Film Reviews by HM

Well it is what it is; entertaining hokum. The movie moves into fight scenes and never leaves that mode. The action is a copy of the 'gritty' James Bond style of Casino Royale. Needless to say this isn't up to that standard in any way whatsoever. However; want to be entertained for 2 hours-ish and not being too distracted from your pop corn? This is the stuff for you.

The 80's music (it is set pre-Berlin wall coming down) is of top order; well done whoever selected this set! It looks great and moves quickly through a plot that doesn't matter. Good fun and God knows what it was about, but it doesn't matter; eye candy people and action. Charlize Theron is lovely as a bonus boys!

I suppose it is another super hero movie for those that can still find something interesting in the concept. The first half where the characters get together is the interesting bit; just about. After that it is one long CGI punch up. As usual, the baddy has a flock of flying warriors who don't seem capable of harming anybody and provide target practice for our heroes.

Apparently if the baddy gets 3 boxes in the same place we are all doomed. I have 3 boxes and nothing happened - 3 boxes? Err, do me a favour. Aqua man? Don't tell me we are going to get a movie about this twit. He spends the entire movie jumping at the baddy and bouncing off. In fact they all do; maybe attack him at the same time?

Total rubbish frankly.

A stand up comedian of Pakistani descent meets white girl. His parents very anti. A moving tale which appears to be based on actual events. A bit weird in places but engaging nonetheless. Worth seeing, fine performances, not least from the male subject himself! The female character (bed ridden for half the film) is a Woody Allen cookie character we would all like to date.

Very Spiral-ish in its setting and atmosphere. Kept me gripped throughout. What a twisting plot; keep your eyes on the sub-titles otherwise you will wonder if you missed something and hang in there until the end for further twists! Much recommended.

Well a good suspenseful watch with thought provoking hints at race tension without really going there. Kept me wondering what it was all about until the end when it spins off as a thriller keeping its hints a secret. A sort of horror movie from the 50s but enjoyable right now.

Another dystopian future to conjure with. It looks fantastic; lighting and general landscapes are an eye pleaser. The story however, limps along without really engaging the viewer to my mind. Performances are so, so. No wonder it took so long to make episode two, the basic Blade Runner story expired itself first time around. I got a little bored after 90 minutes. Shame, the general look and feel needed a better story.

Great fun and a surprise as I had not heard much about it. Steller cast. Witty, light, engaging and suspenseful. Pfeiffer is gorgeous, even if she is an old hag most of the time. Great stuff! Kids will love it and so will adults; hits the fantasy spot!!

Clever analysis of life's unfairness and selfish perspectives on moral issues (deep). As usual Allen's one-liners fit perfectly, although they ought to be out of place (shallow). The story is gripping as a thriller and an emotional ringer. What would you do? Does the nice guy get the girl? Is it all life's rich tapestry or a kick in the groin?

We all have to swallow the effects of other people's actions and plot to perpetrate harm to others interests to further our desires. So we can commit crimes and especially misdemeanors. The scripting is tight with no flab whatsoever. I found it to be gripping and an education. Much recommended for those that like intelligent cinema; one of Allen's best.

Starts well, but ends up as nonsense. The humans build a wall to defend a compound and then store highly inflammable fuel next to it so the slightest thing blows the whole lot up 'James Bond finale fashion'. Very silly. Hopefully last in series. Basic amusement I suppose but it wears thin by the end.

Well it was OK but dwelt on minutiae. The big picture didn't come over, not least the small flotilla of civilian boats which wouldn't be adequate. No sign of the German outlook on the event. A Spitfire can shoot for 36 seconds in total. the planes in this film seemed to be able to reload themselves!

Entertaining none the less but somewhat short of a blockbuster. A bigger budget needed to give this the full treatment.

Somehow Allen's jokes/one liners work in this serious drama about emotional entanglement within a family and self doubt over desires. Wonderfully done and a classic. Haven't seen it? Well make sure you do, also Michael Cane's finest hour. You won't be anything less than addicted from the start, witty, well observed and absorbing; unless of course you are primarily into Guardians of the Galaxy 2 type films.....

Well the 5.1 sound isn't that good Blu-ray fans and the music is a bit screechy. However, the story and performances are top of the tree. Leone didn't get all his first choice actors but the whole cast gels perfectly so the film just got lucky! The music score is the real star giving gravitas to each scene. Leone cannot 'do women' so they are portrayed, as usual, as a whore or Madonna; very Italian (bear in mind this film is mid-sixties).

Hard to believe people have not seen this movie, but westerns are not popular now so younger peeps may have ignored it. Do see it as the 'Man with no name' trilogy re-wrote what a western is, normally, Mexican Hispanics are treated as gun fodder, but here the European origins of American culture are on show. Also, westerns had been a celebration of triumphant America values as the power emerging from the second world war on top and nothing much to do with the actual west. Leone sees a very different America and one which probably surprised Americans!

Hardly in competition with the original which had no CGI just crude special effects but was 10 times the film this is. However, it moves along keeping your interest by action and its good looks. Lazy plot and the kind of baddie monsters we have seen so many times. Glad I saw it at home and didn't go to the trouble of visiting the flicks.

Recommended as a basic 'give 'em what they want' movie.

What a disappointment; Prometheus hinted at an interesting story to come but it just ended up as an 'aliens are after you' chase movie. As with previous Aliens movies the surviving new character is bumped off before the start of the new script so the continuity is wrecked and the story stands alone. Added to which one would have thought the Earth expedition would comprise an intelligent crew, not this bunch of dimwits. A poor story, time to wrap this franchise up methinks.

Wonderful performances and a lively script delving into the background of the Poppins author. It would have been enriched by a peep into Disney's brain makeup too. Enjoyed every minute, much recommended for viewers who like intelligence as well as sentiment in their movies.