Ridiculous and overblown with family dynamics that are so sickly as to make you gag, it’s still hard not be entertained by the sheer energy of Travolta and Cage here, who seem to revel in just how silly the whole thing is. There are plenty of moments that have not aged well and Joan Allen is wasted. Action sequences that impressed at the time don’t hold quite the same impact, with Woo’s style becoming increasingly grating, other than the finale sequence that at least matches the tone of the rest of the film. And yet…Travolta and Cage…overacting to the extreme….what’s not to like ?
Like another well-known horror film of the same era, a viewer’s reaction to the resolution of the central mystery that the film sets up is going to be a huge factor in rating this. But even people left unimpressed by the final act can surely agree that the atmosphere is suitably creepy, the performances are all great with Kidman in particular carrying the film (it was quite a year for her with Moulin Rouge as well) and the well-worn theme in ghost stories of unresolved trauma is handled well. A repeat viewing is just as effective in seeing how all the pieces fit together, but equally impressive is how the film balances sympathy and understanding of Kidman’s character throughout, despite her denial over her actions and refusal to accept what is happening around her.
Jealousy, obsession, suspense, murder, blonde women in peril – all the hallmarks of Hitchcock’s later work are there. The film’s plot is driven by the identify of a murderer and the suspicions the titular lodger may well be responsible. Hitchcock cleverly weaves into the plot the different elements that feed into the mystery and Ivor Novello’s performance keeps both the characters and the audience guessing until the final act. What’s striking is that as an early silent film there is practically nothing that would be changed to accommodate dialogue and yet the film remains a compelling mystery with relatable characters.
The original and still the best of the Halloween franchise, it’s the template of so many horror films since. Sure the impact may be lessened by repeat viewings but what is still striking is how good the first half is at building tension and the film does not just rely on its jump scares to work. The opening sequence sets the tone straight away and the score still gets under your skin regardless. Myers remains a force of nature, relentless and silent and Pleasance hams it up brilliantly.
From a story point of view the sequel fits perfectly with the previous entry and cleverly picks up right from the last moments of the first film on the same Halloween night. The film has most of the same core cast that survived the previous entry and had this been the end of the franchise it would have served as a fairly compelling ending. Where the film falls down in comparison to the original is that the focus seems to be leaning much more towards trying to find new ways to kill people and the film struggles to build any real tension a lot of the time. Gone are the careful tracking shots and framing that worked so well in the first and the POV shots seem thrown in without any real thought as to how they worked so well before. It doesn’t help that the score, which had been such a creepy part of the original now comes with added synthesisers that just don’t work and only serve to make the film less tense than it should be.
Perhaps this should have just been called Halloween: The Next Generation but leaving aside the logistic of how certain characters return to the franchise, (the film is certainly not interested in dwelling on it), this is a pretty standard slasher film which lacks any real scares. Given the film is set 10 years after the original, the film takes it time to set up the implications of Myer’s return on the characters involved and the town itself and for the most part it does work well. It also has a final act that certainly leaves you intrigued about where the franchise might go next, but the film as a whole spends less time focusing on building tension and atmosphere and more on coming up with different variations of how secondary characters can be killed off. Watchable with an ending that will at least bring you back for round 5.
It’s hard not to see the influence of Scream in this film (the sequel is even playing on the TV in the background to make it obvious), but this semi-reboot at least manages to improve vastly on the last one, not least by bringing back Jamie Lee Curtis to the franchise for the first time since the original sequel and she alone makes this much more watchable. Bringing Janet Leigh into the film may be one meta reference too far and a little gimmicky but the film doesn’t dwell on it and at least manages to create some tense moments and doesn’t outstay its welcome. A much-needed improvement.
After the Scream-lite reboot, comes the inevitable drop in quality. It doesn’t help that the last film was a pretty definitive end for the original characters, and the opening prologue alone is both ridiculous in its convoluted explanation and completely unnecessary. What follows is devoid of any interesting or likeable characters, no real tension and poor attempts at jump scares that rarely even work at all. Perhaps there is a kernel of a good idea in looking at social media, influencers and the monetization of horrific events and tragedies, but it’s wasted here. Awful.
It would have been interesting to see the Halloween franchise take an anthology approach and this seems to be the intent here, with little connection to the previous films. It starts intriguingly enough and there is the kernel of a good idea here, but unfortunately it is poorly executed and once it becomes clear what is going on, most of the tension is lost and it becomes a little too ridiculous. Still, it's more watchable then some of the later entries.
Like the Transformers franchise, the filmmakers seem uninterested in appealing to the core demographic that actually play with the toys and more to those who used to play with them. Nostalgia can only get you so far, and that's where the comparison thankfully ends because at least the approach here has produced a film that is funny and clever enough to both critique and celebrate the toys that are brought to life here. The film has plenty to say about feminism and masculinity in modern society, but it does so with humour and heart and never forgets to keep the focus on the characters themselves. Robbie is perfectly cast of course and both Gosling and Ferrera are standouts.
A caveat - this is not the Star Trek that Gene Roddenberry intended and one would imagine that he would not have approved. But then, some of the best Star Trek episodes, and indeed series (DS9), have come from a divergence from Roddenberry's positive vision of the future and a willingness to explore the difficulties humanity would have in aspiring to this unlikely ideal. Abrams was wise to begin his film versions of Star Trek prior to the realisation of Roddenberry's utopia. What Star Trek has also often been good at is providing a canvas upon which to comment on the moral and social questions that resonate with modern society and here the notion of terrorism and how humanity addresses this in personal and global terms feels particularly relevant.
Not that Abrams allows this to get in the way of delivering what can only be described as a perfect summer movie, but the overall themes of the film ascribe to this notion of Star Trek. What Abrams also gets right in spades is the characters and the interaction between all of them, in particular Kirk and Spock, with a great effort made in ensuring all of the crew get a moment to shine (something notably lacking from the original movies). Pine and Quinto are a fantastic double act and the development of their characters and their relationship is the highlight of the film. Cumberbatch makes for a great central villain, yet the film develops in surprising ways. There are plot holes galore here and to be sure they mar the overall rating. They are also likely to enrage the pedantic fans of a series which has often suffered from a need/desire to retcon or fit everything into a preordained timeline often at the expense of simply enjoying the moment. And that is what the filmmakers seems to be doing here. Rarely do these plot inconsistencies detract from the sheer fun and enjoyment of seeing these characters race through a film whose pace is relentless. What is unnecessary however is this film's attempts to connect with a previous instalment in the series. There is nothing inherently wrong with the connections but it adds little to the story and wholesale reminders of scenes from another film detract from their intent. These similar moments could have easily been staged in a different way and the film would have been better for it. There is also an incredibly convenient "deus ex machina" moment that is as predictable as it is ridiculous and completely unnecessary as it only serves to fulfil the desire of the film to connect with its predecessor. Still, this is great entertainment!
As the third film in the new timeline, it is nice to see the crew on a mission and looking to fulfil the remit of the show. A running theme is an emphasis on the importance of all the crew of the Enterprise, although the trifecta of Kirk, Spock and McCoy still command the lion's share of the drama. Spock and McCoy in particular make a great pairing, recalling the Kelley/Nimoy dynamic that was such a great part of the original show. Despite a strong opening 30 minutes however, once the film moves to the surface of the planet to be explored, it becomes rather less compelling with generic villains whose backstory becomes rather obvious to anyone paying attention and a noticeable lack of obvious threat that the opening did so well to convey. It doesn't help that the rather bland location and seeming lack of extras suggests a lack of any real danger to the crew that the characters seems at pains to point out to the audience. Things pick up for the finale, but with the film repeating themes from the previous entries, whilst offering a rather confused motivation for its central villain, there is little to distinguish this from a rather average episode of the show. Watchable, but a noticeable drop in quality from the previous entries.
Abrams' effectively reboots Star Trek in a very clever way, but like most of the films, it is very different from the TV series and eschews exploration in favour of a more action orientated approach. What Abrams does get right is his approach to the characters, with spot-on casting and some clever twists on the audience's knowledge and expectations of the original show. The plot is a fairly standard revenge story and apart from a standout action sequence on Vulcan, there is little that hasn't be seen before, but the interplay between the characters is tremendously entertaining and for that, Abrams deserves a lot of credit.
Barring a couple of missteps, this is nowhere near as bad as initial reactions to the film would suggest (and anyone who thinks so should spend 20 minutes watching Star Trek V). The film is essentially two halves, the first setting up intriguing developments in the Romulan Empire and an unusual villain. It is a shame that the film didn't attempt to hide the villain's true nature or make him more sympathetic as the film develops as much of this is abandoned in the second half for an extended action sequence, which is actually one of the strongest done for a Trek film. Data and Picard continue to be the focus though at the expense of the rest of the crew and the familiar themes of family and moving on are starting to become a little tiresome. What also doesn't work is a "rape" scene that just feels vastly out of place and a subplot involving another android, which feels superfluous and unfortunately undermines the end of the film. It's a reasonable send off for the Next Generation cast but not as strong as the one for the original crew.
A solid if not spectacular entry into the series, this has all the hallmarks of an extended TV episode of the show on a larger budget. The problem is that most of the themes and ideas covered in the film are similar if not the same to those covered by the show several times and there are some aspects of the plot that are a little too contrived. There is some fun to be had from watching the crew deal with the effects of the planet they are on and the exterior location and sets are stunning and a welcome change. The action sequences are noticeable for a bigger scope and budget than before and this all makes for an enjoyable enough experience, if lacking in anything new to the series.
The best of the Next Generation films, this picks up story threads from some of the strongest episodes of the TV show without alienating the audience who haven't seen the show. The Borg have always been great villains and here they are given a face in the shape of Alice Krige, who is easily the best antagonist in the film series since Khan. After a rousing and impressive battle at the beginning of the film, the relentless and creepy nature of the Borg is played to great effect in the dark corridors of the Enterprise and on its hull. Splitting the crew into two separate plots helps to give all the crew something to do, but whilst the B plot on the planet's surface explores an interesting moment in Trek lore, ultimately it's the battle with the Borg that captures the attention. The film also has a great score from Jerry Goldsmith.
Starting from a story point of bringing two Captains together isn't a good sign and the convoluted use of The Nexus is the kind of science-fiction technobabble that gives Star Trek a bad name. It is nice to see the crew of the Next Generation make the transition to feature films from the TV show, but it would have been a far better film had the focus solely been on them. There are some funny moments with Data, a nice cameo from Whoopi Goldberg and the film touches on some interesting themes on dealing with grief, death and regret, but these moments are fleeting and not explored enough. The eventual pairing of Kirk and Picard is fun to watch yet the outcome is somewhat anticlimactic, when it should be powerful. Perhaps this is down to the fact that the original cast had a perfectly good send off in VI. It is entertaining enough, but flawed from the beginning really.
Notwithstanding an intriguing opening, this film is a mess. The notion of searching for God is an interesting one, but tonally this film is all over the place. It doesn't help that the film's attempts at humour are awful and unfortunately undermine the threat and more serious elements of the film. It is also obvious that the special effects are considerably worse than the previous entries, but this can't excuse some laughably bad decisions and awful dialogue. There is little to recommend here save for completists.
A welcome return to form after the debacle of V, this is a wonderful send off for the original crew and a fitting tribute to Roddenberry. Here Trek does what it does best, and looks at a real life issues through science fiction. The exploration of the "Cold War" between the Klingons and Federation and attempts to bring about peace after a Klingon disaster may be a little too on-the-nose in its reflection of Chernobyl and Soviet/American relations of the late 90s, but it's message is just as relevant today, perhaps even more so. It also allows Meyer to pick up threads from prior entries and use them to great effect as Kirk struggles to accept the idea of peace. Using Kirk as the lynchpin whose reluctance is relatable and understandable in the context of the previous stories allows the film to emphasise the difficulties of peace after years of mistrust and bloodshed. A standout action sequence in zero gravity together with a great final battle with the Enterprise (Meyer again bringing his naval references to the fore to make these battles relatable and understandable to an audience) ensure the films go out with a bang and it's great to see Spock in full deduction mode once again as he investigates a crime on the Enterprise.
From the opening score, it is immediately clear that the tone of this film is going to be vastly different from the previous two entries and the serious tone is replaced with a far more irreverent take on the Star Trek mythos. Whilst some of the humour may make fun of the characters, it helps that the "fish-out-of-water" vignettes are also very funny especially those involving Spock. This is also one of the few Trek films that gives all of the cast a part to play in the plot rather than just Kirk, Spock and McCoy. The film ties up all the loose ends left from the previous films and would have served as a nice coda to the original series had this been the last one. It is a shame that the environmental message is laid on a little too thickly but great that a bit of fun has been brought into the series after two such serious instalments.
A direct follow up to the previous film, this middle part of an unofficial trilogy continues the melancholic feeling of the previous entry. Devoting an entire film to what is essentially a cheat may seem unnecessary, but despite the film's obvious flaw, It does well to tie its plot to threads from the previous film which helps to sell the implausibility of its central story, and importantly the characters suffer consequences to their actions, notably Kirk with another fine performance from Shatner. The film can't help but suffer from the absence of Nimoy from the film and its exploration of Vulcan culture is more suited to devotees of the Trek franchise and less accessible to a general audience than the previous film. That being said, the film contains some great sequences, as Kirk and his crew go out on a limb for their friend and face down the Klingon villains and it forms a cohesive companion piece to Wrath of Khan. More importantly, it does not lessen the impact of those moving final moments from Khan, which are replayed here at the beginning.
After the lacklustre first film, this sequel makes the threat much more personal. Meyer remembers that it was the relationship between the core characters that worked so well in the series and there is a much stronger focus on the characters, especially Kirk and Spock. But equally the decision to emphasise the naval militaristic nature of the Enterprise helps to make the entire crew much more relatable to the audience and the confrontations between Khan and Kirk are tense and resolved in a fashion that feel natural rather than relying on a "deus-ex-machina" device that can often spoil Trek. Notwithstanding Montalban's wonderfully operatic performance, there is a very melancholic feeling that permeates the film, as Kirk contemplates age, death and feeling redundant. Excepting a moment of anger that is often ridiculed, Shatner has never been better as Kirk, and his scenes with Nimoy near the end of the film are still emotional and moving even on repeat viewings and a knowledge of what is to come. They are a wonderful evocation of a friendship that has stood the test of time and were so good they formed the start of the sequel. Still the best of all the Trek films.
A good idea for a TV episode stretched out to a full length feature film unfortunately leads to some terrible pacing issues. It takes a full hour before the Enterprise even reaches its destination and a further 20 minutes is spent watching the Enterprise fly through what is effectively a light show. Despite this, there are interesting elements, with a very strong core central idea that is followed through and the two new characters of Deckard and Ilia making the most impact oń the story. It is a shame then that there is very little focus on the core characters, with most of the crew, even the major characters, simply reacting to the effects and explaining the plot.
The design and aesthetic of the film is exactly what you would expect from Tim Burton as is the plot and background to the characters - but it is the atmospheric, Gothic creepiness that leaves the biggest impression and makes it worth watching. Beyond that. there is very little here that surprises. Depp’s character is entertaining as the reluctant detective, and whilst Ricci is fine, her character is pretty much reduced to a supporting love interest. The rest of the cast do what they can as potential suspects and targets for the horseman and at least the film doesn’t really outstay its welcome.
Well…it’s an ending of sorts, but this is a mess of a film. What works is down to individual moments and scenes that connect with the previous films and suggest that there was the makings of a strong ending to the trilogy, but there are at least three competing storylines which on their own could have served the entire film, but never have time to breathe. It doesn’t help that the plot seems to drift from one scene to another forgetting characters for large parts of the film and making abrupt turns in the story that make very little sense or never have the emotional impact they should. This is one badly edited mess and it’s says a lot that by the end, the film has drained any care for the resolution to the plot threads that had been laid down by previously.
There is a confidence here that gives the film room to breathe and the film chooses to focus on much more relatable issues for Parker as he struggles to balance his new found status as a superhero with with the every day pressures of holding down a job, paying the rent and attending university. Molina is less hammy as the central villain and the action sequences are much stronger culminating in a standout sequence on top of a train. All the actors seem much more comfortable this time, though Kirsten Dunst yet again is given little to do - she deserves far better as the chemistry between her and Maguire has nothing to do with the script or plot. It’s definitely the best of the original trilogy of films and still very entertaining.
It suffers from trying to do too much in that it wants to rush past how Parker developed into Spider-Man and the emotional beats don’t land as well as they should. Maguire channels his wide eyed innocent look, Dafoe hams it up and JK Simmons pretty much steals every scene he is in. It doesn’t help that Dunst has nothing to do except be the girl that needs saving, although both Maguire and her have enough chemistry to help get through the generic teenage boy wish fulfillment fantasy that the film relies on to drive the plot for much of the film. It’s not terrible by any means and entertaining most of the time, it’s just some elements have not aged well. Elfman manages to create yet another great superhero score though!
Although entirely predictable throughout and very sentimental, it is watchable thanks to the focus on following the human story from the dog's point of view and it would work well as a family film. However, the film's plot also centres around a strange element that suggests the central hero is reincarnated several times in order to fulfil it's purpose. This seems a rather hamfisted way of creating a central throughline to the story given that the narrator is the central character, yet a film that followed several different dogs would have still retained the theme of the film as well as made those moments where people lose their pet much more meaningful.
Somewhat overshadowed by Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, It is hard to remember what a huge blockbuster this was in 89. Watching it nearly 30 years later, the film is a triumph of production design and iconography with a musical score that has stood the test of time almost as much as Williams' Superman theme. It's easy to forget how controversial Keaton's casting was, but he is great as both Batman and Bruce Wayne. The pre digital effects may have aged a little and the action sequences were always fairly tame, but Burton utilises the sets, costumes and props to great effect, drenching the film in smoke and shadows and producing some iconic moments, from Batman's first and final appearance in the film, to the Batmobile racing through a forest and the Batplane soaring in silhouette across the moon all set to one of Elfman's best scores (Forget Prince, Danny Elfman is the true musical hero of this and the sequel). Still great fun!
This should be way more entertaining than it is with the central concept. At the end of the day, Van Damme is a poor version of Schwarzenegger, throwing out quips that just don’t land and taking himself much too seriously. The futuristic design has dated badly, the fight scenes are not particularly inventive and the filmmakers keep remind the audience of plot points that make little sense in the first place. There are much better Van Damme films out there and certainly much better fun “time travel” films that play with similar scenarios.
