Maleficent: Jolie Past Her Prime?

Maleficent is a fantasy family film directed by Robert Stormberg. The plot serves as a retelling of the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty, this time for the evil witch’s point of view. This time around we see that said witch Maleficent (Angelina Jolie), was actually the victim of human aggression on the part of the evil King Stefan (Sharlto Copley).

This film is to me the perfect example of the phrase style over substance. We get a lot of cool looking fantasy creatures, but do they do anything meaningful? Do you care about them? No to both. Even Maleficent herself is hard to warm to, this whole film feels very clean, like it was made by a group of marketing personnel, there is no heart or soul and if you watch it you will see what I mean.

Copley is one of my favourite actors and given the right director and the right script he can work wonder, but he is wasted here. We are supposed to believe that a poor orphan boy grew up to become king of a small country, I don’t think so. Not only that, but the film builds up the relationship between him and Jolie’s character, only to be like no he was evil the whole time. You’re left feeling like you have had your time wasted.

Jolie is not much better served. They try to make her character warm and sympathetic; they fail at both. They try and create a motherly bond between her, and Sleeping Beauty here called Aurora (Elle Fanning), which one again comes off as disingenuous and hard to believe. Which might say something about Jolie’s acting ability these days.

The only character who seems to be having fun and possess any kind of whimsey is Fanning’s Aurora, she is definitely the saving grace of the film.

Overall, this film feels too marketed tested and corporate, it has no soul.

Pros.

Elle Fanning

The world building

Cons.

They waste a talented cast.

The CGI creatures do nothing.

It feels boring and forced.

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Artemis Fowl: Judi Dench As A Fairy Commando

Artemis Fowl is a family fantasy adventure film directed by Kenneth Branagh; based on a series of YA novels. The plot follows young Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw), as he must recover a priceless object, that is the very key to life for the Fairy world, so that he can save his father Artemis Fowl Sr (Colin Farrell).

So going into this film I had heard a lot of bad things, I had heard some people say that this was the worst film of the year so far. However, I have to say I enjoyed this film a lot, more and more as it went on. What you’re about to read might be the only positive review of Artemis Fowl out there.

Firstly yes, I admit none of it makes sense and it is incredibly dumb, but if you can turn your mind off you will find it is some of the best, escapist fun this year. The dialogue is corny and hammy, but it only adds to its charm. Basically it boils down to this, if you want to see Judi Dench dressed as a Fairy commando saying, “top of the morning to ya”, then you will enjoy this film, if that sounds bad then this is not the film for you. For me it was one of the best moments of the film.

I adored the style of this film, it reminded me of something like Percy Jackson or the Vampires Apprentice it perfectly captured that fantasy coming of age angle and I for one would love to see more from this universe.

Overall, this is the most fun I have had with a movie in a long time, if dumb, strange, stylish, manic fun sounds like something you would enjoy then definitely check this out!

Pros.

Judi Dench

Colin Farrell

The dumb fun

The style

It is hilarious, maybe not in an intentional way

Cons.

None

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Hotel Transylvania 2: A Little Bit More Dead

Hotel Transylvania 2 is an animated comedy fantasy film directed by Genndy Tartakovsky. The plot follows on from the events of the last film and sees Dracula’s (Adam Sandler) daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez), marry Jonathan (Andy Samberg) and have a baby. This is great news for Dracula, and he couldn’t be more excited, but as the baby is born he has to come to terms with the possibility that it might be human, and that Mavis and her child might move away.

I think this film is a step down from the first. Both in terms of emotional beats and also in terms of nuance. The first film really made Dracula a sympathetic character and his arc of coming to love Johnathan in his own way was really well done, however, in this film we have that same arc repeated just replacing Johnathan with Mavis’ baby. Moreover, this film back both Johnathan and Dracula act like dicks and it ruins any likability they had from the first film; I would assume this is easy plotting, but it cancelled out any kinship I felt with them.

Furthermore, the relations between humans and monsters in the first film had nuance, the way Dracula came to terms with humanity changing to love monsters was well done. Here the monster human divide is handled as incredibly in your face, poorly disguised social commentary that has all the subtly of a brick on fire breaking a window. I assume they must have taken on new writers for the second film. If so fire them, if it is the same people, have them reflect why they did this.

Overall, while the film is still good and fun in many ways, it feels like a step back. The character arcs don’t progress but regress in the worst way, the writing in this second film really is sub-par and it brings down the film overall as a result.

Pros.

More of the same

The humour is better

Some good emotional moments

Cons.

A lot of ham-fisted emotional moments

The characters regress

The social commentary is a bit too in your face for my tastes

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Mulan: Every Animated Film Needs Eddie Murphy

Mulan is an animated action and adventure film directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook. The classic Disney plotline see resilient character Mulan (Ming-Na Wen), take up her family’s mantle of fighting in the Imperial Army, so that her elder father doesn’t get drafted. The only issue is that women are not allowed in the Imperial Army, so she must pretend to be a man, a feat she manages while accompanied by a wise-cracking dragon and a lucky bug.

I fondly remember watching this film when I was young, and I enjoyed it even more when I rewatched it. This is to me the perfect example of ‘Disney Magic’, there is something about the songs and the hand drawn animation that calls to me and makes me smile. However, it also makes me worry about the new remake coming out; as I strongly believe that it will be losing its’ heart.

I think the songs make this film, again another reason the song less remake troubles me. ‘Make A Man Out Of You’ to paraphrase, is one of my favourite Disney songs of all time and I think it perfectly captures the spirit of the film and is catchy and memorable.

I also enjoyed the characters Eddie Murphy as Mushu is perfect casting he manages to make the character immediately likable whilst also endearing and funny. Mulan herself is inspiring and shows that we can all be a little bit bravery and that we can all be heroes; I think she is one of Disney’s best role models. Finally, I enjoyed the villain Shan Yu (Miguel Ferrer), I thought he was everything a good villain should be, intimidating, menacing and memorable.

Overall, a Disney Classic that still has a place in 2020. It more than holds up and is still a lot of fun to watch!

Pros.

The humour.

Mulan herself.

The action.

The villain.

The songs.

Cons.

None

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Freaky Friday: A Modern Disney Classic?

Freaky Friday is a fantasy comedy film directed by Mark Waters, based on the 1972 novel of the same name. The plot sees Mother and Daughter duo, Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna Coleman (Lindsey Lohan), switch bodies for a few days so they can each grow to understand the others perspective.

In my mind this is a Disney classic, this is to me what something like Beauty and The Beast is to people who grew up with that classic animated film; maybe that shows my age. Anyway I grew up with this film I watched it many times, there is something of a comfort food angel about this one for me, so recently I decided to watch it again.

I have to say it holds up, there are some not so stellar parts of the film in terms of race relations that I didn’t notice when I was a kid that I really could have done without, but other than that it is still a fun, whimsical good time. I think fun is the word I would use to describe this film because that is what it is, it basically boils down to Lohan pretending to be Curtis and vice versa for an hour and a half. It is dumb, turn your brain off fun.

I think both leads do a great job. Lohan especially. I think Lohan is really promising in this film and you could practically see her movie star future stretching out ahead of her, however that was never meant to be. Curtis is as fantastic as always; she is always a very reliable person to cast.

Overall, it is films like this that remind me there was a time when Disney magic still existed, call it fond nostalgia if you want to, but I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

Pros.

The Disney magic.

The Dumb fun.

Lohan.

Curtis.

Cons.

It does use stereotypes and some questionable depictions of race which could be viewed by some as offensive.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Addams Family: A Friend To The Outsider

The Addams Family is a comedy fantasy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld; it is based on the cartoon of the same name. It revolves around a strange quirky family that goes on dark often monstrous adventures; the humour of these film comes from how different the family are from the rest of the world. The plot this time around sees Fester Addams (Christopher Lloyd), return to the family after a 25-year absence, only is that really Fester Addams?

The Addams family are almost an oddball institution, most everybody knows who they are and has seen them in one form or another. This film was my first introduction to them when I was younger and watching it again now, I am pleased to say it stands the test of time in so many ways.

Each of the characters are iconic in their own way, each stands out and grabs your attention; especially Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams. This film highlights the important of getting the casting process right: because these actors so perfectly encapsulate the characters that you can’t seem them played by anyone else. There is a reason they chose to do an animated follow up.

I think the reason these films speak to people so much is because they embody outsider culture, they’re something that anyone who has ever felt a bit different or a bit alien can relate to and find some companionship in. That at least is the enduring appeal as I perceive it.

Overall, I think as far as family movies go, this has some nice messages, some great characters and a few good cheer worthy moments. A nice film to watch for everyone!

Pros.

The message.

The characters.

The goofy fun.

The early 90s charm.

Cons.

It could be shorter.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Witches: Be Careful What You Eat

The Witches is a family comedy film directed by Nicolas Roeg. The plot follows a young recently orphaned boy Luke (Jasen Fisher), and his grandmother (Mai Zetterling), as they become wrapped up in a Witches plot to turn all the children in the UK into rats. The film is based on the Roald Dahl children’s book of the same name.

This film terrified me as a kid, so did the book for that matter. The way this film sets up witches with the mythology it creates is incredibly well done, the witches of this film are both terrifying and also hilarious. You can tell the creators of the Muppets were involved with this as the creature design is both distinctive and memorable. You will not see anything else like when the grand high witch (Anjelica Huston) takes off her face for the first time.

I think as far as family films go this film has some genuinely scary moments, maybe it is the crazy late 80’s early 90’s drug fuelled feel of it all, but the first time a kid gets turned into a rat will scare any child and maybe even some adults, for sure.

I think there is a lot to enjoy about this film, it is good fun, and quite a great whimsical adventure. If you enjoy fantasy, then you will definitely enjoy this. It is also a really great adaptation of Roald Dahl’s seminal book, so if like me that book has a special place in your heart then you will really enjoy this film.

I feel like as far as Roald Dahl based films go this is incredibly underrated and is often overlook in favour of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but this is actually a better film. Check it out!

Pros.

Great monster design.

Genuinely scary.

The best Roald Dahl film.

The madness of it all.

A feel-good adventure.

Cons.

None

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Slice: Doomed, Delivery Drivers

Slice is a comedy horror film directed by Austin Vesely. The film takes place in a world where supernatural beings are commonplace and no longer out of the ordinary, in this particular town, ghosts have been forced to move off their land and go and live in Ghost Town, their land was then turned into a shopping centre, then a pizza parlour. As our film picks up someone or something is killing the pizza delivery people and the whole town is thrown into a state of fear. Only a ghost and a Werewolf can save the day.

This might as well be a comedy film, there is nothing scary about it. Yes, there are ghosts and witches and what not, but they are handled so calmly that they aren’t scary at all, but that is the point. As a comedy film, this is quite strong, there are a number of good jokes and amusing surprise cameos, it might not have made me laugh all the way throughout, but I was smiling a lot as I watched it.

The thing that is the most commendable about this film is the scope of it, its creativity, and its world. The first 20 minutes of the film are very exposition heavy, a lot of stuff is set up, and through this a very dense very well-crafted fantasy world is created. I would love to see more from this world where a portal to hell can appear under a pizzeria; the world reminded me in a lot of ways of the world of What We Do In The Shadows.

Zazie Beetz is a strong lead, she brings a large amount of style and personality to the role of Astrid and is also convincing as a vigilante in the closing act of the film, but we already know she can play the action hero role well, because of her role in Deadpool 2, she is easily the best actor in the film.

Overall, though it has some issues, this is still a very interesting, imaginative film that will make you laugh.

Pros.

The world.

The cameos.

Zazie Beetz.

Cons.

Most of the characters are forgettable.

It doesn’t leave a huge impact on you.

The second act is a slog.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Gretel And Hansel: The Most Polarising Film Of 2020

Gretel and Hansel is a dark fantasy horror film directed by Oz Perkins. It serves as a darker, more in line with the original tale, version of the Brother Grimm’s Hansel and Gretel. The version of the story that this film explores focuses more on a wider surrounding evil, as well as Gretel (Sophia Lillis), coming into her own both as a woman and a witch.

I have mixed feelings about this film, there are some things it does really well, but there are also a lot of things it does wrong. It seems to be proving divisive amongst people online, as such I find it hard to recommend this film, but I also wouldn’t say don’t watch it.

Firstly the good. The film has a beautifully unique visual style, which is both incredibly from a technical point of view and also horrifying and striking. All of the unsettlingly good aspects of this film come from this. Also, the oppressive atmosphere of the film leads it to have some great scares especially late in the game.

However, therein lies the problem with this film. Many criticise the likes of Aster and Eggers for having slow burning horror films, that some would describe as ‘boring’, if you’re one of those people don’t watch this! This film makes Midsommar look snappy and make the Witch look like a romp; I love both of those films by the way. This film is hard to get through, it is slow, and a lot of its scenes drag out, however, unlike other films that unintentionally do this because they are poorly written/paced this film seems to be doing it deliberately.

If you stick with it until the end, you’re given an ending that much like everything else in this film proves polarising. The ending sees Gretel send Hansel (Samuel Leakey), off so she can start her life as a witch, which makes you question her morals, but this idea of others, mainly men, standing in a young woman’s way and needing to be removed is a central tenant of the film.

Lillis’ performance here, much like it was in the recent IT films is passable, but in no way impressive. I found she didn’t bring much to the role and was often out acted, it makes me question why she got the role when there are lots of other arguably, more talented young actors out there.

Overall, this isn’t a good film, this isn’t a bad film, this isn’t an average film, it is simply an incredibly, incredibly niche film.

Pros.

The horror.

The visuals.

The Witch.

Cons.

It is very hard to watch; it seems to want you to give up.

It is not going to be to many people’s taste.

Sophia Lillis is bland.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Spirited Away: In A Land Of Ghosts

Spirited Away is a Japanese animated fantasy film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The film revolves around a young girl called Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi), who becomes separated from her parents after they get turned into pigs and she gets trapped in the spirit world. The film details the friendship she forms with Haku Spirit of the Kohaku River as well as her effort to escape to the mortal world again and restore her normal life.

So, my Studio Ghibli odyssey has finally brought me to the big one, the one everyone talks about, one of if not the most important piece of Japanese animated cinema, well ever: I am of course referring to Spirited away.

I loved the world this film created, other Ghibli films have referred to and referenced the spirit world, but with this film we finally get to see it. What a sight it is, it is just so brimming with vibrancy and life, much like I have said about other Ghibli films, this film is a work of art each scene could easily be a painting if paused.

Chihiro or Sen as she is called in the spirit world is such a likeable protagonist, she is an easy character to root for and admire as she manages to hold her own when she goes to the spirt world, even though she is just a little girl.

Yubaba (Mari Natsuki), is the film’s villain an evil old witch/bird like creature that rules over the spirt world. She is responsible for turning Chihiro’s parents into pigs as well as for trapping Haku and pressing him to servitude. Much, like other Ghibli designs her character is haunting and the image of her turning into a bird chilled me and stayed with me long after the film ended.

Overall, this is a magnificent film, that is both beautiful to look at and beautiful to watch, the characters are done well, and villain is menacing. In every respect this film is a triumph.

Pros.

Beautiful animation.

Rich dense world.

Great characters.

A good menacing villain.

Cons.

It is far too long and could easily have been an hour and a half.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke