Film Reviews by GI

After an exciting set piece battle scene on an ice plant as the evil Empire attacks the rebel base this sequel becomes mostly one big space chase. With the hero Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) escaping to go off and learn how to be a Jedi Knight, the others, Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Leia (Carrie Fisher), Chewie (Peter Mayhew) and C3P0 (Anthony Daniels) are chased through the Galaxy, fleeing and hiding until they eventually unite with Solo's old friend Lando (Billy Dee Williams). With a somewhat darker edge and the freedom to expand the story this is a more accomplished film than the first one even though the surprise originality is of course no longer present. This is made up with some great plot twists, one of which is very famous, and a cliffhanger ending setting the audience up for the finale to come. George Lucas wisely stepped back from the director's chair now taken by veteran Irvin Kershner, who added some panache to the film and ditched some of Lucas' more geek driven ideas. This is still highly entertaining even after seeing it for the umpteenth time so it's always a crowd pleaser and if you've held back from the Star Wars universe this is one of the very best of the franchise.

Claire Foy gives a very committed and genuine performance in this story, adapted from a true story, of a woman bereft and depressed following the sudden death of her father. It's a drama about grief and depression where Helen, a Cambridge history don, falls into despair when she loses her Dad, Alistair (Brendan Gleeson), a famous photographer. Their bond especially in relation to his love of nature, is so strong that Helen, with little else in her life, feels hopelessly lost. Her unusual solution is to buy a Goshawk and train it. Goshawk's are apparently notoriously difficult to train and extremely ruthless, the film presents the Hawk as quite malevolent at times! In her attempts to train and bond with the bird, which she names Mabel, Helen ignores everything else in her life much to the worry of her mother (Lindsay Duncan) and her best friend (Denise Gough). The film is grounded and watchable by seeing Foy interact with Mabel, you can see the genuine angst on her face when Mabel gets frisky or the joy when she response to her training. Overall though the film leaves the plight of Helen unresolved and perhaps that's a real symptom of such a life story, but it doesn't full grip the connection of the Hawk with her Dad even when Helen attempts to answer critical questions from her students on the relationship between a bird of prey and a human. It's a moving story though and is a solid addition to similar stories of humans navigating the trials of their lives by bonding with a wild animal.

With an independent timeline established with Star Trek (2009) the freedom to open up storylines that could mix old with the new allowed for this wonderfully entertaining science fiction adventure film. It's great fun from the get go, with a stunning set piece on an alien planet and the scene of a Starship rising from the sea - that was certainly a first for this franchise. Then the film moves into darker territory and a more grimy vision of a future, they even have a curse of two in this film. Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and crew embark on the hunt for a terrorist played with gusto by Benedict Cumberbatch who channels a sort of Joker vibe for his bad guy performance. He turns out to be a familiar adversary in a clever reimagining of a previous film story - I won't give anything away but if you're a fan you'll love the sheer brilliance of the idea and how it's played out. The stars from the previous film are all here with the addition of Alice Eve, Peter Weller and Leonard Nimoy has a cameo in his last acting role before his death. Simon Pegg as Scottie cements himself into the franchise with his humorous take on the character. Director J.J. Abrams proves once again his mastery of the spectacular and the action set pieces are simply awesome from the combat scenes with the Klingons to the big Starship battles like the old Naval battle films of yesteryear. A worthy addition to the Star Trek film series and a great piece of family entertainment.

However much the franchise as a whole or indeed the individual films are cited by fans and critics as best or favourites this, the first, remains an iconic movie. It maybe difficult to remember or conceive how science fiction wasn't particularly popular in 70s cinema so the arrival of Star Wars was a huge risk. Structured on serial TV programmes like Lost In Space and with western and 50s war film action and narrative this is a space adventure film that hit its mark with perfection. It remains the best of the series and it's the first film of the only SW trilogy that doesn't become a copycat of itself. A basic mythological narrative of good vs evil, with the baddies based on Nazis, it really couldn't go wrong if you think about it despite reservations by director and writer George Lucas. His imagination is the centre of the SW universe and for that he has to be applauded, his direction here is capable and occasionally inspired but his obsession over his creation has arguably been detrimental to the franchise overall. Viewed today it's actually quite surprising how dark this film is at times, with burnt corpses, severed limbs and overall it's a violent film with some scary characters and monsters chucked in for good measure some of them the type that are more creepy than outright frightening. Set in a galaxy far, far away with an evil empire, which has built a huge destructive weapon, fighting a tiny rebellion to decide the fate of the galaxy the story resonates with the Cold War, nuclear arms race and all manner of historical connections. It's still a fun filled, exciting film and I find it works best by not trying to make links with the later films but just to watch it for what it is as an individual film. Massively influential even today this is a film that deserves rewatching every so often to capture that magic that those of us of a certain age found in 1977 (believe it of not there are people out there who still have never seen this!). A classic.

I'm quite convinced we didn't need a prequel to the classic horror film The Omen (1976), a very unsettling and creepy film, whereas here, despite some gruesome deaths that are all variants of ones in the original film, we have a laborious and somewhat confusing narrative that lacks that sense of evil and terror so well done in the first film. It is all presented with some flair however and Nell Tiger Free gives a strong central performance but I was very disappointed that this film changes a key story point from The Omen. I won't spoil this here suffice to say that fans of The Omen will notice it right away. Free plays Margaret, a young American novice, arriving in Rome to work at an orphanage and ultimately take her nun's vows. She soon senses something strange going on amongst the ghoulish looking nuns and eventually she is approached by Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson, taking the role played by Patrick Troughton in the original) who tells her of an attempt by a band of priests and nuns to bring the AntiChrist into the world. It's all rather underwhelming and although there's some body horror centred around childbirth the film is a disappointing and an unnecessary addition to the franchise. The ending, sadly, hints at another film to come too! Bill Nighy costars and Charles Dance has a cameo and a very neat death!

Roman Polanski's first commercial film and a strange one in his canon considering it's a spoof horror mimicking the British Hammer Horror films that were very popular in the 60s and which offered a liberal dose of the erotic especially the vampire films that often had lesbianism and plenty of nudity. Polanski's film mixes subtle comedy with outright slapstick and there's no doubt it was very funny upon it's release but will feel dated today with it's bawdy lust scenes, big cleavages and 'Carry On' vibes. The jokes come along regularly, from the Jewish vampire (Alfie Bass) who isn't afraid of crucifixes to a funny chase scene by a gay vampire after a young man. The story is essentially based on the Dracula one with a doddery old professor (Jack MacGowran) and his hapless young assistant (Polanski) hunting a vampire in Transylvania. The vampire lives in a castle and the plot revolves around rescuing a beautiful girl (Sharon Tate) before she's turned into the undead. This is a solid comedy providing you are aware of the references which are very of the time but still a film worth discovering if you've never seen it.

A satirical survival/horror film that has two great central performances from Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien but is arguably let down somewhat by director Sam Raimi's need to add a dose of silly horror tropes which were unnecessary as the set up is neatly clever. This is a narrative reminiscent of The Admirable Crichton (1968 & others) and Triangle Of Sadness (2022) where the societal hierarchy is turned upside down after a shipwreck. McAdams plays Linda, a frumpy office researcher, who is a genius at her job but not particularly popular. When she is passed over for promotion by the new CEO, Bradley (O'Brien) she harbours a grievance especially as he is a misogynistic prick. But events take a turn when the company plane crashes in the Far East and as the only two survivors they are marooned on a tropical island. It turns out that Linda is adept at survival techniques whereas Bradley is hopeless and has to rely on her, and it gives Linda more opportunities than she could have hoped for. This is certainly fun and takes some surprising turns avoids any clichés that you might expect. The title is a clever one, let's put it that way.

For anyone who grew up with Star Trek the original TV series and the later films that started in 1979 it was with some excitement and trepidation that a new film was in production. Director J.J. Abrams had a huge task to perform in how to approach this for a new modern audience. The result is actually quite clever and managed to create a narrative that introduced Star Trek to people that may have had no or at least a sketchy prior knowledge of the franchise and also to launch a storyline that could be the source for a new series of films: what is now commonly called a reboot. In one way this is a prequel to everything that's gone before and indeed there had been plans to have a film about the characters in their younger days many years ago. This film introduces us to a future world of Starfleet, with the familiar characters of Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Sulu (John Cho), Chekhov (Anton Yelchin) and McCoy (Karl Urban) as their younger selves joining the USS Enterprise. The plot involves a vengeful alien, Nero, played with relish by Eric Bana, arriving from the future to destroy his enemies including humanity. His arrival effectively alters the future allowing for a new set of adventures. The story is complicated but very well thought out and repeated viewings reveal more detail. The film is a marvellous science fiction adventure for a new age. Yes it has its detractors but much of the criticism is from purist and overly picky fans because this is sci-fi cinema at its most spectacular and some of the action set pieces and spacecraft scenes are unbelievably brilliant. The cameo of Leonard Nimoy and a support cast of Simon Pegg as Scotty, Bruce Greenwood, Chris Hemsworth and Winona Ryder make this a film to satisfy fans and those new to the Star Trek universe.

It seems only the cast have any real love of this tired old retro action series. This is a tiresome film that plays like an extended gaming trailer that has the "Not Actual Game Play" warning attached. It is most evidently filmed as if it was a computer game with every set piece scene structured like a gaming scenario where Jason Statham moves through the labyrinth of a cargo ship (where most of the action takes place) killing hordes of heavily armed bad guys without as much as a scratch. The plot is mostly irrelevant suffice to say that the titular black ops team, of old has beens mostly, are sent to recover a nuclear bomb from some bad guys before it sets off World War 3. Sylvester Stallone more or less cameos in this one and in a very predictable way too, there's not one person who is going to be fooled by his storyline here, and Megan Fox looks as if she's popped out of the beauty parlour to go on the mission before heading off to a red carpet dinner. It's Statham's film really and he gives it the charm and swagger that he does so well but this is dull and limp film despite the bloodshed which is all cartoonish. Stallone has been reported as saying this is the first of a new trilogy.....Groan!

A fantastic science fiction adventure film and the one 'New Generation' movie that is really gripping and interesting. Here the most iconic malevolent alien species since the Alien series, The Borg, arrives to create an existential risk to humanity. The Borg (sort of like alien zombies in many ways) launch an attack on Earth and only Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) knows the best way to defeat them. But at the final moment the Borg escape into the past and attempt to attack Earth in the mid 21st century at a key moment in human history. Picard and crew travel back in time to thwart them. The story is really clever here and whilst Star Trek has used time travel as a plot device before this time it's into the past but still our actual future, namely 2063. What happens in that year is pivotal to the future of mankind and this opens up a two pronged story that is quite enthralling. There's plenty of action, a scary baddie and support from James Cromwell as a 21st century scientist. Patrick Stewart handles the action scenes really well and there's humour in characters first encounter with aliens! A great and highly entertaining sci-fi film and one I highly recommend.

One of the more famous erotic thrillers that came out of the 80s. Narratively it's very similar to Clint Eastwood's Play Misty For Me (1971), his directorial debut, both of which feature a plot surrounding a mentally disturbed woman who once scorned by a lover becomes a psychopathic killer. Here Michael Douglas plays Dan, a lawyer, married to Beth (Anne Archer) and they have a six year old daughter. One weekend when Beth is away Dan has a sexually charged affair with Alex (Glenn Close), whose company he represents. Dan sees this as a one off situation, for him a relief from the stresses of marriage and family. However he is unprepared for Alex' reaction when he reiterates it's a one off situation, and she begins to stalk him, her actions becoming evermore unpredictable. There's a complex set of issues at play in this film over and above a simple 'pyscho killer' plot and it can be argued the climax partially obscures the themes that are on offer in the narrative. Perhaps controversially the ending of the film is not the original one which had a different conclusion for the characters and from reports may have allowed the film's ideas to be more evident. But in short the film looks at the issue of infidelity and its effects on those involved with the demarkation falling between the attitudes of men as opposed to women. Dan enters the affair with a clear notion of taking a safe chance to have sex with a beautiful and above all very willing woman and then walk away. He assumes that is a view they both share. Alex, who the film doesn't shy away from showing has a mental health illness, doesn't see it that way and accuses Dan of not taking her feelings into consideration. That of course may well be true, there are significant clues to various readings of these issues throughout the film. It is an effective and tense thriller and the final climax unequivocally paints Alex as the film's villain and she certainly has indulged in acts that are dangerous and violent. However Dan too has pushed the boundaries of morality and the film does not seek to exonerate him. But he is forgiven! Archer is the heart of the film as the cuckolded wife who eventually has to be the family protector. Her performance is rather good. This is an interesting film that is open to interesting discussion especially for a modern day audience. It's worth a refreshing look to see if earlier impressions of it may have changed.

The last of the 'original' crew films (although they did make an appearance in Star Trek: Generations in 1994) and one of the best of the series. After the shambles of the previous film this was a welcome return to a gritty, well told and intriguing story that is a clear allegory to the collapse of the USSR. This has a darker, violent edge to it from the moment the film starts, even the music is ominous and then a spectacular exploding planet begins the film. The Klingons, the old adversary throughout the films, are forced to seek peace terms with the Federation and Kirk (William Shatner), well known for despising them, is ordered to escort the Klingon Ambassador (David Warner) to Earth for the peace talks. But then the Ambassador is assassinated, Kirk and McCoy (DeForest Kelley) are convicted of his murder and imprisoned on a penal planet. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and the crew of the USS Enterprise have to come along to the rescue. The film has some really violent scenes with bloodshed, people frozen to death and a harrowing interrogation scene so it is a return to serious story telling for the franchise. There's jokes about the ages of the crew and talks of their retirement but plot wise this has political conspiracy, racism and bigotry to root it in contemporary issues. It's a very worthy addition to the series and a very good science fiction story. To top it all additional cast including Warner, Kim Cattrall and the great Christopher Plummer as a Klingon General who loves to quote Shakespeare make it entertaining and bloody marvellous.

A perplexing, eerie and enigmatic mystery drama from director Joanna Hogg. This is a story about grief, loss, love and relationships wrapped up as a gothic ghost story with a spooky soundtrack, in scenes of cold, autumnal branches swathed in mist and always blowing gently in an atmosphere that borders on dread but never quite gets there focused on a ghostly old house. Tilda Swinton plays both the daughter and aging mother as they arrive at a remote English country hotel, which was once a private house where the mother spent time as a child. The strangeness of the surroundings is immediately apparent as the receptionist is truculent, there appears to be no other guests and there are strange banging noises at night. Much of the narrative revolves around mother and daughter talking about their relationship and of past sadnesses and regrets but with hints of something else, especially seen when the daughter is tense on approach to a certain part of the hotel. You can argue as to whether the film has a satisfactory conclusion or if it's left just a little bit too much unexplained. It's certainly an odd drama and defies the stereotypes you might expect. Swinton gives a moving and compelling performance in both roles. She is always an actor worth your time and here it's in a film that is beguiling and frustrating in equal measure.

With a lighter touch than the previous three films 'Voyage Home' is an entertaining addition to the franchise and is often cited as people's favourite. It actually is the final film of a loose trilogy but the story is a stand alone one and can be enjoyed without having seen the previous two films although the start of this film may seem confusing if you are unaware of what occurred in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984). In this film Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Bones (DeForest Kelley), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Sulu (George Takei), Chekhov (Walter Koenig) and Scotty (James Doohan) - all the old favourites in other words - are on their way back to Earth in a commandeered spacecraft to stand trial for various misdemeanours committed in the previous film. They find that a mysterious alien probe is in orbit around the Earth causing a massive power drain (This is actually a very similar plot to Star Trek: The Motion Picture methinks). All the mighty brains in the world fail to decipher what it wants but good ol' Spock works it out fairly quickly, and so off Kirk and crew trot, back in time, to find some humpback whales that are extinct in the 23rd Century but are to be found but endangered in the 20th and hold the key to survival of the human race in the future and the answer to the strange probe. Actually a cleverly plotted story and Star Trek has used time travel before in the TV series, at least one episode being one of the very best of the entire series. Everyone is clearly having a great time and the addition of humour as the intrepid crew try to fit in San Francisco of 1986 works really well although it's a bit cheesy at times. This is Star Trek getting to grips with adventure sci-fi for the family and the film is an entertaining and fun filled experience.

One of those gory horror films where the director seems to think it's more spooky if everyone seems to live in a perpetual dark, shadow filled and gothic world. All it does is scream cliché and have the viewer try fruitlessly to ponder what exactly is going on at any particular time. This is basically a dull demonic possession story that evolves into a creature feature. It steals a scene from The Shining (1980) and is obviously influenced by The Thing (1982). It is part of the Evil Dead series but apart from the title, the voice of Bruce Campbell and a chainsaw this is just a routine bloodfest with little else to recommend it. The story is simple. A boy finds an ancient book, it releases a demon that possesses the mother who wreaks havoc as she basically attacks and turns other members of her family into demons. There's lots of slow head turning, pointed objects being thrust into heads and eyes etc and demonic voices. There's a pointless prologue which I'm guessing signposts another film to come and overall it's a derivative load of tosh. Avoid unless you're a young teenager on Halloween night and need a cheap thrill.