Category: Re-View

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Juno (2007) Re-View

Ben

The charm of Juno lies less in the story but in the performances themselves. The story isn’t that unusual or dramatic. The film itself, even though it was one of the “blueprints” for the indie genre, with its hand-drawn titles and unique soundtrack, isn’t even that “quirky.” The key to the success and the likability of the film is purely in the fantastic choice of each actor for their roles. The key to this argument isn’t actually Ellen Page. Page does a brilliant job and holds the film really well as bolshy, strong-willed but loving Juno, but there are much better performances found … Continue reading Juno (2007) Re-View

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Batman Forever (1995) Re-View

Ben

How can a film with all the right ingredients get everything so badly wrong? One of the greatest superheroes (check), two of his greatest villains (check), a decent cast (check), a budget that is more than enough to create a classic (check)! I’ve never written a film or directed a movie but I am a huge Batman fan and believe that if a studio told me to create a Batman film that included The Riddler, Two Face, Robin and Nicole Kidman, I could do a very good job of it. It would feel like half the work is already done for me. … Continue reading Batman Forever (1995) Re-View

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The Queen (2006) Re-View

Ben

When an actor, even a brilliant one, decides to do a biopic and play a popular or recognisable person, the performance, though incredible, is often more of a caricature than a fair or accurate representation. This was put bluntly by David Frost when someone asked him to assess Michael Sheen’s version of himself in Frost/Nixon; “He’s not playing me, he’s playing a version of me.” Sometimes though, an actor or actress can embody the person they are playing to the point where you forget which actor it is you are watching. Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady is a perfect … Continue reading The Queen (2006) Re-View

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Alien (1979) Re-View

Ben

Where do you start reviewing a film as iconic and perfect as Ridley Scott’s Alien? The film is a lesson in how to do both Science-Fiction and Horror. Scott doesn’t rely on gore, screams, multiple shocks and surprises or any throw-away easy killed characters. What he does instead is build a suspenseful, clever, tense and thrilling film which is engrossing from the very beginning and left the film with some of the most memorable moments ever, if not one of the best science-fiction creatures too. It’s a testament to how Scott directs the film that it still (and in my opinion always … Continue reading Alien (1979) Re-View

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Batman Returns (1992) Re-View

Ben

Whatever your opinion of Tim Burton, his style fits Batman perfectly. The dark, gothic, whites and blacks that made up Batman Returns gives Gotham, Batman and his villains, Catwoman and Penguin, the perfect look that was much more in line with the comics than anything Joel Schumacher ever did. In fact Tim Burton pretty much got everything spot on with his interpretations of Batman, both the original, with Joker played iconically by Jack Nicholson, and this sequel, where again he cast the two villains perfectly. Ever since Spiderman 3, it has always worried me when a film decides the way to up the … Continue reading Batman Returns (1992) Re-View

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Iron Man (2008) Re-View

Ben

Iron Man had to be amazing. It had so much riding on its shoulders that it had to be both critically approved and audience approved to stand a chance of fulfilling what Marvel was planning. Luckily, it was exactly that. It was a perfect superhero origin film and even though we’ve seen the formula plenty of times before, it felt fresh because Iron Man, to the general public at least, was a relatively unknown character. That’s why DC’s take on Green Lantern was so infuriating because Marvel has shown, three times now, how to present a character that the general … Continue reading Iron Man (2008) Re-View

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Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008) Re-View

Ben

I’ve spoken before about how high expectations have ruined films that I probably would have liked, but I’ve never gone back to a film and had my opinion fall so much as it did with Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. There are films I’m sure I wouldn’t appreciate as much as I did when I was a kid, other than for nostalgic reasons, like Hulk Hogan’s Suburban Commando or the Kevin and Perry film but it wasn’t that long ago that I’d seen Nick and Norah. I guess expectation was the cause of the problem at the first viewing. I remember … Continue reading Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008) Re-View

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Anchorman (2004) Re-View

Ben

They are making Anchorman 2. I’m going to let that one sit for a moment with anyone who didn’t know…….. This is hopefully great news but with any sequel, you just hope that it has enough magic to be repeated. Unusually for me though, I think this film actually does. I think it has a lot going for it and its all down to one thing… Will Ferrell. I have seen a lot of Will Ferrell films and when he is on comedy form, he is a pretty hard act to beat. Anchorman, in my opinion, was the film that … Continue reading Anchorman (2004) Re-View

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Napoleon Dynamite (2004) Re-View

Ben

I have written before about the negative effect watching a film that has a lot of hype around it, sometimes being called a “classic,” can actually have. The first time I saw Napoleon Dynamite, I’d heard so much about it and how brilliant it was that I went into it with huge expectations. I was disappointed. I just didn’t get it. People said it was hilarious and I had only really found one scene funny (the scene with the cow and the school bus is amazing!) I read through my tv mag recently and saw that a new Napoleon Dynamite cartoon was starting. Then, as if … Continue reading Napoleon Dynamite (2004) Re-View

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That Thing You Do! (1996) Re-View

Ben

Film4 saved my Sunday afternoon! I’d just finished watching something (can’t even remember what it was now) with my girlfriend cuddled up next to me when I was struck by that dilemma that seems to hit me every Sunday, especially when my girlfriend is staying – “What do we do now?” A lot of you will go straight to the dirty minded option but that wasn’t what I meant. I didn’t want to get up and put a film in. I couldn’t be bothered to actually entertain my girlfriend in any way but because we live a fair distance apart, our time … Continue reading That Thing You Do! (1996) Re-View