After the commercial success of Cars and Cars 2 it's not surprising to see another instalment in the anthropomorphised vehicle Universe. With Planes the focus has switched from Radiator Springs to a Grand Prix race for aircraft and the production has switched from Pixar to Disney. What is less of a surprise is just how underwhelming and soulless this instalment in the … [Read more...]
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) review by That Film Guy
The Harry Potter franchise was a lot to answer for. After it's incredible commercial success any book series that covers vaguely similar ground got pushed into production. In the case of the clunkily titled Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief it bears more than a passing resemblance to the boy wizard from Surrey, and directed by Chris Columbus the opening … [Read more...]
From Up On Poppy Hill (2011, Japan) review by That Art House Guy
From Up On Poppy Hill is the second movie from Goro Miyazaki, son of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki. Like his first film Tales From Earthsea, Miyazaki chose to adapt an existing story, but there the similarities end, as From Up On Poppy Hill is a small scale drama based on comic book series of the same name “ quite a change from the sweeping science fiction fantasy of the … [Read more...]
The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987) review by That Film Guy
The late 1980s saw a rise in the popularity of the child's toy The Cabbage Patch Kids. In response to this Topps Cards produced a line of collectible cards that parodied their more popular cousins and were known as The Garbage Pail Kids (latterly The Garbage Gang in the United Kingdom). They became a huge success in their own right and in 1987 a film was commissioned to cash in … [Read more...]
Spirited Away (2001) review by That Film Journo
Some films entertain you for a couple of hours and then you forget them. Other films don't let go. They keep their hold on you, play on your mind, haunt your imagination long after the final scene has finished. Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away is one of those that keep its grip on you... even years later. … [Read more...]
The Lion King (1994) review by That Film Guy
Arguably one of the most influential Disney animated films of all time released at the tail-end of the most creatively successful period for the production house is The Lion King. Since its original release in 1994 it has been adapted to a successful stage musical, released numerous times in cinemas and received an almost record-breaking run on DVD and Blu-ray. … [Read more...]
Despicable Me 2 (2013) review by The Documentalist
Following the success of the excellent Despicable Me, Illumination Entertainment follow up their debut feature with this highly anticipated sequel and once again prove themselves worthy Pixar adversaries. With the last outing ending in harmony with Gru (Steve Carrell) and his three adopted daughters living happily ever after it was perhaps hard to see where a second installment … [Read more...]
Despicable Me (2010) review by The Documentalist
It is not often that an animation house other than Pixar makes something that people delight in but in Despicable Me, Illumination Entertainment have proved themselves to be worthy competition with their debut feature. Super-villain Gru (Steve Carell) prides himself in being one of the finest villains the world has ever seen so when a rival, Vector (Jason Segel) steals the … [Read more...]
Aladdin (1992) review by That Film Guy
Arguably providing Robin Williams his greatest role, Disney's Aladdin give creative freedom to the rapid-fire comedian. Following on from the huge success of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast Disney had proven that feature length animated films were once again a commercially viable film type. So in 1992 they cast Williams as the Genie a constantly changing form entity … [Read more...]
Pinocchio (1940) review by That Film Guy
At the heart of the original golden age of animated films came Disney's take on the Italian folklore tale Pinocchio. One of the original feature length animated films it tells the story of the young, naïve sometimes bad puppet created by his ˜father' Geppetto. Taking our young hero and his honourable and caring guardian angel Jiminy Cricket on an adventure that sees him turned … [Read more...]