Film Reviews by GI

An entertaining enough throwback to the original series with Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio reprising roles in a story that weaves the same narrative threads and therefore there's nothing much new here but this will be ideal for the modern day gaming teenager. There's plenty of set piece fights and training sequences to enjoy but this is a see it and forget it film. A young Chinese boy emigrates to New York with his mum. He has trained in martial arts and despite mum hating him fighting he still wants to....obviously! He meets a girl, her old boyfriend is the local kung fu bully who the hero has to contend with in a competition. This cues glowering stares, lots of threats and somersaulting around and ultimately some Bruce Lee style fights. It's all very predictable with some laughs thrown in for good measure.

This glossy romantic melodrama is a mixed bag and I wrestled with it at times. It seems occasionally to be very contrived and the narrative pivots on a massive chance encounter but I suppose that's the magic of stories and film. Blake Lively gives a solid and impressive performance and even though her natural beauty is an asset to the film's story she also manages to 'normalise' her image to a degree that her character does get some grounding. She plays Lily, a woman who has grown up witnessing the violence of her late father towards her mother, an issue that has never been discussed. Hence there's some family trauma that as the film later reveals did involve her and her first true love. However she moves to Boston where she opens her own florists and meet cutes Ryle, (Justin Baldoni, who also directs). He's an impossibly handsome and single brain surgeon (and who likes to take his shirt off....a lot!!). We get a very early hint of Ryle's nature but in short they slowly get it together. Then Lily bumps into her first love, Atlas (Brandon Sklenar) and everything hits the rocks. Here is a drama that has aspirations to look at marital violence, in particular around male jealousy, and does try to invoke the sad and worrying trend towards not talking about it and even just accepting it. It's a film that constantly sets up tension making you anticipate violence but it deals with the arc of Lily's relationship especially with Ryle in a quite subtle and careful way. By the end it's a film that does draw you in and also leaves you wondering whether it's been bold enough.

One of the finest American crime films. A really stylish, brilliantly scripted and edited film from director Michael Mann who likes to show criminals as cold professionals highlighting their unique skills and talents and drawing on a code to live by. Thief contains many themes and elements that Mann later amplified in his seminal film Heat (1995) and his trademark visualisations of urban city settings particularly at night are really good here. Frank (James Caan) is a coldly professional safecracker. He lives by a code and has no qualms about resorting to violence if required. But he also yearns for a normal life with wife and family, which comes within his grasp when he meets waitress, Jessie (Tuesday Weld). But his success as a criminal also brings him to the attention of mob boss Leo (Robert Prosky) and Frank allows himself to be recruited for a big job set up by Leo. But this relationship breaks Frank's self imposed independence and soon he has to make a choice between Jessie, vengeance and his strict code. Like most of Mann's films the action set pieces are fast, violent and very sudden. This has a stunning soundtrack mostly composed by Tangerine Dream, and it's certainly one of Caan's finest performances. Support comes from James Belushi in what is a uniquely presented crime film, one that is often forgotten in Mann's filmography due to his later big epics like Heat, Collateral (2004) and Last of The Mohicans (1992) but this is a mini masterpiece and definitely one to check out if you've never seen it.

A quirky little British drama with a streak of comedy running through it and some romance chucked in for good measure. It's a rather unfulfilling film though and leaves you with a shrug of the shoulders even if the journey is mildly entertaining. It's set in a Scottish based catholic school where the school chaplain is determined to get the school's namesake promoted by the Pope from 'blessed' to 'saint'. He needs a couple of 'miracles' to achieve this apparently. Non believing and cynical teacher, Vic (Tom Conti) would rather the school got its priorities right and focus on teaching the children. He's somewhat put out when he himself is claimed as a 'miracle' when he falls off a roof and in uninjured. Meanwhile he pursues his obsession with fellow teacher Ruth (Helen Mirren) towards romance. The film boasts the first film of Ewen Bremner as one of the pupils. It's all ok but ends disappointingly.

Here's a little gem of a film. An exciting, quite original and at times very thought provoking story of how one man decides to spend his last hours. A meteor has struck the Earth in the Northern hemisphere and a cataclysmic firestorm has destroyed Europe and everything in its path. It's twelve hours away from Australia and with everyone forewarned that this is the end of mankind society has collapsed. James (Nathan Philips) heads across Perth to a huge final rave party for his last hours but on the way he reluctantly saves a young girl Rose (Angourie Rice) from rapists and agrees to try and reunite her with her family. But with time running out James finds he has to come to terms with his own emotions that include his family and a girl he has left behind who is carrying his child. There's some shocking stuff going on during this story as people lose all sense of how to deal with their impending doom. This isn't a big effects movie so whilst the apocalyptic storm is shown at the end the narrative is more concerned with James and Rose' journey through the violent streets of Perth as they try to find their loved ones. It's a film that really draws you in and ultimately is asking what we would all do if faced with the knowledge that there are only a few hours left. Australian cinema is often gritty, exciting and very interesting. This is no exception, it's first rate and I highly recommend it.

A solid Australian prison drama that avoids the usual clichés about redemption and focuses on the relationship between three very different inmates. The narrative follows young Mel (Vincent Miller) who is transferred from a juvenile prison to an adult one when he reaches eighteen. He's naive but wrought with guilt over his past crime but does have the opportunity for parole. His cell mate is Shepard (Cosmo Jarvis), a notorious killer and born again christian who gets Mel involved in his church services. But Mel is taken under the wing of Warren (Guy Pearce), a lifer also coming up for parole, but who has big debts to a big time gangster in the jail. The price is to kill Shepard and Warren fsurprisingly inds he easily recruits Mel to do the job. The film centres on this trio as they navigate the system and each others emotional baggage. It's not a typical prison film and doesn't focus on violence but delves into the plight of these three who have lost their ability to deal with the complexities of relationships and the potential for renewing some on release. Jarvis is a very good here as the warped, somewhat challenged Shepard, and Pearce delvers a natural and committed performance as always. An interesting film with a few surprises.

The effects of hydrogen bomb tests and the dangers of radiation resulted in a string of films in the 1950s that dealt with the huge fear of America living in the atomic age. Some of these were cheaply made B movie 'creature features' but some have become classics of the period and were very well made. Them! is one of the best of this cycle of films that were released in this period. It's surprisingly well produced and directed and has a great story that borders the realms of horror and science fiction. It's easy enough to laugh at films like this when viewing them today especially as they rely on models that today would be rendered with digital effects. But these films form an important period in cinema history and many, like this one, are exciting, fun and if you're a cinephile, very interesting too. In New Mexico a local policeman (James Whitmore) finds a small girl wandering alone in the desert, she is suffering from severe shock and the only reaction she gives is to scream "Them" over and over. When several bodies are also found the FBI is called in and a Government scientist (Edmund Gwenn) has an astounding theory which soon reveals Los Angeles to be in extreme danger. The film co-stars James Arness, who later went onto star in the long running TV series, Gunsmoke, and if you're observant you'll spot a young Leonard Nimoy too. This is marvellous fun and a great story. It has mystery, shocks and heroics and yes a film of its time but one that has a place in the history of American cinema.

A remarkable crime/road movie that sparked massive debate around feminism and women's representation in cinema and the reversal of gender roles, in particular in regards to violence, guns and the law. It's a film that shows great insight in the mind of director Ridley Scott and a film that does lend itself to very detailed critical analysis. Suffice to say here that this is a landmark film and a complex reworking of the American outlaw narrative and to that end it's a mini masterpiece and a film to really savour time and time again. Thelma (Geena Davis) and her best friend Louise (Susan Sarandon) head off for a weekend break in Louise's iconic 1966 T-Bird convertible. Both are escaping difficulties in their relationships but a quick stopover results in a chance violent incident which forces the two to become fugitives. Hunted by the police they become more desperate but find within themselves a resolve to shake off the shackles of their lives in order to escape. With a stunning soundtrack and support cast that includes Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen and a young Brad Pitt this is definitely a film you have to see if you've never seen it and if it's an old favourite then time to watch again. A fantastic film from a master director who shed his reputation as a visual director to the detriment of character with this film because this is a masterclass in character, narrative drive and sheer beauty in the cinematography.

Although ostensibly a sequel to That'll Be The Day (1973) this is thematically a very different film. Beginning in 1963, a couple of years after the end of the previous film, Jim MacLaine (David Essex) is now a member of a struggling pop group. He seeks out his old friend and mentor, Mike (Adam Faith) to help them by becoming the band's roadie. Mike's ability to wheel and deal soon has an affect and the band's fortunes begin to grow. But fame has a price. This is one of the best films about the music industry and it's a stark condemnation of the reality of fame. In summary it's about the rise and fall of a rock star and Essex gives a quite remarkable performance as the selfish Jim who sacrifices all to get to the top. The soundtrack is a delight with songs from the 60s through to the early 70s and the film borrows snippets from the history of real bands most notably The Beatles in the scenes of the early years in a 'cavern' type bar. This is film that deserves rediscovery, it really is a remarkable story of how business overrides the artist and eventually destroys him. One of the best films about the price of fame. Newly released and restored for DV & BluRay this is worth checking out.

This is a really smart British kitchen sink drama set in post war Britain and charting the early years of a young man deserted by his father who, despite his intelligence, abandons his future, runs away from home and tries to discover some direction in life. Rising pop star David Essex is rather excellent as the young man, Jim MacLaine, and courageous with this role as Jim is a despicable character. Cowardly, deceitful and lacking any sense of responsibility the film follows his life from leaving his domineering mother to fairground worker and his eventual return home, marriage and ultimate desertion of his wife and child. Along the way he treats women as objects (in part revenge for his early rejection by girls) and at one time rapes a teenager. So for Essex to not only take this role but also manage to play the part with such conviction warrants applause. The film accurately creates Britain of the late 50s and early 60s and the depiction of an everyman who yearns for fame and fortune but who is selfish and weak is superbly done. Ringo Starr gives an excellent performance as Jim's friend and mentor but who is ultimately betrayed by him and the remaining cast are all fabulous including James Booth, Robert Lindsay and Rosemary leach. The soundtrack is fantastic with many classic rock 'n' roll songs from the period. A forgotten gem and a drama that deserves rediscovery so highly recommended if you've never seen it.

A rather formulaic and thoroughly predictable British comedy from the same team that made Fisherman's Friends (2019), and here we have more of the same type of narrative. It's a film that seems rushed as issues get resolved with lightening speed with dollops of script loaded exposition hurtling towards the ending we all see coming from the first ten minutes. Here we have prodigal son and former pop star Cal (Jon Davies) returning to the failing Somerset village pub run by his grumpy Dad (Martin Clunes) and younger brother Jake (James Buckley). The village nasty is successful landlord and rival pub owner Pritchard (Luke Treadaway) and the film follows Cal's endeavours to brew an award winning beer while trying to win back his old girlfriend (Gabriella Wilde) from Pritchard. It's all very unpretentious, creates the quintessential and idyllic English village scenario and filled with characters such as Mark Addy's local drunk, Paxman. A film that is enjoyable but forgettable.

Writer and director Chris Nash is clearly a fan of Friday The 13th series, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Saw series and no doubt every slasher film ever made as he creates a melting pot of all of them here. Another, often tiresome, Cabin In The Woods scenario, with seemingly endless scenes of the killer meandering through the woods with the camera staying a safe few metres behind him most of the times. I will say though there's some imaginative and very gory killings, one of which is quite unique! In short a group of youngsters stay in the aforesaid cabin, find a pendant at a deserted shack in the woods and take it which brings to life the corpse of 'Johnny', who stalks them killing as he goes. I didn't find much new here apart from the odd death having some imagination behind it. It's a slasher film about a zombie who wanders the woods with murder on his mind.

A space set thriller that is watchable but hinges on a somewhat ridiculous premise. A few years in the future the International Space Station crew of three Russians and three Americans, all scientists, have their harmonious existence on board carrying out experiments thrown into disarray when a major nuclear war erupts back home between their two countries. The crew can only watch in horror as the blue/green Earth turns into a fiery red nuclear holocaust landscape. The tensions begin when both sides are instructed to take control of the station by any means. In other words science out, politics in. This is where the film is a little too unbelievable in that these highly educated and dedicated scientists very quickly change into murderous psychos. There is little attempt at a script where the six of them have to think about their predicament, not least of course going home to a nuclear decimated world; this is never discussed. Overall this is ok and there's some interesting visual delights and some nervous tension but overall it's forgettable.

Of the various sequels that have been made since Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) this is the only one that has made a valiant attempt to take the franchise into a fresher territory. The result is actually far better than often reported and this is due to it being a full on post apocalyptic combat film rather than the hackneyed time travel and chase story that all the other films have followed. This one is set in 2018 after the nuclear war and the rise of intelligent machines in the guise of 'SkyNet' that sees humanity as a threat to the Earth and its own future and so begins a campaign to wipe out any surviving people. John Connor (Christian Bale), aided by the knowledge provided to him by his mother after her battles in the past with Terminators, is trying to convince his superiors how to fight the war. At an attack on a SkyNet installation he discovers the plans for the building of Terminators but his bosses already have a plan to defeat the machines. Then John meets Marcus (Sam Worthington), a drifter who has amnesia but who holds the key to maybe winning the war. This film has a great vision of a future after a nuclear war and is filmed in washed colour tones that highlight the dystopian landscape. The effects are excellent and there are homages and references to the first two Terminator films. The action set pieces are really very good and the plot quite clever although you have to be very familiar with the first two movies to understand the timeline affects that have been caused. Anton Yelchin plays a young Kyle Reese and Helena Bonham Carter cameos as a scientist working for Cyberdyne Systems in the past. A much better film than cited and whilst it's not a patch on the first and most original films this is worth checking out.

One of those rare sequels that's as good if not better than the original and certainly this broke new ground with digital effects and is a much more ambitious affair than the 1984 first film. As a science fiction action thriller it's hard to beat this, it's ambitious, bold, exciting and has some fantastic set pieces which, at the time of its release were really ground breaking. The chase sequences, especially the final climactic chase involving a helicopter and tanker truck, remain impressive even though they've been much copied since. When you think about it the story is much the same as the original film, this time director and writer James Cameron cleverly inverted the protagonists to toy with audience expectations. But even now, knowing who is on who's side doesn't detract from the sheer spectacle and entertainment value. The backstory here is that since the events in 1984 Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) has trained to protect her son and is a modern day warrior but she's been caught trying to blow up a computer factory and is now incarcerated in an asylum. Her young son John (Edward Furlong) is in foster care and a bit of a delinquent. This is the situation as the film begins. Once again, from the future where mankind is battling global annihilation by super intelligent machines, a Terminator (Robert Patrick) is sent back this time to kill the young John, a future leader for humanity. He in turn sends back a protector, this time a re-programmed Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger). So in essence Schwarzenegger becomes the good guy this time around and has to take on an advanced model of assassin, one that can change shape which results in the innovative effects the film is now famous for. But apart from the action, chases (after all the Terminator films are basically huge chase stories), there is an interesting look at what it means to be human, a theme often found in sci-fi narratives. This is explored more in the two extended versions of the film - the Special Edition and Ultimate Cut. These are the ones to watch and include more in regards to the boy's relationship with the machine programmed to learn and befriend people rather than kill them. There's also some extended scenes and Michael Biehn cameos in a dream sequence plus some more effects as Patrick's terminator begins to malfunction in the film's climax. (The Ultimate Cut has a coda added which is the only difference in the extended versions). In short this film is action packed, great fun but also has something interesting to say in the genre. An important film and if they'd ended it there that would have been ok as most of the films that have followed are mediocre or downright poor.