he has throughout and Culkin really does bring his evil character to life. The supporting cast, particularly Wendry Crawson is also very good and make this film better than it could have turned out.

The film builds up the tension and suspense as it progresses, leading to an well-executed climax. Perhaps most importantly, at just 80 minutes the film doesn't outstay its welcome.

Certainly worth a watch 7/10

1900 (1976)

Despite many memorable scenes, overall far too long and unsatisfying

[6/10 · 28 August 2006]

Having heard about this film as having a decent cast and its fairly good rating here on IMDb, I greatly anticipated seeing it despite its colossal running time. I am capable of sitting through long films and have done so with The Green Mile, Once Upon a Time in America, THe Godfather Trilogy and Titanic. However, 5 hours simply seemed too long. Having watched both Acts of the film (running about 2 1/2 hours each) separately to ensure I wouldn't get hasty, I still ended up being disappointed.

I won't get into the plot too deeply purely because that is not what the films problem is. Simplified, it is about fascism and socialism. The biggest problem is the film runs far too long. As mentioned before, I am able to sit and watch a film if it holds my attention and constantly keeps me engaged as those mentioned films did brilliantly. This film doesn't and in my opinion runs at least 2 hours too long. The problem is there are so many pointless scenes and subplots that are often forgotten and add virtually nothing to the story that they really could and should have been cut out. In particular, I found the scenes of the leads at a younger age outstayed their welcome and should have been greatly shortened. Many others throughout follow a similar trend. Another reason the film should have been shortened is that it really is telling a simple story that doesn't require such a huge length of time to tell it. In the final hour I was getting incredibly agitated and felt the story was deliberately dragging on for the sake of it. When the credits finally rolled I felt cheated and very unsatisfied.

Despite these heavy flaws, there are things that make the film slightly worth watching. First of all are the decent performances turned in by most of the cast. DeNiro, Deprardieu, Sutherland and most of the others are fine with Sutherland making his character an incredibly evil and unlikable person. DeNiro was the main actor who attracted me to this film and it seems to be a largely forgotten role of his. Although its not one of his best performances he really is brave and committed here as he features in two pornographic sequences that I can't imagine too many well-known actors are willing to engage in.

The best aspect of the film is the Vittorio Stanto's wonderful Cinematography that makes the most of the Italian countryside and many other wonderful landscapes. Ennio Morricone's score is fairly good also.

Several scenes work well, but unfortunately I was put off by the sheer amount of pointless ones that made the film as long as it was.

I would recommend seeing this film only for the performances and cinematography. I would also recommend finding a much shorter cut because I believe it may be much better if it was between 2 and 3 hours or even less.

Overall I give the film a generous 6/10

Mighty Joe Young (1998)

An underrated and heartwarming film

[10/10 · 26 August 2006]

I've seen this film several times and have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it each time. The performances from from Charlize Theron and Bill Paxton are excellent and the Special Effects are tremendous. The film has a relatively straightforward plot, but also has some powerful emotional scenes as well. The film is well written and directed with it ensuring it appeals to children who will not be frightened by Joe. Moreover, this is not a horror film but rather a story of a misunderstood creature that wants to be at peace. Mighty Joe You is one of the better films out there suitable for both children and adults to enjoy and I highly recommended it.

10/10

Snakes on a Plane (2006)

Possibly the most fun I've ever had at the cinema! Prepare for a terrific thrill ride!

[10/10 · 18 August 2006]

Having followed the hype for this film since it was announced, I, like many fans of the title and the phenomenon that followed was desperate to see this film as soon as it came out. Today was that day and I can tell you my expectations were completely blown away. The film not only lived up to its hype but actually was much much better than I thought it was going to be.

The title says it all. You get plenty of Snakes, Samuel L Jackson on top form, nudity, hilarious one-liners, jokes and spectacular shock moments in just over 90 minutes. What more can you ask for? This film is pure entertainment from start to finish and really is one of the most fun films I've seen for a long time.

With a relatively simple plot the film jumps right into the action and you'll never find yourself bored. I won't spoil some of the best moments of this film for you but all I will say is that its a film best viewed with a bunch of friends or in a packed cinema theatre. I saw it with my brothers today in a theatre and the audience laughed and jumped together. It really was a wonderfully exhausting experience.

On the technical side, plaudits must go out to the incredibly underrated and very talented Director David R. Ellis. Having watched his previous action thriller Cellular a few months ago and thoroughly enjoying it, I was pretty sure this film would be terrific under his handling. I think I was right. Ellis does a terrific job here of building up tension and suspense by pulling in the audience and refusing to let go. He is certainly a guy who knows how to handle action and, on a relatively small budget, makes the film look like it was made for much more. He really is one to watch.

The film is also well photographed and edited giving you a sense of claustrophobia and a you-are-there feel. The snakes also looked very good and I have to say they rarely seemed fake. The score is also dark and helps build up the tension.

I was unsure whether or not to award the film a 10 first but why not? It is pure entertainment and thats the main thing that matters to me when I watch a film.

WELL WORTH WATCHING AND CERTAINLY WORTH THE WAIT! 10/10

Walk the Line (2005)

Fantastic performances in a fantastic film

[10/10 · 23 July 2006]

Being only 17, I didn't know too much about the legendary music or lives of Johnny Cash and June Carter until this film was released, but after its acclaim for its performances and Reese Witherspoon's Oscar win I fancied checking it out for my self. I wasn't disappointed.

This film is highly enjoyable from start to finish moving very quickly and never becoming dull or boring. Writer/director James Magnold is right in focusing on the relationship of the two leads and their chemistry is wonderful to watch. This is largely due to the outstanding performances of Joaquian Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon who give 100% throughout and have several tremendous moments when they're singing their songs. They really do nail their impersonations and disappear into their characters. The soundtrack is also fantastic and I actually found myself singing along throughout. The film really has got me hooked on Cash's music and I intend to listen to some of his in the future.

10/10 A great film

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

I've had a massive change of heart

[10/10 · 1 July 2006]

Back in February when the Oscar race was heating up, I saw Crash and was blown away by it as written. However, I hadn't seen Brokeback Mountain and for that reason had a slight hope Crash might win. I honestly wish I had seen it back then. While I loved Crash, having seen this film today I can honestly say it was ten times better and deserved every award it received. I actually think its a crying shame and insult the Acadamy passed over this film and played it safe with Crash in a clear attempt to stay clear from controversy.

Before seeing this film I had no problem with gay people in general or in society. Although I was not a person who was a strong believer in Gay rights, I did agree that a relationship between people of any sex is about people who love each other no matter what age, colour, race etc. and they should be free to express that in society. After seeing this film my views are stronger and I honestly was moved for the second time this week (having watched Once Upon a Time in America a few days before although Brokeback Mountain is even better.) Heath Ledger, Jake Gylenhall, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathway and many others turn in outstanding performances here, with Ledger and Gylenhall carrying the film. Their scenes at Brokeback Mountain and when they reunite throughout are some of the most powerful and emotional I've ever seen and I actually shed tears on several occasions. They heavily strengthened my belief from earlier further and I now strongly understand the torment and sadness many homosexual people suffer at the hands of many society's today. God bless all of you.

The deepest thanks go to Ang Lee, the writer of the short story Anne Proulx and screenwriters Larry McMurty and Diana Ossana for forming this masterpiece. Also worthy of much recognition are the Oscar winning score and beautiful photography.

A tremendous achievement and landmark in cinema history 10/10

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Absolutely Outstanding

[10/10 · 27 June 2006]

I originally heard of this movie about 2 or 3 years ago and didn't really know much of what it was about or who it starred. However, about 8 months ago I stumbled upon a review of John Ulmer (an IMDb critic I generally agree with and respect) who believed it to be a forgotten gangster flick that was just as good as The Godfather and Goodfellas.

After hearing such praise in his review and on IMDb I knew I had to find out more and try to see it when I could. Being a fan of Gangster films, Robert DeNiro and non-linear movies (such as Tarantino films and The Godfather Part II) I knew it must be worth seeing. Having finally got it last Christmas I had high expectations and perhaps that was the reason I was disappointed on my first viewing. I didn't have a problem with the running time. It was that it was that I found it a little too hard to understand and what messages it was trying to convey. Otherwise I thought the film was brilliantly made. However, I thought it would be unfair to judge the film after one viewing. Moreover, it seemed it was a movie that required several viewings to realise its full messages.

Today, 5 months on, I gave the film its second chance and was absolutely blown away. Having seen it before, I understood more about the characters and their situations. The film is absolutely outstanding and warrants every minute of it 3 1/2 hour running time. I can understand why so much anger arose from it being butchered into a mess on its release. It is not a quick 90 minute action or comedy flick. Its much deeper than that. I'm of the opinion that its a dream of a man looking back at his past and into the future- looking at his good times, bad times, regrets and what could be coming in his life. I think the deepest message of the film is to choose the life YOU want to lead and live it to the full otherwise you may live in regret. Perhaps I'm wrong but I don't think thats the point. I think Sergio Leone has left the viewer to make up their own minds about it. I have done so. Perhaps I'll find other messages each time I watch it. Thats the sort of masterpiece this film is.

On the subject of the film itself it's virtually flawless on every level. However, there's two particular things that stand out for me and I feel should be mentioned slightly above the rest - Ennio Morricone's truly outstanding score and the brilliant production design of an early 1900 New York which, in my opinion, tops that of The Godfather Part II flashbacks. I had never heard of Morricone before I saw this film but his score for it could well be THE greatest I've ever heard. As pointed out on the trivia section of IMDb it was criminally unable to be considered for an Oscar because of another mistake by the distributors. The score beautifully captures the films tone, particularly in the scenes between Noodles and Deborah. He also has several others which also work perfectly throughout the film. As far as the Production Design is concerned New York looks absolutely outstanding in the 1900's scenes and also in the 1930's ones. For the former in particular, every shot (like in Coppola's Godfather Trilogy) is beautifully designed and contains all kinds of early 20th century aspects you can think of such as smoke, horses, shop signs etc. Even in the indoor scenes, all the buildings and designs look very contemporary and every effort has gone into making you feel the film is taking place 70-100 years ago. They succeeded, and I honestly found it impossible to believe this film was shot in 1984.

Other aspects of the film are tremendous as well. DeNiro (in what appears a largely forgotten role) and Woods are both outstanding in the leads along with the others such as Tuesday Weld, Joe Pesci, Burt Young, Elizabeth Mcgovern and others. However, some of the real scene-stealer's are the child actors featured in the 1900's scenes- my favourite section of the movie. Scott Tiler matches DeNiro as Noodles and a truly beautiful young Jennifer Connelly (who has deservedly gone onto bigger things and is now an Oscar winner) in my opinion upstages Elizabeth Mcgovern. The rest of the child actors all do good jobs as well.

Leone's Direction and vision really shine through here with the use of Tonino Delli Colli's photography. It is particularly evident in the 1900's scenes featuring the young Deborah walkthing through crowds.

Don't be put off by the 3 1/2 hour running time. This film is one of the few such as The Godfather Trilogy, The Green Mile and Titanic that warrants its running time. Both times I've watched it, it moved very fast and I was never bored. Leone always keeps you interested and I never looked at my watch or felt uncomfortable. In fact I honestly felt as though I'd been watching a 2 hour film instead of nearly 4 hour one when I watched it today.

If I had any criticisms they would be of one or two distasteful scenes. I didn't have a huge problem with the disturbing rape scene as i think it was trying to tell you more about Noodles' character. However, I heavily disliked the baby switching scene, finding it incredibly distasteful and unnecessary. I know the characters aren't very likable, but that scene went too far for me.

Otherwise, there's nothing else that can be criticised about this masterpiece. It is now one my all-time favourites alongside Seven and The Green Mile, and I believe as John Ulmer rightly said, "No-one should go a lifetime without seeing this wonderfully moving film".

10/10

Apocalypse Now (1979)

A terrfic war movie with strong performances and messages

[9/10 · 21 March 2006]

Although ,I'm not going to go into all the details about the fiolm, I did enjoy find Apocalypse Now and found it an interesting and thoughtful expperience. There are some scenes of incredible shock, power and pain which all make the viewer think about the realities of war and the effect it has on people. Martin Sheen is brilliant inb the lead role and I particularly enjoyed the narration. My favourite scenes are towards the end with in a darkly lit temple featuring Sheen and Marlon Brando, who is stunnning in his small performance. His apparently improvised speeches left me thinking, confused and hooked which is likely to have been Coppola's intention for such a complex character. The supporting performances from Duvall, Hopper and others are also very good as well. Also worth mentioning are the superbly photographed and brilliantly staged battle scenes, particularly at the 30 minute point which look brilliant for a film 26 years old.

Although not one of my favourite films and is slightly too long, I highly recommend this film.

9/10

Crash (I) (2004)

Ensemble cast deliver outstanding performances in one of the best films i've ever seen

[10/10 · 18 February 2006]

I'd heard much hype about this film over the last few months and when it topped Eberts list for 2005 and was nominated for all its awards I knew I had to check it out. My expectations were quite high, but I wasn't disappointed. It was actually even better than I thought. The story contains several intertwining story lines involving around 20 people from many races that collide in the space of 36 hours. Its truly amazing to watch all these characters effected and how they change throughout. The film is really showing how people are in this day and age and how they react to different situations.

The best thing about the film is the cast, which is one of the biggest I can think of. Although some are given slightly more screen time than others, none dominate the picture, although there are certainly several stand-out performances. For me, the best performance came from Michael Lena as a locksmith who has some of the films most powerful and emotional scenes. He was criminally overlooked at the SAG awards by not being included in the award for ensemble cast, even though William Fichtner (though the good actor he is) was only in one scene and was included. However, his performance was Oscar Worthy and I really hope he goes onto bigger and better things after this because his performance was truly tremendous.

He is nearly matched by Don Cheadle and Matt Dillon whos performances seem to get better and better every new movie they star in and Dillon received a well deserved nomination. Good luck to him come the Acadamey Awards. The other performances are all first-rate and everyone has significant roles in the story.

Speaking of the Acadamey Awards, though I haven't seen the other nominated films, it appears to be a two-legged race between Crash and Brokeback Mountain. Although I haven't seen Brokeback I would really love Crash to win Best Picture as it really is one of the most challenging and thought provoking films I can think of.

Overall, this is a must see film for every mature person out there and provides a realist look at modern day people and how we react to those around us.

10/10

Batman & Robin (1997)

Decent cast does its best with an awful script

[3/10 · 13 February 2006]

When seeing this at the cinema when I was just 8 years old I found it pleasantly entertaining. To be honest, despite this being seemingly voted one of the worst movies of all time by many on IMDb ,I have to say it still entertains me at reasonable level for its pure stupidness and ridiculous humour.

Although Schumacher rapidly changed things since he took over the Batman franchise, this was a complete shock. I had found Batman Forever very enjoyable purely because it moved very fast, had plenty of action and over the top performances from Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey. The change of the city's look and atmosphere didn't bother me so much then. In this film it did. The city is now like some sort of circus full of goths, criminals and every other kind of strange social group you could think of.

Anyway the real problem with this movie is the script. The previous 3 films at least had a script which wasn't too stupid and actually had a decent plot involved. This one features a preposterous plot with loads and loads of one-liners that are so bad they're good. Most of these are spoken by Mr Freeze.

On the subject of performances, it seemed to be a common theme for all the performances as villains in Batman films to go over the top. How can anyone forget Nicholson, Devito, Pfiefer, Jones and Carrey? Its no exception here, but at least the previous films had better scripts.

Here the cast try hard to make the material work. The best performance by far comes from Arnold Schwarzenegger, in what is only his second role as a villain I can think after The Terminator. Surprisingly, he looks to be having the time of his life as Mr Freeze and enjoying delivering the constant silly one-liners (and believe me there are lots). He also has some good moments grieving other his ill wife. Otherwise Clooney isun't that bad as Batman although when he said "Hi Freeze I'm Batman!" I couldn't help but chuckle. Then again thats the scripts fault, not his. Still, he's as good as Keaton or Kilmer. O'Donnell does become very annoying as the film progresses, but again its due to the lines he's given. He still does best. Thurman looks stunning as Poison Ivy, but like is given even worse one-liners than Arnold and her motives are ridicuolous. She also can't fight and has to rely on the worst character in the film- a bizarre supersoldier called Bane. Its for this reason she is a really poor villain and would never have considered her a threat like the ones from previous films. At least Catwoman actually put up a good fight! Silverstone, again trys but doesn't get anywhere thanks to the script.

In fact the only good thing about the script is that it gives Michael Gough more screen time by providing a nice subplot about his health. HOugh is, as he was in the other films, wonderful as Alfred and he does have some good lines here. The best scene in the film for me is the most emotional one. Its near the end when Clooney thinks he's going to lose him and tells him he loves him.

Otherwise, the film lacks any real action except the opening 20 minutes and the scene at an auction. Its mostly just the villains planning their scheme and joking around and Batman and Robin arguing.

The best Batman films are of course Burtons and Nolans new version. Batman Forever is good as entertainment, but not about exploring the character. Here, it gets worse, but amazingly this film entertains me for its pure stupidness and every once in a while I can watch it for that.

3/10

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

A wonderfully moving film

[10/10 · 24 November 2005]

I have seen this many times over the years and my view that it is truly a masterpiece has never changed. It is simply Tim Burton at his best with the use of Gothic and mystical sets, dark humour and wonderful performances. The real show stealer here for me though has to be the score of Danny Elfman which is truly something to behold. I have always been a huge fan of his and Burton has used him in every film I can think of. Here he is at his peak. The score here perfectly captures the tone of the film brilliantly and is at is best during the scene where Winona Ryder dances in the snow while Johhny Depp is cutting an ice block towards the end. It should have won an Oscar and is one of the best, if not the best scores i've ever heard.

Perormances of the entire cast led by Depp and Ryder are top notch and the cinematography beautifully captures the 1950's town and dark mansion perfectly. I have to say this is my favourite Tim Burton film purely because it shows what a wonderful vision he has and the fantasy and tragedy of his story really works well. I believe this is heavily underrated but looks to be finally receiving the acclaim it deserves here on IMDb. Long may it continue.

Beautiful 10/10

Splash (1983)

A Wonderful Film

[10/10 · 13 August 2005]

I saw this for the first time on TV when I was 11 and absolutely loved it. Since then I've always tried to catch it every time its been on TV over the past few years, and unsurprisingly it is quite often thanks to it being a wonderfully moving, feel good film that features superb performances from a talented cast along with a terrific script and Ron Howard's splendid Direction. So I ended up seeing it for the first time in over a year today and it was just as refreshing and joyful as it was for me before.

Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah are brilliant in the leads and have a lovely chemistry together that really makes the film work so well and must be one of the best if not THE best chemistry i've ever seen in a romantic comedy. However, another large factor that makes it work is the comedic elements that are played to perfection by John Candy and Eugene Levy, although Hanks and Hannah get several as well. Candy especially has some moments that had me laughing for ages and I won't spoil them for you. But, more importantly it doesn't try to be a straight comedy because it isun't meant to be and the script and Howard know this. So, while the film does include several hilarious moments, they don't allow it to upstage the heart of the story which is the loving relationship between the two leads and do allow for some wonderfully sentimental moments between Hanks and Hannah throughout.

Without spoiling too much let me just say that the film's ending really is the icing on the cake as far as the whole film is concerned and as the credits roll you are guaranteed to have a smile on your face. I certainly did and did for most of the film as a matter a fact. It really is great and I really did love the film that much. I hope it goes on to become a classic and judging by other comments I've read on here I'm not the only one who thinks that.

Absolutely wonderful 10/10

Basic Instinct (1992)

Possibly the best suspenseful and sexiest thriller ever made

[10/10 · 6 July 2005]

I can watch this film over and over again and never get bored of it. Trust me, you have to watch it more than once after seeing it. This is one of my favourite suspense thrillers and really draws you in and gets you involved with the murder mystery plot which features several clever twists.

Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone give great performances as the leads but the supporting cast including George Dzunda and Jeanne Tripplehorn also does a fine job and have significant roles in the story. I don't want to get into the plot too much as its quite thick and heavily detailed, but it basically starts off with a rock star getting stabbed too death with an icepick, but soon goes further with many other elements and sub-plots involved that relate to the murder and the suspect who Stone plays.

This film is very well-made particularly thanks Joe Esztherhas' terrfic suspenseful screenplay and flashy Direction by Paul Verhoeven. However there's also good Cinematography from Jan De Bont and some wonderfully creepy music by Jerry Goldsmith. Although its two hours long it moves at jus the right pace to keep you hooked.

This movie is a classic and the ending will either shock you or it won't but you'll certainly want to watch it again and it'll leave you thinking after the credits.

10/10 Give it a watch!

The Sandlot (1993)

A Classic and I'm not even American!

[10/10 · 11 June 2005]

I saw this movie for the first time when I was about 8 and really did love it although I'm from England and didn't really understand the rules of Baseball. I do now because since then (I'm now nearly 17) I've been to the U.S.A several times and even had the pleasure of attending a professional baseball game last summer which is a thoroughly enjoyable new experience for me. Anyway, even though when I saw this film I didn't understand Baseball, I still loved it because I loved the characters in it and the way they acted as I behaved in similar ways to them at that age. When I watch it now, I remember being like that when I was younger and being out playing Football (Soccer) and challenging rival teams and calling each other names etc. Thats what it was like and most people were like at that age and it really is an enjoyable feel-good film and I'm not surprised it has many fans although maybe not as many over here.

I still watch it every now and then and its still very enjoyable and I can still see it being well-known in the future.

A classic 10/10

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Absolutely Amazing and for me could just about be the best Star Wars Movie

[10/10 · 19 May 2005]

Just saw this tonight on its opening day and let me just say it is absolutely amazing. As stated in my summary it possibly just edges it as the best Star Wars film for me past Episode IV. It is definitely the darkest Star Wars film by miles surpassing The Empire Strikes Back enormously in my opinion. Everything about the film is perfect- the Acting, Writing, Direction, but most of all the Special Effects. Every single actor does a brilliant job in this movie, but the one that I'm surprised to say impressed me the most has to be Yoda voiced by Frank Oz who is particularly outstanding. However he is almost matched especially by Ian Mcdiarmid who is brilliant as the evil Emperor. Ewan Mcgregor, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Samuel L Jackson and the rest of the cast though are also terrific.

The special effects, most notably in the first 20 minutes are breathtaking and continue throughout the film brilliantly in particular in the final 2 battles between Yoda and The Emperor and Obi-Wan and Anakin, which are both breathtaking, especially the Yoda and Emperor one which I thought was the best in the movie. General Grievous is a excellent new villain and has a great fight with Obi-Wan midway through the film. Its also great to see Chewbacca again, who although has a very small role is exactly how we remember him- loving and devoted. Also great to finally see the birth of Darth Vader which is both shocking tragic and emotional at the same time and George Lucas really is a masterful storyteller. We are also be able to understand the importance is Episodes I and II and the development of his character and all those people who heavily criticsed these 2 movies should now be able to understand their significance to the saga.

I could go on and on about how great this film was and be here all day but to sum up this movie in my opinion is the best Star Wars film out of the whole 6 film saga. Its wonderful to watch all the pieces to fall into place and was really emotional in the last hour and towards the closing scenes.

Thank you George Lucas for giving us a series of truly unforgettable classics that'll I'll never forget.

A definite 10/10

Breakdown (I) (1997)

Had me right on the edge of my seat! One of the best suspense thrillers ever made!

[10/10 · 15 April 2005]

I saw this movie for the first time yesterday and boy do I wish I had seen it a lot earlier. It is one of the best, most underrated thrillers I've ever seen and deserves a much higher rating than 6.7. I'd say between 8 or 9 judging by IMDb rating standards if i'm honest with you. It really was that good, i'm very surprised to say! The suspense in this movie truly is incredible, and certainly up there with the class of Hitchcock and honestly if you love suspense thrillers like I do then you'll have to check this movie out.

The plot is very simple and I don't want to get into it like in most of my reviews, but its also very interesting and unique. This is in the style of another movie I've seen and thought was very suspenseful, Joy Ride or Road Kill as its known over here in the UK, in the sense that they're both plausible and you couldn't rule out either of them being believable. They're both road movies about characters stuck in situations which you and they don't know how the hell they're going to get out of. Well I certainly didn't anyway.

However, this movie is not really about peoples mistakes like Joy Ride was. Well, I suppose it is but they're completely different. In this movie just about anyone could make the mistake the main characters did but in Joy Ride only young people would. And that made it plausible and that made that movie work for me because i'm young and people of my age would do things like that. In other road movies like Jeepers Creepers, I wasn't in suspense at all because the plot just wasn't plausible whatsoever.

Anyway, back to this movie. It is great on just about every level actually. Acting, Writing, Directing, Cinematography, some brilliantly haunting Music by the underrated Basil Poledouris, and even the Stuntwork, which handled one of the best Car Chases I've ever seen, at the end. However, this is not an action movie, and I seriously don't understand why some critics didn't know whether this was an action movie or a mystery. The Car Chase if anything, actually adds to the suspense and had me right on the edge of my seat. Kurt Russell gives possibly his best performance I've ever seen him give in this movie as a guy who does what any normal person would do in the situation he's in. Thats another reason why I loved this movie. In Jonathan Mostow and Sam Montgomery's script he doesn't try to be stupid or a hero in some scenes. He waits for the right time to strike and behaves exactly the same way I would've done. I wasn't shouting at the screen at all. He basically reacted the way any normal or civilised person would do in my opinion. Another thing thats ingenious about the script is the unexpected twists and turns coming thick and fast making it even more suspenseful. There is not exactly a major twist at the end if thats what you're hoping for but thats not to say the movie is predictable. Its actually quite the opposite. Just when you think Kurt is getting close to getting his wife back and is winning against the bad guys he ends up having to deal with new problems getting in his way that are also plausible and realistic. In fact as the last 45 minutes progressed, I really was getting closer and closer towards the edge of my seat.

To sum up, this movie is one of the best I've seen in a long, long time and it certainly blew me away in terms of what I was expecting and what I actually got in return. I was hooked from the first minute to the last and I refused to get up at at all during any scenes. A big well done to Jonathan Mostow the writer/director of this brilliant thriller and T3 which I also immensely enjoyed. I can see why he was hired for that now judging by the way he handled some of the chases in this movie. Another well done to Kurt Russell who gave a powerful and realistic performance in the lead role. A special recognition to the great villain, the late J.T Walsh who made an interesting and very unsympathetic bad guy. Also good job from rest of the relatively small cast.

10/10 Outstanding and heavily underrated suspenseful thriller. Check it out right now!

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

Way better than Episode I and another undeservedly criticised movie

[10/10 · 13 April 2005]

In my review of Episode I, I commented on how badly Lucas had been bashed because of it for a variety of reasons even though I thought it was actually a very good movie. The same happens here even though Episode II is way better than Episode I with way more action, even better locations, a stunning digital look due to outstanding special effects and the further development of the Story with a plot which is a lot less complex and more interesting than that in Episode I, probably because its getting closer to things we hear about in Episode IV.

For a start, the planets are great, with Coruscant and Tattoine looking better than ever but Naboo looks the best here with amazing views and scenery. New planets Kamino and Geonosis are also breathtaking though as well. This is where the special effects come into their own. The clone Army looks amazing as well, especially in the scene at the end with several thousand of them boarding spaceships and taking off. The action as I've already said exceeds what we saw in Episode I, kicking off with a sensational chase through Coruscant, and following on with other spectacular scenes including a Battle between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jango Fet, a Jedi Vs Droid arena battle,and finally the best fight in the movie and probably the most pulsating witnessed in any Star Wars movie- Yoda Vs. Count Dooku. Although it could've been longer this battle makes the movie worth seeing alone.

The acting is both good and average. Ewan Mcgregor really reminds us of Alec Guiness here as the old Obi-Wan Kenobi from Episode's IV, V and VI as he has a much bigger part than he did in Episode I. He delivers one unintentionally hilarious line here when he says "I have work to do", whilst being held captive on Geonosis by Dooku. Natatlie Portman is also good as well in her returning role as Padme. People have been mixed on Hayden Christensen. I felt he was a bit too wimpish in most scenes to be honest and spoke as if he's acting in a Shakespeareian play Judging by the way he says lines slowly like "Why couldn't I save her, I know I could have". The dialogue in the romantic scenes has been well-documented. I agree, it is a bit cheesy and could've been better had they shortened some of Anakin's lines to "Could've instead of could have" etc. , but never mind. Moving on, Christopher Lee looks to be savouring his role as Count Dooku and makes a pretty good villain despite not appearing until towards the end.

Overall, this is a great Star Wars entry and I really can't wait for Episode III, due out next month. 10/10

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Very Good Movie and Undeservedly Criticised

[9/10 · 13 April 2005]

This is, despite lunatic Star Wars fans views, a good movie. OK, its by no means a classic and not flawless, but how many movies are? Huge amounts of unfair pressure were put on George Lucas' shoulders when he decided to make this and episode's II and III, which bither way I think was a good idea as we learn about the unknown stories of the Star Wars Saga.

I am only 16 and only just before this movie was released back in 1999 did I start to take an interest in Star Wars. Of course, my brothers and I had always had the toys since we were young like everyone else did and still do, but it never really interested when I was that age for some reason. When I saw this movie it the cinemas I was certainly blown away by it despite not understanding it at all. I was there just to see the action scenes of course like all other young kids. It was that kind of movie you had to see regardless of whether you knew what on earth it was about. It had to be seen purely because it was a Star Wars movie. I recently found out that unsurprisingly that for 20 years fans had been going on and on about it and how they thought it would be the best movie ever made. Well people when you have expectations that high then they'll almost never be matched. Many were disappointed because there wasn't enough action. Come on, there was a lot of action in here and no more than was required really considering the plot and the development of the story. Wait till Episode III if you want all action and darkness.

Anyway, back to the movie. I watched this again recently for the first time in ages with full understanding of the events that would later happen.

It looks great for a start. The locations are stunning, especially the new planets of COurescant and Naboo. The effects are still breathtaking and the costumes and props all look great. The acting is more than exceptional from Liam Neeson, Ewan Mcgregor and surprisingly from young Jake Lloyd who is not annoying to listen to at all. Samuel L Jackson is also a welcome entry to the series as well along with other Jedi's. Jar Jar Binks is, but only to a limit. Most fans thought he completely wrecked the movie, although the kids loved him, like I did when I saw this when I was 10. 6 years on, true I do find him quite annoying for most of the time but he is still a funny character in some scenes such as the gungan battle with the droids at the end. I must say I did find Natalie Portman a little annoying with scenes portraying her as Queen Amidala, not Padme. Her voice is so dull and wooden I just wanted her to cheer up! But when she is not wearing all the make-up and playing Padme she is very good and more fun and interesting to watch.

It is maybe a little too long and does drag at some parts, especially during the political scenes and discussions midway through the film, which I found slightly complex and rather boring, but the ending battles certainly make up for it and overall George Lucas had done a good job of introducing us to an relatively unknown story and setting us up for future story we know well. This is a thoroughly enjoyable and well-made movie.

I give it a 9/10 for enjoyment and brilliant effects