The Matrix (1999)
Directed by: The Wachowskis
Written by: The Wachowskis
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving and Joe Pantoliano
Music by: Don Davis
Rated: 15
A computer hacker named Thomas A. Anderson (Keanu Reeves), has his world completely turned upside down when a mysterious cloaked stranger named Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), gives him a red pill that reveals that the world is really in a post-apocalyptic state that has the entire human population enslaved by The Matrix, a software simulation designed to make humans believe that they are still living in 1999 Earth. With the guidance of Morpheus and a sympathetic member of his crew, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), the newly renamed Neo must train himself to take on the Matrix’s most dangerous weapon, the ruthless Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving)…
Notable as the science-fiction film that beat the Star Wars film at the time, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in terms of critical reception in 1999 and for inventing a form of slow-motion effect called “bullet time”, The Matrix may have lost some of its popularity over the years due to how the sequels were received and it being negatively compared with other cyberpunk films, but it is still an incredible piece of cinema on its own terms.
Although a lot of the themes and plot points of this film have been lifted from the likes of The Terminator and several Japanese anime films such as Akira and Ghost in the Shell, the Wachowski siblings deserve all the credit for bringing these themes and the cyberpunk genre to mainstream audiences at the time and the “chosen one” narrative does have a few interesting twists compared to the likes of Star Wars and Harry Potter, with the unpredictable nature of the world-building.
Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving steal the show as the cool and collective Morpheus and the deranged Agent Smith respectfully even if Keanu Reeves had not developed enough as an dramatic actor at the time. Much has already been said on the groundbreaking visual effects and how the use of slow-motion led to endless parodies featured in the likes of Shrek and Conker’s Bad Fur Day, so one last thing to mention is that the transgender allegories in how certain character’s character arcs are developed throughout the film, is very subtle, yet heartwarming in hindsight, given how both of the siblings are sisters now.
Overall, The Matrix, despite being incredibly silly at times, is still one of the most rewatched and most popular science-fiction classics of the last few decades!
Rating: 4.5/5
The Iron Giant (1999)
Directed by: Brad Bird
Written by: Tim McCanlies and Brad Bird
Starring: Vin Diesel, Eli Marienthal, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., Christopher McDonald, James Gammon, Cloris Leachman, M. Emmet Walsh and John Mahoney
Music by: Michael Kamen
Rated: PG
In 1957, shortly after Sputnik is launched into the sky, a gigantic metal robot (Vin Diesel) lands in the small town of Rockfall High. After befriending a young boy named Hogarth Hughes (Eli Marienthal) and a beatnik artist named Dean (Harry Connick Jr.), the Giant soon discovers that a paranoid agent named Kent Mansley (Christopher McDonald) is on his trail…
Originally flopping at the box office in 1999 due to Warner Bros giving it a poor marketing campaign, future Pixar director (The Incredibles in 2004 and Ratatouille in 2007) Brad Bird’s directorial debut, The Iron Giant has over time been re-analysed by both critics and animation historians, before eventually ending up as one of the most critically acclaimed animated films in history.
Taking a familiar set-up from Steven Spielberg’s E.T. : The Extra-Terrestrial, of a child trying protect a creature from the government, what sets this film apart from those other films is the 1950s setting and messages of anti-violence, paranoia and having a choice in your life’s direction . This makes this one of the most emotional films ever seen, especially in scenes where the Giant learns about difficult subjects for the first time such as death and having a soul.
Speaking of the setting, I really admire how the film uses the time-period of the Cold War and the Sputnik events as the main driving force behind the character’s motivations. Kent Mansely the agent, for example, is a very well thought representation of what paranoia did to the American government during the Cold War, in which anything that didn’t come from that country should be nuked first, analyzed afterward, while the rest of the army are depicted as rational human beings who are constantly led astray by his delusions.
The realistic,yet stylised human character animation that Brad Bird would later bring to CGI for his Pixar endeavours, are also really well done here, and the CGI animation for the Giant himself does works as he is a mechanical creation and the CGI makes him look more-three dimensional, without spoiling the hand-drawn backgrounds. The cinematography is worth mentioned as there are some moments in which the sky would turn red and the objects would turn black, giving some shots the visual style of a Hitchcock-poster.
Overall, I am so glad that The Iron Giant finally getting the mainstream attention it deserves with the success of VHS/DVD sales ad the recent 2015 re-release. Anyone who is a fan of animation and film, in general, should definitely check out Brad Bird’s amazing debut which I hope in the future, will keep getting more fans as the years go on. And in case you are wondering about the two new scenes added for the 2015 re-release. they add a bit more character motives, without altering it too much, but they are still worth the addition to this already amazing story.
Rating: 5/5
American Pie (1999)
Directed by: Paul Weitz
Written by: Adam Herz
Starring: Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, Seann William Scott and Eugene Levy
Music by: David Lawrence
Rated: 15
Four high school students named Jim (Jason Biggs), Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), are best friends who are jealous of that fact that their other friend, Stifler (Seann William Scott), has no troubles in getting girls to sleep with him. When the boys discover that an incredibly unpopular boy named Sherman (Chris Owen), has beaten them in losing his virginity, they make a pact to sleep with someone by the time of the school prom…
Despite receiving mixed reviews at the time of its 1999 release date, American Pie has become one of the most beloved comedy franchises of the early 2000s, thanks to numerous sequels, and the skills of comedy from the main leads. While Eugene Levy has always been the funniest character of the franchise, as Jim’s innocent father with his deadpan attempts at explaining sex to his son, the four leads are all likeable enough, in spite of some dated jokes.
Even if the narrative does feel really episodic at times, with the main plot of the four characters trying to attract girls getting surprisingly sidelined at times, the infamous moments of the pie act and anything that fan-favourite Stifler does, gets huge laughs even to this day. While the message of the importance of building positive relationships with partners is nice, especially in Oz’s arc with choirgirl Heather (Mena Suvari), the ending does muddle it slightly.
Overall, in spite of some moments being more creepy than funny nowadays, American Pie is still a pretty funny look into the absurdity of high school love and the “creativity” of preparing for the moment.
Rating: 3.5/5
Tarzan (1999)
Directed by: Kevin Lima and Chris Buck
Written by: Tab Murphy, Bob Tzudiker and Noni White
Starring: Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver, Glenn Close, Alex D. Linz, Rosie O’ Donnell, Brian Blessed, Nigel Hawthorne, Lance Henrikson and Wayne Knight
Music by: Mark Mancina
Rated: U
Deep in the jungles of Africa in the Victorian era, a human baby is rescued by the gorilla Kala (Glenn Close), from Sabor, a leopard that killed both his parents and Kala’s own child. Despite getting into trouble with Kala’s husband and the leader of the gorillas, Kerchak (Lance Henrikson), the newly renamed Tarzan (Tony Goldwyn and Alex D. Linz) grows up alongside the tomboy gorilla Terk (Rosie O’ Donnell) and Tantor (Wayne Knight), a nervous elephant. After almost winning Kerchak’s respect by defeating Sabor, Tarzan’s life suddenly changes when he meets an expedition of other humans including a hunter named Clayton (Brian Blessed), the fun-loving Professor Porter (Nigel Hawthorne) and his beautiful daughter Jane (Minnie Driver) and slowly starts to wonder where his true home lies…
Notable as the final film in the 1990s Disney Renaissance era, Tarzan is an epic and powerful send-off for one of the most successful periods of Walt Disney Animation Studio’s history. Although there had been hundreds of films loosely based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’s jungle-swinging ape man throughout the Golden Age of Cinema as well as other examples like 1984’s Greystoke, the freedom of animation finally allowed the company to go back to the character’s roots in the 1918 original novel, Tarzan of the Apes, and tell a Tarzan story that focuses on his relationship with his gorilla family and give possibly the most realistic version of the story of a wild man living among apes, while also being family-friendly.
The Deep Canvas animation is absolutely amazing especially during the tree-surfing and fight sequences and most of Phil Collins’s songs are wonderful to listen to. In spite of the story slightly falling apart in the third act and the villain being a little too obvious, it is still a wonderful message about acceptance and love especially with Tarzan’s relationship with Kala.
Overall, Tarzan is an incredible, if slightly flawed, finale to the 1990s era of Disney classic animation!
Rating: 4.5/5
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999)
Directed by: Trey Parker
Written by: Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Pam Brady
Starring: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Mary Kay Bergman, George Clooney, Eric Idle, Mike Judge and Isaac Hayes
Music by: Marc Shaiman
Rated: 15
Stan Marsh (Trey Parker), Kenny McCormick (Matt Stone and Mike Judge), Kyle Broflovski (Also Matt Stone) and Eric Cartman (Also Trey Parker) are four young boys, constantly getting in weird situations in their hometown of South Park, Colorado. When the four boys start cursing more than usual after seeing Asses of Fire, the latest film from their favourite comedy duo, Terence (Also Matt Stone) and Philip (Also Trey Parker), chaos erupts. Kyle’s mother, Sheila (Mary Kay Bergman) kidnaps Terence and Philip and starts a war against Canada to “protect” her child from foul language, Stan tries to find the “clitorus” in order to impress his crush, Wendy (Also Mary Kay Bergman), Cartman has his ability to swear taken away via an electronic V-Chip and Kenny, during his latest death, finds out that if Terence and Philip are killed, Satan (Also Trey Parker) and his abusive new boyfriend, Saddam Hussein (Also Matt Stone), will launch the apocalypse…
The best ever example of a great film adaptation of a television show, as well as one of the funniest films ever made, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut brings Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s hit Comedy Central series, South Park, to the big screen, with all the insanity that fans and viewers have come to expect.
While containing all the hilarious moments and crudeness that made the likes of Stan, Cartman, Kenny and Kyle household names in animated television, Bigger Longer & Uncut is also a really good story about how bad parenting, the kind where parents blame the whole world for a child’s bad habits instead of dealing with it themselves, can make things worse for everyone. The film also points out the hypocrisy of how violence is given a free pass in censorship, but not swear words, as the lyrics of classic songs such as Blame Canada and Mountain Town point out.
Speaking of the songs, they are so good and funny, that it is no wonder that Stephen Sondiem, one of the greatest songwriters for Broadway musicals, said that this was one of the best musicals he had ever seen. Even if the cheap cut-out animation style of the show was only slightly improved for the film, it is the story and the unhinged characters that everyone has come to see, with each of the boys getting utterly entertaining subplots.
Overall, with its crudeness, epic scope and having one of the best stories in animated films, despite being a film adaptation of a show with endless content of great moments, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is something that everyone who loves this style of humor, can have a a great time with it, even if this is their first messed up introduction to Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman’s adventures.
Rating: 5/5
A Bug’s Life (1998)
Directed by: John Lasseter
Written by: Andrew Stanton, Donald McEnery and Bob Shaw
Starring: Dave Foley, Kevin Spacey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hayden Panettiere, Phyllis Diller, David Hyde Pierce, Denis Leary, Brad Garrett, Roddy McDowell, Joe Ranft, Bonnie Hunt, Jonathan Harris, Madeline Kahn and Richard Kind
Music by: Randy Newman
Rated: U
When an ant colony’s food offering to a gang of greedy grasshoppers ends up getting accidentally destroyed by the idealistic inventor ant named Flik (Dave Foley), the grasshopper leader Hopper (Kevin Spacey) threatens the colony with destruction if they don’t give them a larger offering. Leaving the colony to find bigger bugs to fight off the grasshoppers, Flik thinks he’s found the perfect fighters in the form of a group of circus bugs, But when he finds out the truth, Flik must now use all of his skills as an inventor to stop Hopper and his gang forever…
Although this film, being only the third mainstream computer-animated film in existance at the time and following in the footsteps of Toy Story, A Bug’s Life may lack the originality of Pixar’s first film in terms of storytelling, but the background animation of the world of the bugs is so good, that it still looks incredible today. The character designs, despite not looking as realistic as the insects of Dreamworks’s Antz also looks really impressive compared to CGI designs at the time.
Some of the main characters aren’t that interesting, but the circus bugs and the grasshoppers steal the show in terms of humour, with the funniest moments coming from Richard Kind’s Molt and the late Joe Ranft’s German caterpillar, Heimlich. Even though what he did throughout his career was horrible and should not be encouraged, Kevin Spacey’s sarcastic, yet intimidating performance as Hopper makes this character, one of the most under-rated Pixar villains.
Overall, A Bug’s Life is a really entertaining film of miniature proportions that’s still packs a tiny punch.
Rating: 4/5
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Written by: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Donnie Wahlberg and Olivia Williams
Music by: James Newton Howard
Rated: 15
A year after failing one of his former patients, child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) decides to take up the case of Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a young boy who acts isolated from his mother (Toni Collette) and friends. When Cole reveals to Malcolm that he can see ghosts, Malcolm must help him to find a use for his abilities, while learning that this case will become more personal than he ever expected…
Before his filmography took an insane downward spiral into complete insanity in the late 2000s and early 2010s, M. Night Shyamalan was being hailed as the next “Steven Spielberg”, thanks to the success of his earlier works such as Unbreakable, Signs and his magnum opus directorial debut, The Sixth Sense.
While everyone and their grandmothers have talked about the twist ending and how it changed pop culture forever, the rest of the film is a powerfully emotional and engaging experience, with Bruce Willis’s Malcolm and the future Sora from Kingdom Hearts, Haley Joel Osment’s Cole, having great character arcs and moments. The latter in particular, gets the other best scene in the film, with his speech to his mother in the car, being one of the biggest tearjerking moments in 1990s cinema.
With haunting cinematography, a moving score from James Newton Howard and a different take on the concept of ghosts and death, The Sixth Sense is an overall masterpiece in thriller storytelling and emotional drama of family love, even when parted by death.
Rating: 5/5
The Neverending Story (1984)
Directed by: Wolfgang Peterson
Written by: Wolfgang Peterson and Herman Weigel
Starring: Barret Oliver, Noah Hathaway, Tami Stronach, Patricia Hayes, Sydney Bromley, Gerald McRaney, Moses Gunn and Alan Oppenheimer
Music by: Klaus Doldinger and Giorgio Moroder
Rated: U
Bastian Bux (Barret Oliver), a young boy who loves reading, discovers a mysterious book called The Neverending Story while hiding from bullies in an old book store. Despite being warned by the shopkeeper (Thomas Hill) about the dangers of reading it, Bastian takes the book and starts reading it. In the story, he reads about the adventures of Atreyu (Noah Hathaway), a young warrior who is given the task of saving the magical land of Fantasia from The Nothing, a powerful force of evil and to save the land’s ruler, The Childlike Empress (Tami Stronach) from certain death…
Even if the original author hated this adaptation of his 1979 novel, The Neverending Story stands as one of the best films to have come out the Golden Age of the Fantasy genre of the 1980s due to its themes and morals about the importance of imagination and storytelling.
The visuals, puppetry and the world design of Fantasia are really impressive, given the fact that this film was a foreign film made in Germany that was only given a wider release due to how well it performed in its home country, even leading to Warner Bros cancelling plans to have Supergirl be their tentpole release of 1984 in favour for this film. Although the animatronic for the luck-dragon, Falkor (Alan Oppenheimer) does look a bit stiff when compared to the works of Jim Henson during the time period, the rest of the creatures such as the racing snail, the bat, and the giant Rock-Biter (also Alan Oppenheimer) look absolutely stunning.
Overall, with lovable characters, one of the best soundtracks of the 1980s and a powerful moral about how creativity can literally save entire worlds, The Neverending Story is one of the best pro-reading films ever made and a true classic that celebrates the power of imagination.
Rating: 5/5
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Written by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Maria de Medeiros, Ving Rhames, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken and Bruce Willis
Music by: N/A (Various Songs From Artists)
Rated: 18
Out of chronological order, three stories showcase hitmen, crime groups and a washed up boxer’s antics in America. Linked by a framing device of the criminals “Pumpkin” (Tim Roth) and “Honey Bunny” (Amanda Plummer) pulling off a robbery in a diner, the three stories start off with Vincent Vega and Marcellus Wallace’s Wife, in which hitman Vincent Vega (John Travolta) takes Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman), wife of his boss, Marcellus (Ving Rhames), on a crazy night out. Then, in The Gold Watch, boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) accidentally loses his late father’s watch after he and his girlfriend, Fabienne (Maria de Medeiros), are forced into hiding following a botched match. Finally, in The Bonnie Situation, Vincent and his partner, Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), hurry to cover up an embarrassing murder, while both of them struggle to deliver a mysterious briefcase…
One of the most important films in the history of independent cinema and regarded as Quentin Tarantino’s greatest work, Pulp Fiction fully commits to its crime anthology format with its three insane stories of criminals and hitmen’s everyday lives. While the soundtrack and memorable quotes have given this film the legendary status it deserves, Pulp Fiction’s insanely clever screenplay about the love of the crime genre and cinema in general, is why these stories are so memorable.
While some can find some of the pacing a bit off in certain scenes and some of the reference-style humour has lost some of its appeal when compared to every other film that tries to replicate its spirit, Pulp Fiction is still a fantastic debut for stars like Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman and a great showcase of Quentin Tarantino’s skills as one of the best modern auteur directors out there.
Rating: 4.5/5
The Terminator (1984)
Directed by: James Cameron
Written by: James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton and Paul Winfield
Music by: Brad Fiedel
Rated: 15
In the year 2029, a corrupted AI named Skynet has taken over the world with an army of killer cyborgs named “Terminators”. In a desperate attempt to prevent its destruction, the AI sends a “T-800” model (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to the year 1984, to prevent a young woman named Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) from giving birth to John, a man destined to bring down Skynet for good…
After reportedly suffering from a nightmare of a robot Skeleton rising from flames, former truck driver-turned director James Cameron, inspired by 60s sci-fi flicks and the second Mad Max film, wrote a screenplay with his friend William Wisher to write a cautionary tale of the dangers of modern technology. Several early drafts included two Terminators hunting Sarah down, and Lance Henrickson was going to play the Terminator, while Arnold and even Sting were both considered to play Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn).
Despite having only a 6.5 million dollar budget, James was still able to afford the services of future Jurassic Park effects wizard Stan Winston and a company named Fantasy II to convey amazing effects for the make-up of the T-800’s burned face, the flashback sequences of 2029 and the stop-motion metal skeleton in the climax.
In conclusion, The Terminator is one of the best science fiction films of the 1980’s thanks to the plot twists such as the slow reveal of the Terminators true form, the true significance of Kyle and Sarah’s relationship, and the amazing action sequences such as the police office shoot-out, the numerous murders of innocents bystanders and the aforementioned robo-skeleton fight scene, which despite looking a bit dated by today’s standards, is well animated thanks to Stan Winston’s talents.
Despite being incorrectly labeled as a Harlen Ellison knock-off shortly after it’s release, The Terminator has gone one to become one of the best films of the eighties. Ranking at number 42 on the AFI’s 100 best Thrillers list, the quote “I’ll be back” at number 37 on their 100 best movie quotes. Total Film listed the film at number 72 in their 100 best films list and ended up on Empire’s 500 greatest films of all time while the T-800 ranked in at number 14 on Empires 100 best movie characters and in 2008, it was selected by the AFI to be preserved in the National Film Registry. Overall The Terminator has become a classic and deserves its place in film history, however one argument fans have over this is which of the first two is the better film.
Rating: 5/5
The Italian Job (1969)
Directed by: Peter Collinson
Written by: Troy Kennedy Martin
Starring: Michael Caine, Noël Coward, Benny Hill, Raf Vallone, Tony Beckley, Rossano Brazzi and Maggie Blye
Music by: Quincy Jones
Rated: PG
Shortly after getting out of jail, professional thief Charlie Croker (Michael Caine) learns that the gangster who he was plotting to pull off a heist with in Italy, has been killed by the mafia stationed there. With the funding of crime lord, Mr. Bridger (Noël Coward), Charlie must now build himself a team to pull off one of the most ambitious heists in history, though mishaps and mayhem may get in the way of guaranteed profit…
Regarded as one of the greatest British comedies ever made, as well as a blueprint for the likes of the Fast and Furious franchises in how some of the heists were pulled off, The Italian Job mostly shines in the skill of the actors and being ahead of the times with its depiction of computer hacking’s role in pulling off crimes.
Michael Caine is absolutely brilliant as the long-suffering, yet hilarious Charlie Croker, the likes of Benny Hill, Tony Beckley and Maggie Blye all get really funny moments as unbelievable mishaps happen, and the climatic car chase not only left a major impact in how these types of scenes were filmed, but it leads to an incredibly iconic, yet outrageously unexpected payoff, that even the likes of Monty Python and Edgar Wright have had a hard time trying to top it.
Overall, The Italian Job is a really entertaining showcase of the type of comedy that British cinema would later be refined in the likes of the later Carry On films and Monty Python’s projects.
Rating: 4/5
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Written by: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton
Music by: Pete Woodhead and Daniel Mudford
Rated: 15
Shaun (Simon Pegg) is a down on his luck London salesman, who has a hard time coping with the antics of his slacker best friend, Ed (Nick Frost), getting his coworkers to respect him and spending time with his girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield). When a zombie apocalypse hits the world, Shaun and Ed must work on a plan to survive the apocalypse the best way British people do, find their friends and family, go to the local pub and wait for the whole thing to blow over…
While it was not British director Edgar Wright’s first film, Shaun of the Dead, the first instalment in his Cornetto trilogy (also including Hot Fuzz and The World’s End), set the tone for Wright’s hilarious and clever filmography. Being a wonderful parody of George A. Romero’s Dead trilogy as well as zombie cinema in general, what works the best about this film, is the surprisingly emotional and funny script by Wright and star, Simon Pegg.
Pegg’s Shaun is a really likeable character in spite of his flaws, and while he can come across as obnoxious at times, Nick Frost’s Ed set the tone for his and Pegg’s skills as a comedy duo, coming up with iconic scenes such as the record throwing and the fight sequence set to Queen. Kate Ashfield, Bill Nighy, Lucy Davis and Dylan Moran all get their own funny moments, but it is Penelope Wilton’s performance as Shaun’s mother that gets some of the best moments, especially in a surprisingly emotional payoff in the final act.
Overall, with a proud British attitude to a zombie invasion, a sharp script and some really funny and heartwarming moments, it is clear that Shaun of the Dead is one of the best horror-comedies out there, and helped launch Edgar Wright into the mainstream, as one of the best modern comedy auteurs of the twenty-first century.
Rating: 5/5
Jurassic Park (1993)
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Written by: Michael Crichton and David Keopp
Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, BD Wong, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight, Joseph Mazzello and Ariana Richards
Music by: John Williams
Rated: 12A
Two palaeontologists named Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), are summoned by the eccentric billionaire, John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), to endorse a theme park in which the process of genetic cloning and amber technology has been used to bring dinosaurs back to life. But when the combined efforts of a tropical storm and the electrical equipment getting hijacked ends up unleashing the creatures to roam free, Alan, Ellie, John, John’s two grandchildren Tim (Joseph Mazzello) and Lex (Ariana Richards) and a “chaos theory” mathematician, Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), must do anything they can in order to get off the island of Jurassic Park…..
Based on the 1990 Michael Crichton novel of the same name, the strongest aspect of Steven Spielberg’s modern dinosaur fable about the dangers of cloning and the consequences of bringing extinct animals back from the dead is, of course, the ground-breaking mixture of not just the new CGI tools at the time, but also the impressively huge animatronics from the late, great Stan Winston. This helped this new method of filmmaking seem more believable at the time of its release. As a result of these methods, the effects on the dinosaurs such as the mighty T-Rex, the scary Velociraptors and the gentle Brachiosaurs still look amazing by today’s standards.
Although the plot itself may lack some of the complex ideas and characters from the book, Michael Crichton himself and co-writer David Keopp both manage to apply Speilberg’s family fantasy formula that made him one of the most successful contributors to family films in the 1980s and early 1990s, to this cautionary tale of dinosaurs with great effect. With actors such as Richard Attenborough, Wayne Knight, Samuel L. Jackson before he got popular, the late Bob Peck and of course, the unforgettable Jeff Goldblum bringing so much life to their archetypal roles and John Williams bringing one of the best scores in his entire career, that it does succeed in making Jurassic Park, as this reviewer has said before, a modern-day fairy-tale.
Overall, Jurassic Park stands out along with the likes of the Disney Renaissance films, Pokémon and The Simpsons as one of the most iconic aspects of 1990s media culture that, like Star Wars in the late 70s, it inspired a new generation of filmmakers that have shaped fantasy into what it is today that proves that “life always finds a way”…
Rating: 5/5
Twister (1996)
Directed by: Jan De Bont
Written by: Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin
Starring: Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes, Lois Smith and Philip Seymour Hoffman
Music by: Mark Mancina
Rated: PG
Ever since her father was killed in a tornado during her childhood, meteorologist Jo Harding (Helen Hunt) has led her team of storm chasers to study twisters and storms across America. During tests on their new “Dorothy” storm recording devices that can only work if they are extremely close to tornadoes, Jo is unexpectedly joined by her ex-husband, a weatherman named Bill (Bill Paxton), who gets caught up with her, in an attempt to record the deadliest twisters in history, on a roadtrip across Oklahoma…
Although made during the disaster film subgenre’s 1990s revival that included the likes of Titanic, Deep Impact and Independence Day, Twister only seems to enter this category during the intense third act, as a majority of the film functions more of a roadtrip adventure. As Jo and Bill go on their crazy adventure to record storms, it is the great chemistry between Helen Hunt and the departed Bill Paxton and the relationship they have with Jo’s fellow storm chasers, that makes this a pleasant watch.
While some effects of the flying debris and cows haven’t aged well, the impressive work that Industrial Light & Magic were doing in this decade, is still present in how huge and threatening the tornado sequences are. Even though some of the logic is completely made up, the script, as Co-written by Jurassic Park author, Michael Crichton, is interesting in how it explains tornado categories and how they function during seasons.
Overall, while having some of that inevitable 90s cheese factor, Twister is an entertaining and fun film that will blow you away (literally) with great effects, fun characters and a great score from Mark Mancina.
Rating: 3.5/5
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Written by: Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Ed Harris, Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman and Val Kilmer
Music by: Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga and Hans Zimmer
Rated: 12A
Thirty-six years after his completion of the Top Gun Naval programme, Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) has spent the last few decades as a test pilot with no desire for a promotion that will prevent him from flying. After demonstrating to Rear Admiral Chester “Hammer” Cain (Ed Harris) that he can reach Mach 10 speed and with the backing of his former rival, Iceman (Val Kilmer), he is chosen to train a new group of Top Gun graduates for a mission to destroy a uranium facility in a rogue nation. However, Maverick’s new task soon gets more complicated, when one of the new graduates is revealed to be Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of his late best friend, Goose….
As the 2022 Scream film stated earlier this year, Hollywood is completely obsessed with something called the “requel”, a combination of a sequel and a reboot that follows the original continuity, but uses its same plot structure with a new cast of characters so that newcomers can more easily access them. Examples of these are the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Jurassic World, the new Halloween films and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
While this trend started at the end of the 2000s with J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek, the amount of them throughout the 2010s have ended up being financially successful, but has inevitably led to division in terms of audience reception. Along the overuse of making belated sequels to 1980s classic films, one would expect a sequel to Top Gun, the film that ended up being the highest grossing film of 1986, launched Tom Cruise’s career as an action star and won an Oscar for Best Original Song for Take My Breath Away, to meet the same fate. Thankfully, Top Gun: Maverick is the best example of a “requel” done right since Blade Runner 2049.
Stuck in development hell for over a decade due to circumstances involving the tragic suicide of the director of the first film, Tony Scott in 2012, the need to film complicated flying sequences in IMAX and of course, COVID, Top Gun: Maverick is a celebration of the original film’s vibe and 1980s atmosphere complete with long opening credits and sitcom-style cast listing in the end credits , but without being derivative. Much like how he brought new life into the computer world in Tron Legacy, director Joseph Kosinski has made the late Tony Scott proud with his excellent job at recreating the world of Top Gun.
As expected from Tom Cruise, the flight sequences are absolutely stunning and the decision to actually have a complete mission sequences as the climax, leads to an incredibly tense third act where Maverick and his pilots have to express everything they’ve learned in an epic mission. One aspect that makes Top Gun: Maverick even better than the original is the incredible pacing which is rare for a film like this and the heartwarming message about moving on and redemption, as shown in Val Kilmer’s one sequence as the only other returning character, Iceman and in the emotional arc of Maverick and Rooster.
Overall, despite having a few unmemorable side characters, and Jennifer Connelly’s new love-interest character being clearly a stand-in for Kelly McGillis’s absence as it is really obvious that she was originally supposed to be in this story, Top Gun: Maverick is a massive improvement in terms of “requels”. In a time where some are getting really tired of 1980s throwbacks and delayed sequels due to their massive over-saturation, Tom Cruise was clearly ready to re-enter the “Danger Zone” for a new generation!
Rated: 4.5/5
Mean Girls (2004)
Directed by: Mark Waters
Written by: Tina Fey
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler, Amanda Seyfried, Lizzy Caplan and Tina Fey
Music by: Rolfe Kent
Rated: 12A
When Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan), a naive teenage girl moves back to America after spending twelve years in Africa with her parents, she finds herself completely unprepared for the insanity of high school life. When she ends up forming a connection with the “Plastics” a trio of girls consisting of the ruthless Regina George (Rachel McAdams), the chatty Gretchen Wieners (Lacey Chabert) and the ditzy Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried), Cady’s discovery of their cruel ways, lead to her making a plan with Regina’s ex-friend, Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan), to bring down their reign…
Regarded as one of the most beloved comedies of the 2000s, Mean Girls, based on Rosalind Wiseman’s Queen Bees & Wannabes, a 2002 nonfiction book about how to recognise toxic behaviour between high school teenage girls, definitely deserves its reputation despite some of the more dated jokes.
While the insanity of the life of the Plastics gets the biggest laughs, along with Tim Meadows as the Principal and Rachel McAdams as the iconic “valley girl” Regina George, the message about how misguided high school life can be, does lead to an incredibly sweet ending, even if Lindsay Lohan’s career would sadly go in a much more depressing direction, until recently.
Overall, the memes, the laughs and the impact that this film has had on the high school subgenre, is why Mean Girls definitely doesn’t belong in the Burn Book.
Rating: 4/5
Interstellar (2014)
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Written by: Jonathan and Christopher Nolan
Starring: Matthew McConaughy, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, Matt Damon and Michael Caine
Music by: Hans Zimmer
Rated: 12A
In the far future, Earth’s population has been suffering from famine and ecocide fallout, resulting in most occupations being restricted to farming. When former NASA pilot Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), along with his beloved daughter, Murph (Jessica Chastain, Mackenzie Foy as a child and Ellen Burstyn as an old woman) discover a gravitational anomaly and find out that NASA still operates as a secret organisation, the former soon finds himself sent on a mission by the team’s leader, Professor John Brand (Michael Caine) to investigate three far off planets for human survival. However, while on the mission with Brand’s daughter, Amelia (Anne Hathaway), an accident in time displacement leads to Cooper’s chances of reuniting with his family seem increasingly remote, as the mission becomes much more complicated…
While needing a PHD in space physics may be necessary to understand this film’s more complex ideas of space-time and black holes, Interstellar is still one of Christopher Nolan’s most epic and ambitious examples of epic storytelling and humanity’s relationship with the unknown.
The space visuals are absolutely stunning as expected from this type of film, with Nolan’s use of production design and exploration of realistic space exploration making the concepts of time distance and being alone in the galaxy far more terrifying and sad than most mainstream science fiction cinema. The father and daughter bond is emotionally powerful, with Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway’s relationships with their families, getting the right amount of heartwarming and emotionally soul crushing moments, especially from Michael Caine’s Professor character being one of the last times that he would work with Nolan, being a great send off to this great partnership.
Overall, while a out of nowhere plot twist revolving around Matt Damon’s character could have been handled better, Interstellar is yet another example of Christopher Nolan’s status as one of the best directors in the twenty-first century.
Rating: 4.5/5
Gladiator (2000)
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Written by: David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Pheonix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou and Richard Harris
Music by: Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard
Rated: 15
Set in 180 AD Roman Europe, Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), one of the most loyal and faithful generals to Emperor Marcus (Richard Harris), is given the right to become a regent by the ailing Emperor, until the Roman Republic can be restored. However, Marcus’s son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), murders his father and banishes Maximus after also killing his family. Sold as a slave to become a Gladiator, Maximus, with the help of his new master, Antonius Proximo (Oliver Reed), and loyal friend, Judd (Djimon Hounsou), trains to become the most popular fighter in the arena, eventually bringing him face to face with Commodus himself…
Despite the huge historical liberties with Roman history, much like how Braveheart romanticised Medieval Scotland, Gladiator stands out as one of the best films that Ridley Scott has ever made. Although the classic revenge plot of Maximus’s war against the tyrannical Commodus does follow every trope seen in the likes of Hamlet, Ben-Hur and Mean Girls (yes, really), the epic scope of the cinematography and production design, makes Gladiator feel like a David Lean film at times.
Russell Crowe makes for a likeable lead as the brave Maximus, Joaquin Pheonix is deliciously slimy as Emperor Commodus, and Connie Nielsen does an interesting job as the latter’s more sympathetic sister, even if the subplot revolving around the Emperor’s “close” relationship with her, can get really uncomfortable to watch. However, the likes of Richard Harris and the late Oliver Reed give the best performances as a regretful leader and an entertaining former gladiator and master to Maximus. Although the latter infamously died during production, one would never know the difference, thanks to great editing work.
Overall, with a classic revenge story, fantastic presentation and incredibly powerful performances, Gladiator deserves to be praised for its impact on cinema and on Ridley Scott’s divisive filmography, as one of his best films. Not sure if a sequel is required though..
Rating: 4.5/5
Inside Man (2006)
Directed by: Spike Lee
Written by: Russell Gewirtz
Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe and Chiwetel Ejiofor
Music by: Terence Blanchard
Rated: 15
During a tense hostage situation in a bank, Detectives Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) and Bill Mitchell (Chiwetel Ejiofor) are hired to handle the negotiations between the criminals. However, as Keith tries to get into the head of the ringleader, Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), he discovers uncomfortable truths about the true intentions of the heist and of the bank’s owner, Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer)…
Originally planned as a Ron Howard film before he left with Russell Crowe for Cinderella Man, Inside Man, along with 25th Hour, is one of the only Spike Lee films in which he didn’t write the script. While lacking some of the biting social commentary in his other films, Inside Man still manages to have its moments of brilliance, especially with the twists to the heist subgenre in the plot.
Denzel Washington is fantastic as the detective, but it is Clive Owen’s subversive take on a Hans Gruber-like character, that makes this film, especially with the motivations behind his actions. While Jodie Foster could have been given more to do and Willem Dafoe is surprisingly miscast, Christopher Plummer also steals the show as the owner of the bank.
Overall, while Inside Man is not Spike Lee’s best film, with a confusing flash-forward framing device and the lack of bite in its themes. However, it has enough great moments and performances to make this an interesting take on a heist film.
Rating: 3.5/5
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Written by: Bob Gale
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Elisabeth Shue, Jeffrey Weissman and Thomas F. Wilson
Music by: Alan Silvestri
Rated: PG
A day after his crazy time travel adventure to 1955, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and his girlfriend, Jennifer Parker (Elisabeth Shue) end up on a new mission with Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), this time to the future of 2015 to prevent their future son, Marty Jr. (Also Michael J. Fox) from participating in a robbery. However, when the family’s old enemy, Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson), steals a Sports book and gives it to his past 1955 self in order to change the course of history, Marty and Doc must find a way to stop him…
While the third act does tend to repeat moments from the first film, Back to the Future Part II is still a fantastic sequel on its own terms. Being the first of a two-part story that brought the time travel adventures of Marty and Doc to a satisfying conclusion, director Robert Zemeckis and writer Bob Gale to go even further with the concept of time travel. Both the amusing futuristic 2015 Hill Valley and the nightmarish alternative 1985 are fantastically designed, even with the only use of CGI being the promotional shark hologram for Jaws 19.
Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd are once again fantastic as Marty and Doc and Thomas J. Wilson’s Biff gets to be even more menacing in his numerous alternate reality forms, with one in particular, being sadly ahead of its time. Even though Lea Thompson doesn’t get much to do and the changes in cast members to Elisabeth Shue and Jeffrey Weissman are really noticeable, the rest of the supporting characters, including the returning Billy Zane and one of the first performances by Elijah Wood, all get their moments of personality.
Overall, Back to the Future Part II is a fantastic continuation of Robert Zemeckis’s time-travel comedy classic, even if the cliffhanger ending does stop at the wrong place and being slightly less funny.
Rating: 4.5/5
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Directed by: Kenny Ortega
Written by: Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert
Starring: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Jason Marsden, Omri Katz, Thora Birch and Vinessa Shaw
Music by: John Debney
Rated: PG
Max Dennison (Omri Katz) is your typical Los Angles teenager having to put up with his new life in Salem, Massachusetts and their huge Halloween celebrations. After accidentally freeing the town’s most infamous witches from the dead, The Sanderson Sisters, Winnie (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary (Kathy Najimy), Max, along with his little sister Dani (Thora Birch), his love interest Allison (Vinessa Shaw) and a cursed talking cat named Binx (Jason Marsden), must find a way to stop them from draining the life force of all children…
Although not a hit either critically or commercially when it was released in 1993, Hocus Pocus has since become one of Disney’s most beloved Halloween films thanks to incredible home media sales every year, endless television airings and the best thing about this film, The Sanderson Sisters themselves.
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy give some of their funniest performances in their entire career as witches reacting to modern culture while also being one of the few antagonists out there who have a perfect balance of being both scary and funny at the same time. These three characters carry the entire film on their shoulders as without them, this would be an extremely generic Halloween film for kids aside from Jason Marsden’s performance as a cursed talking cat.
Overall, Hocus Pocus is a wonderful showcase for these three actresses and has some of the best material for Disney’s Halloween library!
Rating: 4/5
Saw (2004)
Directed by: James Wan
Written by: Leigh Whannell
Starring: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, Ken Leung and Tobin Bell
Music by: Charlie Clouser
Rated: 18
Two kidnapping victims, consisting of oncologist Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) and photographer Adam (Leigh Whannell), wake up chained inside a bathroom. They soon discover that the only hope of survival, is to play the games of the Jigsaw Killer (Tobin Bell), a serial murderer who communicates through phone calls and a creepy puppet. As both Gordon and Adam recollect their memories, they find it harder and harder to resist thinking of Jigsaw’s only solution to winning the game, killing each other…
Less of a torture porn than the sequels, and more of a mystery-thriller, Saw is an impressive directorial debut for the guy who would eventually do The Conjuring, Insidious and Aquaman, James Wan. Using the insanely low budget to its advantage, both Wan and writer/star Leigh Whannell, manage to craft a tense experience, as both main characters struggle to survive the games of Jigsaw.
While the non-linear narrative does feel tacked on, when compared to other films that use it, such as Christopher Nolan’s filmography, the pay-off final twist, does deliver a perfectly twisted and darkly comedic conclusion to the whole experience. Both Cary Elwes and Leigh Whannell carry the entire film as they slowly go insane from the traps, and the Jigsaw Killer is an effective and mysterious antagonist.
Overall, while some of the subplots feel a bit too long, Saw is a solid thriller that may lack the excessive gore of the sequels, but does provide a delightfully twisted time.
Rating: 4/5
Ghostbusters (1984)
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Written by: Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis
Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, Ernie Hudson and William Atherton
Music by: Elmer Bernstein
Rated: 12A
New York City has been plagued with numerous supernatural occurrences as a group of ghosts start terrorising the citizens in preparation for the return of Gozer the Gozerian (Slavitza Jovan and Paddi Edwards), the god of destruction. Manhattan’s only hope lies in three parapsychology professors named Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stanz (Dan Aykroyd) and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), who form the Ghostbusters, a group of paranormal pest-exterminators dedicated to catching ghouls of all shapes and sizes…
Regarded as one of the best comedies of all time and one of the most iconic franchises of the 1980s, Ghostbusters was originally conceived as a vehicle for Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy and John Belushi to explore Dan’s lifelong fascination with the paranormal and spiritual beliefs before the latter’s death caused this project to be taken to Ivan Reitman to be reworked into the film it is today.
Although the first act is a bit rushed and uneven in setting up the group’s origin story, once the business is set up, Ghostbusters fires on all cylinders in terms of frights and laughs. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and the late Harold Ramis are all fantastic as the three main characters with the likes of Annie Potts, Sigourney Weaver , Rick Moranis and even Ernie Hudson as a fourth Ghostbuster named Winston Zeddemore all get huge laughs and some of the best lines in cinema history.
Richard Edmund, fresh off the Star Wars original trilogy, does a fantastic job with the effects and creature designs, with the likes of Slimer, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and the creepy librarian all being incredibly brought to the screen via a combination of stop-motion, hand-drawn animation and a guy in a suit and nothing else needs to be said about Elmer Bernstein’s score and Ray Parker Jr.’s incredible theme song.
Overall, Ghostbusters, once it gets going, came, saw and kicked ass in being one of the best films of the 1980s and one the biggest highlights of popular culture to this day.
Rating: 4.5/5
Ghostbusters II (1989)
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Written by: Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd
Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis and Annie Potts
Music by: Randy Edelman
Rated: PG
Despite saving New York City from Gozer five years ago, Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stanz (Dan Aykroyd), Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) have been forced to disband as the Ghostbusters and have moved on to other careers. When Peter’s old girlfriend Dana (Sigourney Weaver) comes back into their lives to ask them to protect her baby son, Oscar (William T. Deutschendorf and Hank J. Deutschendorf II), from newly emerging ghosts, the Ghostbusters are formed again to save New York from a new threat from the supernatural…
Although underperforming at the time of its release due to the huge competition from Tim Burton’s Batman and receiving a lot of backlash from critics and fans of the franchise because of the lack of originality in the script and the hard to believe happy-ending override of the last film, there is still a lot to love about Ghostbusters II.
It is true that the sequel does pale in comparison to the original in terms of plot and fans of the animation series that was extremely popular at the time, The Real Ghostbusters may be extremely disappointed in the lack of creativity in this film when compared to several episodes of the show. However, the effects are still incredibly impressive without CGI and although extremely cheesy, The moral that Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd provide in this script of using happiness to defeat ghosts is a heartwarming one.
It may have been better put together under better circumstances, but with the incredible visuals, all of the leads being as funny as ever and the great music makes Ghostbusters II a great companion piece to one of the best comedies ever made.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Polar Express (2004)
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Written by: Robert Zemeckis and William Broyles Jr.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, Michael Jeter, Charles Fleischer and Eddie Deezan
Music by: Alan Silvestri
Rated: U
On the night of Christmas Eve, a young boy (Daryl Sabara) is invited by a stuffy, yet loveable conductor (Tom Hanks) to board the Polar Express, a train going directly to the North Pole. While befriending an optimistic girl (Nona Gaye) and a lonely boy named Billy (Jimmy Bennett), the Hero Boy’s adventure takes him across the ice, having several meetings with a mysterious Hobo (Also Tom Hanks) and finally, to Santa Claus (Also also Tom Hanks), himself…
Despite falling into the same traps that films based on short children’s books often do, such as stretching out the narrative to a ninety minute length with too many subplots, Robert Zemeckis’s take on The Polar Express, is still one of the most fascinating Christmas films out there.
Although the motion-captured humans look incredibly creepy at times and that the narrative gets really overloaded with action set-pieces and filler, the stunning background animation, Tom Hanks’s charming performance as The Conductor, the mysterious Hobo and Santa, and Alan Silvestri’s majestic score, still makes this film a great holiday classic.
Overall, while not aging well when compared to other Christmas films in terms of character animation, The Polar Express is still a magical dreamlike experience for all ages.
Rating: 3.5/5
Gremlins (1984)
Directed by: Joe Dante
Written by: Chris Columbus
Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday, Francis Lee McCain, Corey Feldman, Howie Mandel and Frank Welker
Music by: Jerry Goldsmith
Rated: 12A
When Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) receives a cute creature from his father (Hoyt Axton), known as a Mogwai, he thinks his new friend, Gizmo (Howie Mandel), is the greatest thing in the world. However, after he accidentally breaks important rules for taking care of him such as not getting him wet or feeding him after midnight, Gizmo ends up giving birth to a race of much less cute and even less friendly Gremlins, who proceed to turn Billy’s town upside down in chaos and mischief….
Described as Joe Dante’s magnum opus in his career of directing black comedy, Gremlins, like Die Hard, is not something people would really identify as a Christmas film due to the film’s excessive violence and the infamous Santa speech delivered by a surprisingly good Phoebe Cates as Billy’s traumatised girlfriend, Kate.
However the incredible puppetry and the manic setpieces involving Gremlin violence that dominate the second act is gleeful to witness and the impressive use of lighting and cinematography when creating a Christmas environment, makes Gremlins essential holiday viewing, in spite of the chaos.
Rating: 4.5/5
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Directed by: Frank Capra
Written by: Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Jo Swerling and Frank Capra
Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi, Ward Bond, Frank Faylin and Gloria Grahame
Music by: Dimitri Tiomkin
Rated: U
On Christmas Eve, in the small town of Bedford Falls, an Angel in training, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers), is assigned to save the life of George Bailey (James Stewart), a generous and caring man who has spent his life giving up his own dreams, to help his community, family and to protect his family’s bank from being taken over by the cruel Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore). However, as Clarence finds out how dispirited George has become with his life, he grants him a wish that will cause him to reevaluate his true impact on his friends and family…
Despite losing money at the box office during its original 1946 release, much like a large number of other movies that took time to find their audience like The Wizard of Oz, It’s a Wonderful Life would eventually gain a much wider audience via repeated television syndication and its iconic last act that has become one of the most influential Christmas movies ever written.
In spite of some really bad effects showing Clarence’s Angel effects in space, the rest of the film is absolutely fantastic, with George Bailey’s arc being one of the more relatable ones about responsibility and hopes. Even if the last act tends to be the only element that has been given multiple parodies over the years, the rest of It’s a Wonderful Life is still , an overall fantastic classic that celebrates the importance of living a life dedicated to helping others, and the love of friendship.
Rating: 5/5
Love Actually (2003)
Directed by: Richard Curtis
Written by: Richard Curtis
Starring: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, Martine McCutcheon, Bill Nighy, Martin Freeman, Joanna Page and Rowan Atkinson
Music by: Craig Armstrong
Rated: 15
In the weeks leading up to Christmas in London, ten separate incidents revolving around love take place. David (Hugh Grant) the new U.K. prime minister, starts having a crush on his new junior staff member, Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), his sister, Karen (Emma Thompson) is unaware that her husband, Harry (Alan Rickman), is having an affair with his Co-worker, Mia (Heike Makatsch). Karen’s best friend, Daniel (Liam Neeson), tries to bond with his stepson, Sam (Thomas Sangster), and famous songwriter, Billy Mack (Bill Nighy), is having a hard time coming up with a new Christmas single. These are just half of the stories, in which numerous people will find love in unexpected places…
While Richard Curtis, Co-creator of Mr. Bean and Blackadder, would make a name for himself by writing some of the most beloved British rom-coms such as Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Bridget Jones’s Diary, his crowning achievement in his career was when he also decided to direct Love Actually, a combination of two separate projects revolving around David the prime minister and Daniel and his stepson, along with eight other stories revolved around the subject of love.
Love Actually has admittedly become a lot more divisive over the years, given how some of the stories have not aged well and come across as more creepy than romantic, particularly the one revolving around Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln and Chiwetel Ejiofor‘s characters and the extremely annoying one focused on Kris Marshall‘s sex maniac.
However, even people who despise most of the film, will find at least one or two stories that are more compelling and heartwarming. Daniel’s story of helping his stepson with young love, is the most compelling one, especially seeing Liam Neeson play a completely different role than he usually plays. The late Alan Rickman, despite being the focus of a sad story, gets huge laughs in his acting, especially in the scene where he is trolled by a shopkeeper (Rowan Atkinson). The love stories revolving around Hugh Grant’s Prime Minister and Colin Firth’s dumped author, also get a lot of charming moments. Even a story cut from several airings revolving around Martin Freeman and Joanna Page’s characters as sex doubles, is surprisingly sweet.
Overall, while there are some stories where one can see why some people don’t like this film, the other ones are just too charming and likeable to fully pass up, which does explain why Love Actually has a massive following even to this day.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Directed by: Henry Selick
Written by: Caroline Thompson
Starring: Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Ken Page, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens and Ed Ivory
Music by: Danny Elfman
Rated: PG
Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon and Danny Elfman), the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, has grown tired of the usual scares of his own holiday. When he discovers a portal to Christmas-town, he decides to bring the joys of this new holiday to the twisted residents of Halloween. But when the ragdoll girl-next door Sally (Catherine O’ Hara) gets a disturbing vision about Jack’s Christmas going horribly wrong and Santa Claus (Ed Ivory) ends up getting kidnapped by the sinister Oogie Boogie (Ken Page), Jack may have bitten off more than he can chew…
Although not actually directed by Tim Burton due to his commitments on Batman Returns and Ed Wood, this feature-length adaptation of a poem Burton wrote during his time at Walt Disney Feature Animation in the 1980s is usually the first film people think of when they think about his skills as an auteur filmmaker and for good reason.
The Nightmare Before Christmas may feel a bit too rushed pacing-wise, and a lot of the characters motivations are underdeveloped when compared to Tim’s other films. However as this film was designed to be a timeless Christmas story in the veins of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the narrative does manage to capture the spirit of those stories with it’s simplicity and charm.
Overall, with outstanding set design that captures the German Expressionism style that Burton is famous for, the best, unforgettable songs from Danny Elfman and an outstanding directorial debut for Henry Selick who would go one to make his own mark into stop-motion with the likes of James and the Giant Peach and Coraline, The Nightmare before Christmas is something that in the words of Halloween’s residents; “It will be talked about for years to come”…
Rating: 4.5/5
Home Alone (1990)
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Written by: John Hughes
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, Roberts Blossom, John Candy, Gerry Bamman, Devin Ratray and Catherine O’Hara
Music by: John Williams
Rated: PG
Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is an eight-year old boy who is constantly pushed around by his large family. After getting into an argument with his mother, Kate (Catherine O’Hara), Kevin wishes his family would disappear. Soon after this, Kevin’s wish comes true when he is accidentally left behind when his family leaves on a Christmas holiday to Paris. Free to do whatever he wants, Kevin soon realises that being “home alone” may not be as fun as he thought, especially when Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), two thieves end up targeting the house for their next heist…
Conceived from the mind of John Hughes, one of the best comedy writers of the 1980s about what would happen if he left his son at home, Home Alone’s reputation over the last three decades as one of the best Christmas films ever made is well deserved, even if the insane traps aren’t for everyone’s taste.
Macaulay Culkin’s star-making performance as Kevin may not have aged well when compared to other child protagonists at the time, but his character arc is a decent one that isn’t afraid to address the topic of a child learning to grow up and accept his family’s faults. Both Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern make pretty entertaining antagonists as the thieves who are constantly caught in several Looney Tunes-inspired slapstick while the likes of Catherine O’Hara and Roberts Blossom get their own heartwarming subplots with the former desperately trying to get home to her son and the latter being a misunderstood neighbour who inspires Kevin to be brave.
Overall, with an amazing score from John Williams, a great message about the importance of family love and some of the funniest slapstick ever put on film in the infamous third act, Home Alone is a wonderful classic family film that all will enjoy, filthy animals included!
Rating: 4.5/5
Die Hard (1988)
Directed by: John McTiernan
Written by: Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, William Atherton, Paul Gleason and Hart Bochner
Music by: Michael Kamen
Rated: 15
Officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) only wants one thing for Christmas, the chance to reconcile with his estranged ex-wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia). When her office building is suddenly held hostage by a group of terrorists led by the sinister Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), it’s up to John to survive endless waves of unwanted gifts of enemy bullets and bombs in order to stop Hans and save Holly…
Although this action classic is not what most people think of when talking about when talking about Christmas films, the use of “Let it Snow” in the end credits and the constant use of Christmas props pretty much seals the deal.
Along with some of the greatest setpieces ever put to film, Alan Rickman being born to play villians and establishing tropes that action films to this day, are still trying to replicate, what else to say about Die Hard but, Yippie-Kay Mother-F….er!
Rating: 5/5
Elf (2003)
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Written by: David Berenbaum
Starring: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Asner and Bob Newhart
Music by: John Debney
Rated: PG
When a baby crawls into Santa’s (Ed Asner) sack and ends up in the North Pole, he is renamed Buddy (Will Ferrell) and grows up with the elves. When he learns about his real father, a grumpy publisher of children’s books called Walter Hobbs (James Caan), Buddy sets off for New York City to try and get him off the naughty list with his innocence and Christmas spirit…
Before becoming one of the founders of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the director of the first two Iron Man films, directing two of the highest grossing Disney remakes of all time with The Jungle Book and The Lion King and (according to others), the saviour of Star Wars with The Mandalorian, Jon Favreau was mostly only known for his acting in films such as Daredevil and The Replacements. Two years after his directorial debut with the crime comedy, Made, his second film would instantly propel his role to superstardom with this modern Christmas classic
Although Elf doesn’t offer much surprises in terms of the father and son narrative, Will Ferrell’s star-making comic performance as Buddy the Elf is what makes this film so entertaining to watch. Under the wrong hands, Buddy could have come across as incredibly annoying. But writer David Berendaum manages to balance the comedy and the heart-warming moments enough to make Buddy a lovable character, especially in his arcs with James Caan’s Walter and Zooey Deschanel’s love-interest, Jovie.
Overall, it is easy to see why Elf has become a beloved classic with a Broadway musical and an 2014 animated remake to its name, due to the loveable lead and timeless message of spreading Christmas cheer!
Rating: 4/5
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Directed by: Ron Howard
Written by: Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman
Starring: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin, Molly Shannon, Clint Howard and Anthony Hopkins
Music by: James Horner
Rated: PG
Within a tiny snowflake, the residents of Whoville cannot wait for Christmas, the holiday they love the most. However the only problem is that just north of the Christmas-crazy town, lives a bad tempered green creature named The Grinch (Jim Carrey), who absolutely hates the celebrations and along with his faithful dog Max, regularly visits the village to play pranks. On one of these visits, the Grinch ends up saving the life of a young girl named Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen) who also feels overwhelmed by the holidays and as a result, becomes determined to find out why the Grinch hates Christmas and to try and convince her fellow Whos to try and accept the lonely monster into their festivities. But the Grinch has other ideas about how to deal with Christmas….
Although this feature-length adaptation of both Dr. Suess’s book and the 1966 Chuck Jones animated TV special received mixed reviews at the time of its release due to the padding of the narrative and the additional subplots that don’t really go anywhere, Ron Howard’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas has managed to gain itself a cult audience and it’s easy to see why.
Jim Carrey’s more manic and over-the-top take on the character is absolutely hilarious and one does have to respect him for managing to act through a huge chuck of green make-up for endless hours a day. Taylor Momsen, in her first film role at the time expands the character of Cindy Lou Who into someone who shares the Grinch’s annoyances at the more materialistic side of Christmas which does manage to get some sweet moments while Ron Howard’s own brother Clint steals numerous scenes as a dopey assistant of the Mayor of Whoville (Jeffrey Tambor).
The sets of Whoville and Mount Crumpit are really impressive and as mentioned before, the Oscar-winning make-up effects on the Grinch himself is outstanding. However aside from Cindy, the design of the Whos don’t look as impressive with the monkey-like design of their lower-lips and tiny noses making them look more unnatural than the Grinch himself.
Although the intentions of giving the Grinch a tragic backstory to explain his hatred of Christmas is well intentioned and the parts of Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman’s script that directly adapt the book’s events in the last 45 minutes are really well done, the unnecessary subplots involving the rich Who girl Martha May (Christine Baranski) having a crush on the Grinch and his rivalry with the greedy Mayor of Whoville make this film really boring at times, even though Jim Carrey does manage to prevent those scenes from being boring.
Overall, Ron Howard’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas may not be the best adaptation of Dr. Suess, but compared to the 2003 disaster known as The Cat in the Hat, it’s definitely one of the better films out there. Its heart is in the right place with the updates to the story, the make-up and Grinch performance is outstanding and the late James Horner gives one of the best scores of his career.
Rating: 4/5
Chaz’s Cinematic Odyssey 