Miyazaki has done some fine work in his time. Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Ponyo are widely known as his best films. My Neighbour Totoro is also pretty highly rated. Praised by anime fans and film critics alike, I was expecting a new Nausicaa. What I got was a similar experience to Laputa. It is a better film than that, and it certainly is good, … [Read more...]
Review: The Incredibles (2004)
Pixar's sixth feature film release, The Incredibles, looked to repackage the super-hero and crime-thriller genres into a family friendly offering. Riding high on the exceptional success, commercially and critically, of Finding Nemo, Pixar were obviously hoping that along with their own family fan base, they could engage the superhero demographic and have another monster hit on … [Read more...]
Review: We Bought a Zoo (2012)
King of schmaltz Cameron Crowe is known for wearing his heart on his sleeve. He ˜had us at hello' in Jerry Maguire and in We Bought a Zoo he brings us an unfailingly optimistic look at love, loss and having the bravery to start again. The film is centered around Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) and his recently bereaved family as they try to move on from the tragic loss of Mrs Mee … [Read more...]
Review: John Carter (2012)
John Carter is the latest big blockbuster release from Disney. Directed by Andrew Stanton of Pixar fame it attempts to adapt the legendary Edgar Rice Burrough's novel The Princess of Mars. The Princess of Mars and all subsequent John Carter novels have helped shape the cultural impact of science-fiction and without this series there would be no Star Wars or Avatar. All of these … [Read more...]
Review: Laputa: Castle In The Sky (1986)
Laputa: Castle In The Sky is Hayao Miyazaki's third feature film. At the time, it was also his best received. It got wide recognition for it's great storytelling, stunning animation, fantastic script, and (as with Nausicaa) a message that didn't shove itself down people's throats. I watched the film hoping for a masterpiece. Of course, hype can kill a film. I don't know whether … [Read more...]
Review: Willow (1988)
George Lucas likes to mix things up. His most well-known brainchild, the incredibly successful Star Wars trilogy is essentially a spaghetti western, samurai story set in space. With Willow, he brings things down to earth to a familiar swords and sorcery setting. However that doesn't mean he doesn't stir a few extra things into the mixing pot. In Willow, producer Lucas and … [Read more...]
Review: Beavis And Butt-Head Do America (1996)
Spawned in 1993 from the brain of creator Mike Judge, Beavis and Butt-Head are two dimwitted, socially awkward teenagers who spend their days skipping school watching music videos and declaring that everything is either cool or sucks. That is as deep as they go but despite this were a big ratings hit when the original TV show aired on MTV from 1993 to 1997. It was perhaps … [Read more...]
Review: Legend (1985)
Before the days of his history biopics; Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven and Robin Hood, Ridley Scott had a penchant for making science fiction movies. In the wake of Alien and Blade Runner he turned his hand to the fantasy genre for the first time with Legend, an archetypal tale of true love versus the machinations of evil. One day in an unspecified time in an unspecified place, a … [Read more...]
Review: This Means War (2012)
For a film about warring colleagues, This Means War has certainly divided our critics. Below are the vastly opposing views of That Film Brat James Haves and That Film Fatale Jordanna Virdee. One gives a ranting review about the cynical nature of the film-making and the other gives a more positive, 'it's all in the name of fun' popcorn-fluff review. Which do you most agree with? … [Read more...]
Review: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
After The Castle of Cagliostro, Hayao Miyazaki made Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Although this is generally considered a Studio Ghibli film, it is actually not. Studio Ghibli was not founded until a year later. However, it is still included in the ˜Studio Ghibli Collection' DVD series. Miyazaki was approached to allow an adaptation of the manga he wrote, and he initially … [Read more...]