The Nightmare Before Christmas: Nightmare Indeed!

‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ is a stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy film, the plot follows The Pumpkin King himself Jack Skellington as he grows tired of his role as King and yearns for something different; then after a trip to Christmas town decides that he wants to spread joy rather than chills and, scares.

‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ is a film I remember being enamoured with when I was a kid, however, revisiting it ten years later I found it was not in any way how I remembered it; very much in a bad way. Yes in this review I will be saying why I don’t like ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’, which to some is Christmas heresy.

Before I get to that though I want to talk about the stop-motion animation, which is of course wonderfully unique and, very nice to see; as there really aren’t many films like this anymore. The character models, however, are off-putting, I understand that is the point to some extent, but other than Jack, (Chris Sarandon) and, Sally, (Catherine O’ Hara) I found a lot of the other characters very hard to look at for long periods.

Despite not being directed by Tim Burton this is very much one of his films, the style and, the characters are all very much the same if you have ever seen something like Beetlejuice or, for an animated example the Corpse Bride then you know what you’re getting. After watching this film and, thinking back to Burton’s other works I have come away with the conclusion that as a filmmaker he is very hit or miss you either love his style or, you hate it.

The other thing I strongly dislike about this film is the constant singing, yes I know it’s a musical, it seems like every 5 seconds they are bursting into song. I like the odd musical here and there, they are not my genre for sure, but where I think something like Frozen, which is also a musical, gets right is that it uses its songs sparingly which makes them memorable. Whereas ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ seems to operate by a policy of how many songs can I fit into the runtime of this film.

The songs themselves are all fine, with a few standouts amongst them, but I found many of the songs went on for too long and, negatively affected the pacing of the film, sometimes making me want to turn the film off as a result as I was quickly losing interest.

Ultimately this film did not live up to how I remembered it from my childhood, I found the characters off-putting, the constant singing annoying and, though there was some Burton charm to be found it was well hidden. I like the Corpse Bride more.

1.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Jingle All The Way: Those Are My Cookies, Bad Relations Between Neighbors

‘Jingle All The Way’ is a family comedy Christmas film, focusing on the battle to get a Turbo Man action figure for each of their child’s Christmas present, between two rival fathers; Howard, (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and, Myron, (Sinbad).

Jingle all the way surprised me in a lot of ways, mainly that Schwarzenegger lends himself well to comedy, before this point he was mainly seen as a serious macho action hero, so seeing him play against type and, play a bumbling but, well-intentioned suburban dad was interesting. He also does really well in this role being charming and, relatable; it is a strange duality as he plays the lovable misguided father well, but also the campy super dad/ superhero which makes for a larger than life performances.

Another surprising thing about this film is its plot, which often veers into strange and, wacky territory. In some ways, this film is almost like a live-action cartoon, a good example of this point would be there is a scene in the film where Sinbad’s character blows himself up with a postal bomb, you didn’t see that coming did you, but rather than have this be a serious bit of drama in the film it is played for laughs and, rather than be mangled from the blast Myron and, the other characters around him look like they have just been covered in soot. Though I suppose I am overthinking the plot of a children’s film.

‘Jingle All The Way’ also has an odd plotline where Howard’s neighbour Ted, (Phil Hartman), is trying to replace him and, steal his wife, this is a plotline the film keeps coming back to and, Ted is the real antagonist of the film. This is strange when you consider it is supposed to be about the rivalry between Howard and Myron and, the climax of the film is the fight between those two and, Ted is nowhere in sight. It almost feels like Sinbad’s Myron is bad into a secondary villain, as the plotline with Ted is constantly stressed over and, over again.

The climax of the film is basically a superhero showdown between Turbo Man, which is Howard dressed up and, Dementor, Turbo Man’s arch-enemy that Myron is dressed as; this is to me where I think the plot goes off the rails and, things happen without any real reason. Also, the CGI and visual effects during this sequence are horribly dated, but that adds to the campy fun.

Overall ‘Jingle All The Way’ could have been a very generic Christmas film, but by adding all these larger than life and, sometimes downright strange elements to the mix you have something truly memorable. Overall this film isn’t going to knock your socks off, but it is dumb campy fun.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Krampus: Wait that’s not Santa Claus

‘Krampus’ is a dark fantasy horror comedy film based on the infamous character from Bavarian and, Germanic folklore. The plot follows a family at Christmas that have lost the real meaning of the season and, when Max, (Emjay Anthony), says ‘he hates Christmas and his family’ and, tears up his letter to Santa Claus; they evoke Krampus’ wrath.

This film is from Micheal Dougherty the director behind Trick or, Treat, as such it features creative creatures and, monster; some of which are incredibly original while others are rather familiar to the horror genre. Krampus himself is menacing straddling the line between monstrous and campy at times; his look isn’t 100 per cent accurate to how he is depicted in most of the folklore surrounding him, but he is still scary despite this.

The scares are all pretty good, however ‘Krampus’ does lean on the humour over the scares a lot of the time; this is most definitely more of a comedy film than a horror. The issue with this is that the humour of the film is all pretty weak, it makes you smile a few times, but there are no laugh out loud moments; some of the jokes are even painful.

The acting is on the better side of average, most of the actors are serviceable if not memorable; these include our leading boy Emjay Antony. Adam Scott of Park and Recreation fame in this film as Max’s father Tom, he has some good moments and, a few strong jokes, the only ones of the film, however, he isn’t given much to do and, it feels like a waste of his considerable talents.

Toni Collette is also in this film this is before her game-changing role in Hereditary and, she gives a decent performance not a scene-stealer, but she does a good job with what she has to work with. Allison Tolman of Fargo fame is also in this, but just like everyone else in the cast doesn’t blow you away with her performance.

It is nice to see ‘Krampus’ remind people that Christmas can be scary, it carries the torch on from things like Gremlins, check out my review, and Black Christmas. These films will always serve as a reminder that horror does have a place at Christmas, also this scary bent helps these films stick out from all the other happy, mushy, Christmas fluff.

Overall this film isn’t my favourite Christmas horror film, but it is nice to see some variety in Christmas films that make it out and, despite the fact it doesn’t change the game it has some genuinely good scares and, is wonderfully unique. Check ‘Krampus’ out if you don’t like traditional Christmas films and, have a desire for something new.

4/5 simply for originality

Reviewed by Luke

Nativity: Time For The Annual Christmas Play

‘Nativity’ is a British Christmas Comedy film the plot follows Paul Maddens, (Martin Freeman), a failed actor who has now become a teacher; the story details his struggle as he tries to upstage his drama school rival Gordon Shakespeare, (Jason Watkins), who is also now a teacher at a private school, the two men go to great lengths to see who can produce the best nativity play.

The cast reads like a who’s who of B and, C list British celebrities of the time, with many famous faces making an appearance. However, despite a lot of celebrity cameos, the cast is mostly wasted and, underused; Freeman is the only one who’s performance borders on okay. The worst offender is Mr Poppy, (Marc Wootton), he is dumb and, annoying a lot of the time having a lot of energy but not much charm or, charisma; his inclusion is meant to appeal to kids as his humour is on their level. Poppy becomes a much bigger part of the series, yes there is a series of ‘Nativity’ films, however Wootton’s performance is much better in these later instalments.

Freeman is the best performer here as he captures the down on his luck but, well-intentioned lead to great effect. When he realises how much the kids care about him and, want him to be happy there is a genuinely great emotional moment; which I challenge you to say didn’t bring a tear to your eye. You can tell that Mr Maddens does genuinely care about the children and, it is all thanks to Freeman’s performance.

The children of St Bernadette’s are all suitably cute and, endearing and they play off Freeman’s character well; the relationship between them and him really help with Paul’s character development helping to show him in a more sympathetic light.

In terms of Christmas films, this is nice and inoffensive if you’re not very discerning then this is a great switch your brain off and enjoy kind of film. The message is very wholesome and, festive and, it is very nice to see Paul get back together with his ex-girlfriend who left to go to Hollywood; it does appeal to my romantic heart.

Overall this is great holiday junk food: generating that feel-good quality that a lot of these sort of films have. The sequences set during the actual nativity performance are well done, the songs are catchy and, the whole thing itself will be very relatable to anyone who has ever been in a Christmas play before. Overall this is fine but, it is far far from a Christmas classic like Home Alone or, Gremlins.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Ps. More Christmas film reviews are incoming.

Jumanji, The Next Level: Level Up!

‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ is a fantasy adventure comedy film and, sequel to the 2017 film ‘Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle; also serving as the fourth film in the franchise. The plot follows on from the last entry, the core group have drifted apart and, Spencer, (Alex Wolff), decides to go back into Jumanji once again, to try and recapture the Bravestone feeling; the others discover this and, then go into to rescue him. The twist this time around is that Spencer’s uncle Eddie, (Danny Devito), and his former business partner Milo, (Danny Glover), get sucked into the game too.

Director Jake Kasdan achieves something very special with ‘The Next Level’ a sequel that is far better than the films in the series before it. In almost every aspect this film succeeds the previous film, in terms of comedy, in terms of character development, in terms of world-building; all-round ‘The Next Level’ is a treat.

This time around Bravestone, (Dwayne Johnson), is the in-game avatar of Danny Devito’s Eddie, and Moose Finbar, (Kevin Hart), is the avatar of Danny Glover’s Milo. Both actors do a great impression of their older counterparts: but it is Kevin Hart that really shines in this style of comedy, his impression of Danny Glover is hilarious and he easily has the best jokes of the film.

The rest of the in-game avatars are also a welcome return, Professor Oberon, (Jack Black), played by Ser’ Darius Blain’s Fridge this time around is equally as hilarious as he was in the first film; it is nice to see Jack Black back in a big-budget film. Ruby Roundhouse, (Karen Gillian), and Seaplane, (Joe Jonas), are featured and, they do have some great moments but, they are very much pushed to the sidelines and, underused. Awkwafina is also in this film for all of 15 minutes, so she is not really given any time to shine.

The world of Jumanji is nicely explored this time around, we get to see some new locations that helped to set this film apart from the previous entry this is also done by their being new rules brought in which allow characters to do a variety of different things, including switching bodies. The one issue with all of this is that ‘The Next Level’ feels less like a videogame adaption/homage, which is one of the things that makes the first film so good.

Overall ‘The Next Level’ is a step up from ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ which was already a great film. Devito, Black, Hart and Johnson are all on terrific form here and, make this one of the best films of the year. The romantic development between Spencer and, Martha, (Morgan Turner) is also incredibly endearing and, the end stinger is definitely one to stick around for. I can’t wait for the next film in this fantastic franchise.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Gremlins 2: Gizmo Is Back For Blood, First Blood.

‘Gremlins 2: The New Batch’ is a horror-comedy film and, follow up to the 1984 Gremlins film. The story continues the journey of Gizmo, (Howie Mandel), who this time gets wet and, multiplies inside a skyscraper in New York City; can you guess who works in the same skyscraper?

That’s right it’s Billy, (Zach Galligan), the main character from the first film, he is now working in a soul-crushing job at the Clamp Centre, dreaming of being able to draw the things he wants to. Gizmo is captured and, brought to the Clamp centre following the death of his owner Mr Wing, (Keye Luke), meeting back up with Billy in the process.

‘The New Batch’ seems to believe strongly in the concept of more is better, the wackiness of the original film is turned up to 100, with the evil gremlins this time around getting superpowers, as they’re effectively the result of genetic experimentation. These superpowers include the ability to talk and, for one very memorable character wings. The effects of the flight sequence are horrific and, really stand out when compared to today however, it really helps to add to the campy charm of the film.

The campy charm is another thing that this sequel greatly plays up, there are multiple meta jokes and, jabs at other films which serve this purpose. ‘The New Batch’ almost plays like a charming B movie in many ways, this is one of the things I really like about the sequel. Tony Randall as the Brain Gremlin is inspired, he is constantly hilarious and, every moment he is on the screen is a treat; the best lines of the film are all his.

To go back to this idea of meta-commentary this time around Gizmo has seen Rambo and, he uses these skills once again to save Billy; also seeing Gizmo in a little red headband is something I never knew I needed. Gizmo is just as charming and, endearing this time around and, there are real moments of peril for Gizmo wherein you’re genuinely scared for him.

My only real criticism for this film is that in terms of filmmaking and, narrative things aren’t as tight this time around, they feel messy to an extent: as though the creatives and director Joe Dante were just throwing ideas at the wall and seeing what sticks; which to an extent they were as this film had far less time in production than the previous film.

Overall, despite being a little rushed this is still more of the same fantastic gremlins action. This is a gloriously campy, B movie esque, horror-comedy and is definitely worth the watch. It will make you smile and, it will solidify Gizmo as one of cinemas all-time best, and most adorable icons.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Gremlins: Gizmo The Christmas Icon

‘Gremlins’ is a horror comedy film, written by Chris Columbus and, directed by Joe Dante, two legends of the 1980’s film industry. The plot follows Billy, (Zach Gilligan), a young man who gets a Christmas present of his father, a little furry creature called Gizmo. Gizmo is a gremlin a mystical creature that comes with a very specific set of rules, don’t expose it to sunlight, don’t get it wet and, finally and most importantly don’t feed it after midnight. Obviously, all these rules are broken throughout the course of the film, leading to the creation of new gremlins, who unlike Gizmo aren’t cute and cuddly, rather menacing and evil.

Many people have a soft spot in their hearts for ‘Gremlins’ and, many view it as a Christmas classic. This down to, in no small part, Gizmo himself, not only is he memorable but, he is also cute and, endearing and, whenever there is a moment where things look bad for him you almost say out loud, “No not Gizmo”, or maybe that’s just me. What the puppetry team accomplished with him is outstanding and, the choice to give him a voice, (Howie Mandel), is inspired, as it really helps to sell the emotion of the character.

Steven Spielberg’s fingerprints are all over this film and, it shows; it perfectly toes the line between goofy Christmas film and actually good horror. The horror elements are surprisingly strong with the design of the evil gremlins being really quite scary and, unpleasant. Also, there is a lot of fantastic gore in the film, mainly during a scene when Billy’s mum, (Frances Lee McCain), kills three of the evil gremlins, putting one in the microwave and, one in a blender. At the time it came out this level of gore in what was extensively a children’s film, was shocking. This combined with the release of Spielberg’s Temple of Doom lead to the creation of the R rating in America.

‘Gremlins’ is dripping in 80’s goodness it does feel very of that era however, that is not to say that it doesn’t age well; ‘ Gremlins’ is just as perfect now as it was then. The relationship between Billy and Gizmo is a thing of beauty and, the scene in the final act where Gizmo drives a little toy car to save Billy is the most heartwarming, life-affirming thing you might see all year. This film is guaranteed to make you smile.

One last thing to mention is that the final shot of this film, the original owner of Gizmo walking away with him, is one of the most beautifully shot and, most iconic shots not just in horror films but, in cinema in general.

‘Gremlins’ is one of those films that everyone should see at least once, I can promise you it is worthy of your time, and that it will make you smile.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Operation Finale: The Harshness of a 122 minute runtime, done badly

Operation Finale is a historical drama about the hunt for and, eventual capture of infamous Nazi Adolf Eichmann by Israeli Mossad agents; based somewhat on the memoir of Peter Malkin.

The premise for this film is intriguing there aren’t that many films detailing the fallout of World War 2 or, the hunt to capture the remaining Nazi officers who fled. So this one feels unique. However, despite the novelty of the film feeling like something I hadn’t seen before, it still came across as uninspired.

Once the film gets going and, we see the agents in Argentina hunting down and, capturing Eichmann there is a fantastic sense of dread and, tension as if you know something bad is going to happen; with every second before they get on the plane feeling tense.

This is greatly helped by Kingsley’s performance as Eichmann, Kingsley perfectly captures the role flirting with both desperation and, intense malice at times. There is something about Kingsley’s performance that makes your skin crawl.

However, the rest of the cast are so bland and, forgettable, you can’t remember a single one of their names after the credits roll, dragging down the film as a whole. Oscar Issac as Peter Malkin is serviceable, but not in any way good, anyone could have played that role and captured the same lifeless performance that Issac gives and, we know he is capable of giving a good performance. On top of this, we have Nick Kroll, of Uncle Drew and Big Mouth fame, as Rafi Eitan, in this film he plays it straight; he is not the comedic relief. This serious turn from Kroll is in a word jarring: because a lot of the time his performance doesn’t match that of the other actors as he can’t quite land the serious delivery.

The most offensive thing about Operation Finale is its runtime of 122 minutes; which feels oppressively long. The main story of the film might take up about an hour and a half at most; the rest of the film consists of subplots, that I suppose are intended to develop the characters and, their motivations, but instead just drag on and on. Ultimately that is the crux of the issue with this film, it can’t make the audience care about its characters, they remain tepid and, non-substantial throughout the film.

Despite my issues with the film, I am glad it got made as it is an important film and it is nice to see these brave men and women get their moment in the light, however they deserved better than this bland cookie-cutter historical drama treatment.
2.5/5

Home Alone: And So Christmas Begins

Home Alone is a comedy film and world-renown Christmas classic. The plot follows a young boy Kevin McCallister, (Macaulay Culkin), who is left Home Alone by his parents when they go away on a Christmas holiday; while being on his own Kevin is terrorised by a pair of burglars called the Wet Bandits. The film deals with themes of family and societal judgments.

For me, Home Alone one and two have become somewhat of a Christmas institution; every year I will gather around the television and, watch them. This is because the films are so heartwarming and sweet they are feel-good films in the truest sense; holiday junk food.

Culkin gives one of the best performances, for a child actor, ever, not only is he likeable and charismatic, but he is also funny. These first two Home Alone films wouldn’t be half as good as they are without Culkin in the lead; he brings so much youthful energy and, heart to these films and his role can not be understated.

Furthermore, the behind the scenes duo of two of the best 1980s directors, Chris Columbus and John Hughes, the director and producer respectively; really add to the film being what it is, memorable and quotable long after it was released, as well as add to the timeless nature of this film.

The villains of the piece the Wet Bandits are also a treat, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern do a fantastic job, being able to be both menacing at times while also being funny and comical. In this regard, the final showdown between Kevin and the Bandits is a thing of beauty, yes this is where I am going to talk about the traps.
Once the Bandits break into Kevin’s house, they soon find out that he is far from a frightened little kid and, in a rather Jigsaw like way, has in fact designed a series of traps for them. The traps become a hallmark of the Home Alone series, with each entry using them as the centrepiece of the film. The traps are all incredibly entertaining to watch, and this is helped in no small part by Pesci and Stern’s great comedic timing and delivery.

My one issue with the first two films is that they include subplots whereby Kevin makes friends with someone he at first judges but, then by the third act realises that they are in fact alright. Both films do this and, to me, it comes across as a little repetitive and a little bit forced; I understand what the films were trying to do, but I personally could have done without it.

Overall A Christmas classic that holds up and is a must-see this time of year!

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Mid90s: Back in the 90’s I Was In A Skateboard Gang

Mid90s is a coming of age comedy-drama film; the plot follows a young teenager as he starts hanging out with an older group of Skate Boarders.

Mid90s is the directional debut of funnyman Jonah Hill, of Superbad fame, and what a promising first outing this is. Mid90s manages to capture so excellently not just the ’90’s feel, but also the need to belong and, the need to find others like you and, be expected by them.

To this end, we see Stevie, (Sunny Suljic), a 13-year-old with an incredibly troubled home-life, a lot of things are implied but, nothing is out-rightly said, as he tries to befriend a group of skater boys that he admires. In service of this aim, we see Stevie do all kinds of things like smoke and drink underage, have sex underage, and do incredibly dangerous skateboarding tricks. A lot of these scenes are extremely uncomfortable to watch, the intimate scene especially made my skin crawl, but it is all done to be as realistic as possible. In many ways, this film reminded me a lot of the Larry Clarke 90’s film Kids, both showed the struggle of these kids who were poor and, disenfranchised by society; who just wanted a way out.

Another thing the film does well it show how appearances can be deceiving and, you never really know what is going on in a person’s head. It does this masterfully in the final act, throughout the film we learn very little about the skater boys that Stevie befriends this leads us to form our own opinions about them, then during a very touching conversation in the final moments of the film Ray, (Na-Kel Smith), the leader of the boys tells Stevie of the suffering each member of the gang has had to live with and, it really hits home the message of the film.

This is also shown by Lucas Hedges’ character Ian, Ian is Stevie’s older brother, throughout the film Ian is mean and unpleasant towards Stevie, in some ways he is almost the antagonist of the film. However, as the film progresses we learn bit by bit that Ian has had a very hard life and, is indeed very troubled; we also learn that deep down he does have a lot of care for his brother in the touching orange juice scene at the end.

The comedy of the film mostly lands, however, it is used incredibly sparingly and, this film is far more of a drama film than a straight comedy; you won’t come away from his laughing.

To conclude this is a very promising debut for Jonah Hill, he delivers an impactful slice of life, a more gritty coming of age tale, and, most of all he makes us question how we view people. In many ways despite a lot of it’s bleaker and, uncomfortable moments, Mid90s is truly beautiful.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke