Reviews

Even The Matrix franchise is not immune to the curse of the trilogies; a curse spanning generations involving the triumphant success of a first film followed by waning enjoyment until a dull and dreary finale. The Dark Knight, The Hobbit, and rumourdly The Godfather, all succumbed to a similar result.

Following the cliffhanger of Reloaded, Revolutions fails to deliver what its successors could; namely: a decent plot. With a dull and boring script, this film drags from within the half-hour with minor appearances from the stars (i.e. Keanu Reeves and Hugo Weaving) leaving yourself to question why this film was made in the first place. Dramatic overacting on the part of minor-characters during overused gun sequences shifts the tone of this movie in a similar direction as Predator rather than the scintillating science-fiction narrative of The Matrix. Never mind the acting, the terrible choreography and extended action-scenes are over-dramatic, with each seeming like an experimental director trying to outdo the complexity of the first two films. With each dragging fight, you are left thinking to yourself: "When is this going to end?". The answer is never. The scars left by this movie leave senses of regret for two wasted hours, and moments that should conjure emotions of sadness or happiness, just conjure a feeling of relief that The Wachowski Brothers finally sparred us the torment of yet another cringy line.

The film tries to be philosophical and "clever" when it is in fact just seeming to use lines you find inside a fortune cookie. It is annoying and frustrating to see a seriously good franchise ruined by the greed to secure more profit for the company.

Following the box-office success yet relatively low critic reviews of Rampage, Dwayne Johnson's next picture is Skyscraper, the action picture of a father trying to save his family from The ,inflamed, Pearl, the tallest building in the world. Dwayne Johnson plays the heroine, the father, in this action packed thriller with nothing getting in his way; not even the fundamentals of physics or common sense.

Okay, so the film isn't exactly realistic, but it doesn't hold back in its share of thrills, and even depicts moments of pure suspense with nauseating heights and shocking camera angles. For the sake of sounding like "one of those people" let's refrain from mentioning just how unrealistic some of the moments are, and focus on the bigger the picture: the connection to family. It establishes a strong and singular motive for our protagonist to follow and makes for an easy plot to follow, allowing very little to the imagination. And, as some reviewers have not forgotten to mention, the plot is very, although not completely, obvious, although this does not derive from the overall suspense of the film in any way; a change would have just made it that much better.

It is not terrible, although, being completely honest, this film would have remained unwatched had it not been for the pulling element of the film, Dwayne Johnson, who will not disappoint in his usual character role.

At the peak of the Roman army, Maximus, a highly-trusted and beloved general is struck by tragedy as he must fight for vengeance\ Nuanced characters and excellent casting (with casting-director Louis DiGiaimo who also worked on The Godfather, The Exorcist and Thelma and Louise) Russell Crowe (also in A Beautiful Mind) stars in this epic as Maximus, with his main adversary played by Joaquin Phoenix (also stars in Her) as they battle both physically and mentally, each vying for a personal goal, with obvious and well established motives of the characters; hardly surprising seeing as one of the writers is John Logan who also worked as a writer on Skyfall. These motives allow for the characters to become relatable and understandable on most parts, although the downfall is strange and, in one case, uncharacteristic love interest seemingly created for no reason save to adhere to the voyeuristic side of the audience; to make them feel better about particular love interests. Another, yet minor, downfall of the film was within the first twelve minutes where Ridley Scott (also the director of Alien, Thelma and Louise and Blade Runner) felt the constantly annoying need to use slow-motion on the battle and to completely derive from the feeling and atmosphere of battle.

Although this aspect was only short, it leaves an impression (especially since it is used very early) but the intensity of the location mixed with the atmospheric climate, allow for the scene to be revered as amazing and leaves the viewer in awe, complimented by a Pirates of the Caribbean-esque soundtrack from Lisa Gerrard and Hans Zimmer (who did work on some Pirates of the Caribbean films). The film does lack some elements of authenticity which its rivals in the war genre do not, although this is crowded by quotable lines delivered by Russell Crowe, and an overall memorable and splendid film.

Steven Spielberg has released yet another blockbuster, Ready Player One, only a year after the Oscar-Nominated The Post. Despite the disappointing, almost repelling trailer, Ready Player One is an enjoyable, entertaining blockbuster filled with amazing action sequences, but lowly nuanced characters. The film plays on the nostalgia of the 80s generation (many Easter Eggs; Alien, Back to the Future, Akira, etc.) much like the E.T. inspired Stranger Things adding that blockbuster, superhero-virtual-reality twist to draw the younger generations. Basically, it's a film that can be enjoyed by anyone. The film is also successful in not resorting to a classic Hollywood move: recruiting pretty and handsome teenagers to fill the role, which is refreshing and pleasing to see in this generation of film. The film strays from recruiting a line-up of an all-star cast, with great performances from the leading actors. The "star" actors amount to only two or three: Ben Mendelsohn (who is abruptly and quickly established as the antagonist), Mark Rylance (who previously starred in Spielberg classic Bridge of Spies) and Simon Pegg. The acting is overall, pretty good, but, due to some underdeveloped (sometimes poorly developed) and stereotypical characters, the ledge to fantastic is too steep for the film to climb. The film manages to retain a level of intrigue (despite glaring similarities to The Matrix) with an incredible realism surrounding animated and CGI features, which is basically three-quarters of the film. A great follow-up to the near-classic The Post, Spielberg completely switches genres and target audiences to create another great production

The latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is "Black Panther", the first Marvel film featuring a predominantly black cast. Black Panther first appeared in "Captain America: Civil War", with Chadwick Boseman donning the suit of Black Panther, and alter-ego T'Challa, King of Wakanda, a technologically advanced nation hidden in the African continent. After the death of his father, T'Challa, son of T'Chaka, the King, takes the place of the throne, faced with obstacles as soon as he is initiated.

Andy Serkis plays Ulysses Klaue, a mercenary stealing technology from Wakanda and selling it, is one of the main antagonists of the picture, giving a fantastic performance as a nonchalant, cockney thief, escaping the claws of the previous king, and now hunted by Boseman. In fact, what makes this film stand-out, is the back-up cast. The sister of T'Challa, played by Letitia Wright, and a clan leader, played by Winston Duke, are two characters who particularly stand-out, and serve as comic-relief for parts of the film. Whereas on the other side of the film, with Chadwick Boseman, are phenomenal pieces of lightning and choreography in a lot of his early battle sequences, paired with a purple-glowing suit (possibly the best suit produced by the MCU for any hero), any action sequence featuring him is exciting and awesome, especially the early battles, where the audience is introduced to the power of the Black Panther, discovering just why this guy is a hero.

Speaking of costumes, the costumes of the citizens of Wakanda all vary in colour, being interesting and obviously well made. Despite this, it seems as if the costumes are trying to "spread the colour" with some, obviously blatant scenes of (costume) colour segregation. This is not helped by CGI which is successful for the majority, but falls short at the scenes of actual animal life, i.e. rhinos. Even though "Black Panther" is home to some of the best choreography for a Marvel film, the script lets itself down, with a dragged out plot and unnecessary sequences of "falling only to rise once more" (both literally and metaphorically).

From the get go, one thinks, this is close to being one of the best Marvel films of all time, but, short of falling flat on its face, it stumbles over its own plot annoyances, making it equal to "Doctor Strange" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2" when it had the capability to surpass "Captain America: Civil War" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" (although it would have had to be extremely good for that to happen).

The Commuter marks the fourth film director Jaume Collet-Serra works on with Liam Neeson, the star of this film. Liam Neeson, who plays fired insurance salesman and ex-cop Michael MacCauley must complete a task for Joanna, a mysterious woman who promises 100,000 USD and threatens the safety of Neeson's family. Joanna, played by Vera Farmiga (who also performs in a Collet-Sera directorial, The Orphan) performs gracefully, providing the chilling role necessary for this thriller, despite only physically appearing in two scenes. The performances were mediocre all around, including the star, Liam Neeson. Neeson, whose character was completely twisted by the scripet-writers. Somehow, Neeson's far-too unbelievable character, manages to fend off adversaries a third of his age, as well as possessing twisted morals and luck-lustre emotions. After harrowing scenes of intensity, Neeson's character shrugs it off like a stroll in the park serving as an uninteresting character, unrelateable character; whether this was due to script writing or acting, someone is to blame. The script, written in a group of five, was completely lack-lustre, beginning with an explosion of origins, but slowly fading to ash, with a completely obvious, uninventive finale. Not only that, the moments of what was meant to be "intense" were, in fact, as boring as watching a dog eating.

Not only that, but the fight and action sequences are, completely exaggerated and over-the-top, cutting the last string of reality The Commuter held onto.

This is coming from the same person who loves Mission Impossible.

Watching the film, I felt unhindered having not seen Non-Stop (basically the same film as The Commuter just on a train instead of a plane) so, despite this being a new experience altogether, I still found myself disappointed, over what looked like an intense thriller (judging by the trailer) to your stereotypical thriller.

Alien Resurrection is clouded by the premise of THE WORST ALIEN MOVIE EVER! although, it is not superb, fantastic, and only manages to skim through the OKAY class, it was watchable and, at parts enjoyable and nuanced. In Alien 3 Ripley killed herself after discovering the Alien Queen was nested within her abdomen. Following on from that film, Alien Resurrection begins with scientists cloning Ripley, removing the Queen from her chest, and producing Xenomorphs in a laboratory. The Xenomorphs escape, and Ripley and a team of friends must find a way to destroy the spacecraft and save themselves before the craft reaches its home base: Earth. Starring Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley (and the only returning cast member) and Winona Ryder as Call, the film is home to the new, highly critiqued Xenomorph design: the Newborn, a strange unshelled , disfigured Xenomorph. Despite all the pessimistic views surrounding this fourth installation, the film was pleasantly surprising, greatly surpassing the likes of Alien 3. Weaver's character begins as a mentally unstable human (or clone in this instance) and although she is an interesting and weird character, all the others are one-dimensional with unmotivated acts (such as a guy who shoots a spider with a gun...), as well as these mood-swings some of the characters occasionally suffer from.

Viewing the shorter, Theatrical Version of the film, not the Special Edition, was a shorter yet, I believe, the correct decision. Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the director of the film, was happy with the Theatrical Version, although the writer, Joss Whedon (creator of the hit TV Series Buffy the Vampire Slayer) believes that this film is the worst installation in the Alien franchise. Personally, I found it exploring a different, uncultivated avenue for the franchise, at one point, engaging the audience to pity the Xenomorph. Although this pity is felt, it is not supported by the costumes and effects of the Xenomorph and its new hybrid, the Newborn, revealing, for the first time, the eyes of the Xenomorph. The Newborn is a nuanced and interesting character in this movie.

Like the third movie, this film does not manage to derive itself of the unnesseccary violence and swearing, featuring a disturbing sexual scene; not because it is revealing or unconsented, but because the whole premise is disturbing in itself. Whether this deeply wounds or heals the film is decided upon the viewer, but it does lead to strange, confusing matters, which are completely different to the other aspects visible in this franchise.

Could the crossover of the "Alien" and the "Predator" franchises be stopped? Probably not; it was going to happen sooner or later, as was hinted in "Predator 2". The question is whether it 'should' have been stopped. The expectations for this movie were, frankly speaking, low. No intricate plot is expected, just a full-on action battle between two of the most world-renowned and iconic alien designs ever produced. Which is all we get; even a little plot development. A group put together by Charles Bishop Weyland (played by Lance Henriksen) must investigate an unknown pyramid underneath Antarctica. Firstly, if you have watched "Alien 3", which is set in the future, where a younger version of the same character (Charles BIshop Weyland) is present, just ignore the incontinuity, because there are plenty more. Such as the completely improbable costumes; for example, no beanies are worn (and the cast is plunged into the surface of Antarctica) and a single singlet for a top layer of clothing for one scene. Despite all of the flaws, there are scenes of suspense which can get you slightly anxious, but there is no connection to the characters; nothing for you to want them to survive (save for Ewen Bremmer, who plays Graeme Miller, father of two kids). Most of the characters you begin to discover and connect with, die within the next ten minutes (don't worry, that's not a spoiler)! As usual with these types of movies, there must always be the tough guy/girl who happens to hate the world for reasons unexplained, unfortunately, paired with a fine piece of overacting, the character just becomes worse and negatively affects the film. Another piece of nonsensical rubbish is located when, suddenly, these expeditioners pull out machine guns out of these huge cases... why would anybody have a gun? This pyramid is meant to originate from ancient civilisations, I imagine most of the people would be long dead! You can count the number of people who don't have a gun on one hand... (they must be the people who don't have foresight). As mentioned, there are some good scenes (like the costumes and occasionally CGI of the alien/xenomorph) which, are mostly (if only) the Predator vs. Alien scenes. There is some effective CGI which is present, but there are also poor, uneffective scenes, but nothing to take away any enjoyment. The film is watchable, but doesn't seem to affect the "Alien" or "Predator" universes (so far), so, unless you are eager enough to see this instalment, there are much better horror and action movies out there, just look a bit harder.

Super-hero film crossovers have flourished since the first "Avengers" film, combining the universes of the most popular comic-book heroes known (like Hulk and Iron Man). "Justice League" has imitated this with, virtually, the same storyline (saying that, they're all virtually the same) where the world is powerless to this seemingly invincible alien invasion, only to hopefully be saved for those few gifted individuals...except for Batman, who is just rich.

Written by Chris Terrio (writer of "Argo") and Joss Whedon (who co-wrote "The Avengers") have produced a mediocre, recognisable script (alien invasion and what not) but, unlike "The Avengers", this film didn't have the superheroes or acting talent needed to create something of that quality despite the characters' potential. The Flash is an interesting hero, having the power of super-speed, produced by DC, but his character comes across as almost unnecessary and powerless some of the time. Not only that, Cyborg's CGI-ed body is poorly executed in scenes, Aquaman is obnoxious (which, paired with cringe-dialogue, gets tiresome), and Batman is the weakest of the lot, when he should be (not necessarily the strongest, physically) not having to reuse the enemies weapons. That's just low and sad, especially for Batman. Even worse for the film's reputation is what it must resort to to stop an powerful alien who just wants to destroy the universe.

DC has the heroes capable of standing up to the likes of Marvel, and, despite the lacking optimism of the 2011 film adaptation, Green Lantern would have made a great contribution to the film. But, this predictable, mediocre story makes the five heroes seem utterly hopeless, save Wonder Woman, who is the the only one who actually manages to show a little power, just watch the way The Flash runs, but, saying that, it is still entertaining and watchable.

After viewing a dramatic, highly anticipated trailer, The Last Jedi proved as a disappointing, lack-lustre film, not capturing the essence necessary to raise the this film to even a "good"-level like many of the films have soared past. The Last Jedi has mainly a full returning cast, following the basic premise of most Star Wars films: The-Bad-Guys-are-shooting-us-,-what-are-we-going-to-do? sort of thing. Adam Driver performs well as the returning villain, Kylo Ren, accompanied by an emotional performance from Mark Hamill, easily the best actor in the film. New to the stage are the new species of space-penguins, the funny, adorable Porgs, who are like a sidekick for Chewie (who surprisingly wasn't in the film that much) and are a great comedic element for the otherwise boring film.

Mark Hamill, as mentioned, performs incredibly well, along with Adam Driver, but the script and plot are just not interesting. The lack-lustre lead-up to the announcement of Rey's parents, elongated, unnecessary final battle, and the cringy, cheesy one-liners just to begin with. The Last Jedi just feels like of those films that just does not end! It is extremely dragged out and, at times, can be quite frustrating. The most exciting elements was a cameo from Frank Oz and releasing Andy Serkis (who plays Supreme Leader Snoke) was in the film!

Maybe expectations were too high for this highly anticipated film. Don't go with high hopes, this is easily the weakest of this new generation of Star Wars films.

"Orca", made two years after the huge success of "Jaws", stars Richard Harris and Charlotte Rampling, two, at first, seemingly opposite characters who develop a, somewhat, 'mutual understanding' between them. After witnessing the tremendous awe of the Killer Whale, Harris's character, a money-grabbing fisherman, resolves to capture this beast and sell it. Rampling's character, a whale lover and researcher, warns him of the consequences, which Harris soon discovers after he does not heed Rampling's warnings.

Directed by Michael Anderson ("Around the World in 80 Days" & "Logan's Run"), "Orca" was classified as a "Jaws cash-in", although the cast and crew do not agree with this opinion. Unlike "Jaws, real whales are often used in this production, and the film, in many occasions, reaching a high point of intensity and anticipation. Despite this, it is a very inconsistent film, beginning with a mysterious scene, only to be eventually followed by long, tedious, whale-watching scenes, halting the suspense once in their grasp. The film is almost believable at parts, due to the in-depth scientific reasoning behind the Whale's motives, but can sometimes be unclear, with awkward cut-ins which don't seem to fit, and the inescapable continuity error of a floppy dorsal fin (which all captive-whales possess).

The acting is fine from all cast members, with most of the film rising to mediocre and enjoyable. The uplifting (not emotionally, but for the film's rating) element of the film, is, as mentioned, its power to throttle suspense by the throat and suffocate until no more can be extracted, helped along by a memorable, spectacular soundtrack by Ennio Morocconi, well known for his work on numerous Western Films (including The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly). Even though the title and synopsis may sound like a "Jaws rip-off", "Orca" deserves credit for the manipulation of the audience to sympathise with the Killer Whale, and the entirely different and morally questioning premise.

Taika Waititi was assigned to the role of director for the new Thor film following the success of his comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Thor continues from the success of the previous Avengers films as well as the previous two Thor films, obvious from the various references present, but not completely necessary in the enjoyment-factor. Waititi, given the reins of one of the most anticipated films of the year, declared that, he would add comedy in this new installation, with Waititi himself voicing the funniest character of the film, Korg, a stone-skinned humanoid. Waititi's vision was brought to fruition through the triplet of writer's who successfully employed a range of comedy rarely endeavoured in superhero films.

Starring in the satisfying, unconvoluted plot, is Chris Hemsworth continuing his role of Thor accompanied by a new makeover and a monstrous power. With a guest appearance from Mark Ruffalo, continuing as Hulk, the film had everything going for it; it was promising. This regularly comedic script was, despite it's strengths, boring and sluggish for the first quarter, but revives itself quickly, and in parts, completely captures one's interest. With great acting from Chris Hemsworth, the Hulk felt overused in (a particular section of) the film and, in some Bruce Banner rather than Hulk sections, Mark Ruffalo's performance was not up to scratch. The films also possessed annoying and cliché "tough-girls" in Tessa Thompson's 'Valkyrie' and Cate Blanchett's 'Hela', the antagonist of the film.

The script also undertakes extravagant, exaggerated battle sequences which, most of the time, aren't interesting (basically, any without Thor - bias?). But, Korg (the comedic rock-man) helps to lift the film as does the highly satisfying final battle and Thor's monstrous development.

After the many successful and magical Winnie the Pooh film adaptations, Goodbye Christopher Robin follows the life of A.A.Milne, and the repercussions of basing the character off of his son, Christopher Robin, better known as Billy Moon to those personally connected. Domhnall Gleeson plays A.A.Milne (who you might recognise as Bill Weasley from the Harry Potter film franchise) and performs fantastically, adjusting to the situation perfectly, from a mentally affected war veteran to a loving a caring father. Gleeson is usually performing with the child actor, Will Tilston, who plays Christopher Robin at the age of eight, who, remarkably, is completely natural and does not falter in any of his scenes. Despite the beyond-satisfying acting of those two, some performances do not deliver, which is unfortunate, seeing that Gleeson and Tilston are perfect.

The concept is interesting, and at times, the script can tug on your heartstrings, and makes you realise that, despite opening a generation to happiness, unhappiness was an unfortunate side-effect for those closest to Winnie the Pooh itself. The script, just to put it bluntly, is lacklustre. For a while, the film delivers in a satisfactory manner, but goes downhill due to sloppy script-writing which does, in fact, become boring and sluggish. As mentioned, the film tugs at heartstrings, but if this is done too many times, it loses its effect, as has happened in this film, which will become evident.

Overall, the film is, for the most part, satisfactory, but doesn't deliver in the magical element some may expect and, can sometimes take history into its own hands; just research it.

Poltergeist, directed by Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg, stars Craig T. Nelson (who voices Mr Incredible in The Incredibles) and Jobeth Williams, following the family household who are haunted by supernatural causes. Well, it isn't really haunted but, there's an definition on that pretty early on. The film is home to a hyperbole of effects with giant, green faces popping out of the wall, trees attacking everyone and, of course, the horrifying mixture of both a clown and a doll; is there anything scarier? But is this exaggeration of effects a bad thing? No, it is not, in fact, this actually works in favour of the plot, and still manages to be scary in parts. The script, written after the huge sci-fi classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

It is extremely over-the-top, but despite that, the film proves it is capable of suspense and even jump scares. The acting is natural (from everybody) but, especially near the beginning, the script can feel slightly rushed at times, but this natural style of acting and the relatability of the characters is fantastic, and, lifts the film by ten-fold despite its already legendary and memorable story.

It is often loved by most for terrifying a generation and creating the cult-hit monster, Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Despite the highly praised Part One of the Mini-Series, It is infamous and is ridiculed for an unforeseen and utterly surprising finalé, which, no doubt will leave you wondering. Directed and co-written by Tommy Lee Wallace, (who had also directed "Fright Night: Part 2", "Halloween III", and episodes of "The Twilight Zone") as well as Lawrence D. Cohen, who has starred in writing Stephen King adaptations, debuted with the world-renowned "Carrie" (1976) then "It", followed by The "Tommyknockers" and finally, the remake of "Carrie" (2013). This new installation in Stephen King adaptations was followed by the success of "The Shining", despite Stephen King's opinion, the author of the novel "It".

After many children are reported missing or dead, seven children band together to attack the culprit of this heinous crime: a shape-shifting clown who eats children. The idea itself is terrifying, and Pennywise (the name of this murdering clown) is played by Tim Curry who can switch between the murderous intent of a madman, which is perfected in the very first scene, to an inviting, genuinely funny clown which is, in context, creepy enough.

Curry's absolutely brilliant performance goes matched with the seven kids who face off against Pennywise, whom we all can feel a sense of relatability. The mini-series Part 1, is fantastic, but, as foretold, the second part is luck-lustre and seems to drag on for a longer-than-necessary amount of time, reintroducing characters that were better off left alone. Despite that, it was much better than expected (possibly because of the familiarity held with the ending) and, in numerous scenes, you can feel the anticipation of that moment which, may or may not be delivered, installing a sense of dread every time you see anybody you don't already know.

The mini-series, as expected, does keep the violence and gore to a minimum, but, (partly thanks to a chilling soundtrack by Richard Bellis) the mini-series is, in fact, scary, and it is easy to see how Pennywise has traumatised so many children.

Jack Reacher stars Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher and is directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who has written Edge of Tomorrow as well as the highly acclaimed The Usual Suspects. The film follows a shooting in which Jack Reacher must discover the real culprit of the crime. The film begins with your usual clichè young, handsome shooter… who wears dark sunglasses. This clichè approach to gangsters and mafia and shooters are old and frankly worn. That being said, this is the only overly cliché film which doesn't particularly have much impact on the overall film… apart from the antagonist who's a German, ate off his fingers and has scars all over his face and body. The action and uncovering of information that Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike (who plays Helen) undertake is incredibly interesting but is contrasted with high-paced action and battle scenes, with a spectacular finalé battle, which is done extremely well. But most importantly is the resolve Reacher holds. It is what we want from all our action heroes: just shoot the bad guy and quit with the small talk… finally.

The film has a great atmosphere (particularly in this final battle scene) which creates a dark and gritty feel. The film itself, is too long, though, with the film seeming to drag through some sections, with Tom Cruise being the only one to give an above average performance, whereas others overact or just don't give a great performance.

Bridge of Spies stars Tom Hanks as the real-life lawyer James B. Donovan, who must defend the captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance). Directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, who has directed and produced many war-time films (such as Saving Private Ryan, War Horse and Schindler's List) he sets this film during the bleak conditions of the Cold War, just as the Berlin War completes construction.

Bridge of Spies employs fantastic acting from all cast members, especially Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance, who emit a strong yet realistic sense of camaraderie and friendship due to their, at first, mutual relationship which develops into a bond so tight that the audience doesn't want it to be broken. The film also manages to contrast image and words, which work brilliantly, such as every scene where Tom Hanks is on a train, where no words are spoken, but one hundred ideas are broadcasted via the strong emotional face of Tom Hanks. These Grade-A performances as well as the completely differing settings of the two halves of the film, perfectly execute the mood integral for this serious, often heart-tugging moments. As mentioned, the scenery is gorgeous, with frequent switches of location; from America to Berlin and back, the location/cinematography greatly enhances the atmosphere of this film as do the uncoverings of background characters emotions and feelings towards Hanks' character such as a random policeman he meets, all questioning him: "Why are you defending that traitor?", revealing to the audience the side some must take for their country.

Overall, the film is magnificent with perfect performances, a contrasting climate (from sun to snow) and the nuanced characters makes Bridge of Spies a fantastic film with strong underlying morals and values which still apply to this day.

The film "Murder on the Orient Express" has been remade many times; the same story; the same setting; the same suspects, and this new installation in the 'remakes' of this film features an amazing lineup of cast members including Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh and Johnny Depp. The film was directed by Kenneth Branagh himself, who also stars as the world-renowned detective Hercule Poirot, and was written by Michael Green who released three majorly successful films this year alone, in "Blade Runner: 2049", "Logan", and "Alien Covenant".

The film follows "the best detective in the world", Hercule Poirot, who must solve a sudden murder on the famous train, the orient express, with a wide range of suspects, motives and means. Kenneth Branagh gives his performance of Hercule Poirot, an intelligent (seemingly) OCD detective who separates right from wrong and serves justice to those via his deductive reasoning and "little grey cells", which is fantastic despite the shrub growing off his face (which eventually passes as unnoticeable). In fact, "The Murder on the Orient Express" emits spectacular performances from all cast members, who all manage to extract perfectly dramatic and interesting performances at appropriate times - particularly Josh Gad, who also starred as Olaf in "Frozen", who gave a great performance as Hector MacQueen. The script employs few physical action scenes, some of which are poorly choreographed or illogical, but supplies ample psychological action which is dramatic, bold and exciting. Set in a winter wonderland, the atmosphere is sufficient for this perfect crime which will entangle minds, including the great Hercule Poirot himself. The film is a great Agatha Christie adaptation which will suit audiences of all ages and preferences, and will not disappoint, despite trailer expectations.

"The Abyss", directed by James Cameron and starring Michael Biehn, Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, was released in 1989 raking in approximately 55 million dollars in the worldwide box office. "The Abyss" is an underwater thriller, science-fiction and action film which follows a diving team who encounter an alien species. The alien is a pink glow of light which, at first seems quite splendid and alluring, but slowing fades to an awkward "Close-Encounters-of-the-Third-Kind" meets a stingray, which looks poor and disgusting. Due to these awkward designs, the aliens derive from the actual plot of the film and manage to drag out the nonsense for another hour with unlikeable, paper-thin characters.

Speaking of which, the characters are underdeveloped and lack any varying emotions and personalities. Ed Harris, who also performed in "Gravity" (a similar but much better film) does not give a good performance, constantly over-dramatising scenes. His poor performance in this is also due to the terrible, nonsensical script which is painfully long and extremely boring. Despite the extremely poor, lengthy script (but under-developed characters), Michael Biehn, who stars in much better James Cameron films such as "Aliens and Terminator", performs exceptionally as a slowly crazing marine. Unfortunately, Biehn cannot enhance the experience of this film which, despite all other factors, manages to involve terrible choreography and illogical movements.The setting and sets are, in fact, incredible despite useless dialogue and repetitive "I love you" scenes which never fail to get old.

The worst James Cameron film I have ever (and hopefully will ever) witnessed, "The Abyss" is a terrible film plunged into plot convolutions, cringe-worthy choreography and laughable dialogue.

"The Man on the Moon" stars Jim Carrey, as the highly debated comedian Andy Kaufman, as well as Danny DeVito, who plays Andy Kaufman's manager, George Shapiro. Jim Carrey has starred in "Dumb and Dumber" as well as the masterpiece "The Truman Show", yet has managed to produce one of the his best performances to date thanks to a hilarious, interesting film directed by Milos Forman, who also directed "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".

Based on a true story, the film follows the life of an eccentric American comedian Andy Kaufman, and his practical, crude jokes which he employs to "entertain" his audience. Jim Carrey is brilliant in his role as Andy Kaufman, capturing pure comedic essence in his performance and precisely, if not perfectly, mimicking Kaufman's original movements and gestures. With a brilliant performance, all that remained was a brilliant script; which was delivered. The script is constantly hilarious but despite a small lag in the middle section and an abrupt ending, the script is fabulously pieced with twists available and lovable characters- "You're insane, but you might also be brilliant".

Directed by the phenomenal and successful director James Cameron (who also directed classic films such as "Aliens", "Terminator 2: Judgement Day", "Titanic" and "Avatar") "The Terminator" is James Cameron's first major success as a film, and he has, ever since, periodically released box-office royalty one after the other. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger (who also stars in Predator) who plays the terminator, Michael Biehn (who stars in both Aliens and The Abyss) who plays Kyle Reese, and Linda Hamilton playing Sarah Connor. First look; a great cast, but unfortunately, some overacting by the supporting cast can become annoying, though it be brief. The film has a unique and brutal antagonist but fails to become truly interesting and just seems to drag despite the short film time of 107 minutes. As well as the dated special effects, the film manages to become partly epic in its second half.

The Omen, directed by Richard Donner (director of The Goonies) and starring Gregory Peck as Robert Thorn and David Warner as Jennings, is an absolutely fantastic promotor not alone for the supernatural-horror genre, but for the film industry itself. Peck and Donner have both had phenomenal careers in acting, particularly Gregory Peck who has starred in Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and To Kill A Mockingbird, based on the world-renowned novel by Harper Lee. Due to a fabulous duo and supporting cast, all who perform exceptionally, the visually stunning violence is encapsulating and completely unpredictable.

The film is a supernatural, horror film, centered on the Anti-Christ/Spawn of Satan, who takes the form of a human boy. Off the synopsis alone, you know it'll be hard to get it wrong.

The film is renowned for its enlightenment on the number of Satan, the triple-six (666). Based off readings in the bible, The Omen captures the pure essence of supernatural-horror, and, despite the antagonist being a small child, it can become truly terrifying thanks to a great psychotic demon-bodyguard… One of the best finale sequences I've yet to witness and should (if it even can) not disappoint.

Pet Sematary is yet another Stephen King novel adaptation, the same author who wrote the unanimously acclaimed The Shining and Stand by Me. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of those involved, this film is incapable of reaching the mysterious aura emitted by The Shining but instead, flops to become some zombie-Chucky slasher horror with a convoluted story-line and completely irrational characters, especially Jud Crandall (Fred Gwyne) who, despite a great performance, receives the worst character of the story, which is actually quite interesting, but, to reiterate, doesn't make sense.

As per usual of Stephen King, an ancient Indian burial ground is to blame (just like The Shining) and has the ability to revive dead organisms (for example, pets). As can be expected, this burial ground is taken full advantage of, unlike the plot. Haunted by her past, Denise Crosby gives a good performance, but is completely shadowed by her diseased sister who is the scariest character of the film, played by Susan Blommaert. Susan's character sends shivers down your spine and be warned, you will never have the ability to look into a corner of any room like you used to.

Thanks to the spectacular ending, Pet Sematary manages to attain some credit, but the unravelling plot unravels too far, and, unfortunately, cannot be tied back.

After starring in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, Nicole Kidman, she now stars in The Others, your not-so run of the mill, haunted house, ghost feature, engraving its name on the tombstone of best horror films of the 21st century… so far. Nicole Kidman gives an absolutely spectacular performance as Grace Stewart, the mother of two photosensitive children and the owner of an enormous manor/mansion. Christopher Eccleston provides a crucial, yet minuscule, role which is integral to the comprehension of this complicated and twisting plot which literally flips 180 degrees on itself. Rarely seen in 21st century horror films, is the dramatic build-up of suspense, frightening audiences with a simple creak of a door or rustle of a curtain. Every scene is tense with very little comic relief; you could count the number of humorous lines (or jokes) on one hand. The Other is an extremely intense film which manages to capture this sensation for every second of these 104 minutes.

"Edge of Tomorrow", starring Tom Cruise (Cage) and Emily Blunt (Rita), is a mind-bending science-fiction, action film, which was, surprisingly, quite good. After reading the manga adaptation of "All You Need Is Kill" (which was renamed "Edge of Tomorrow"), I was interested to see what the film adaptation was like, with low hopes, due to how most manga adaptations turn out. Saying that, "Edge of Tomorrow" was high above my expectations, with a great performance from Tom Cruise.

Unfortunately, the film begins with some, frankly, cliché, stereotypical, dialogue, which is, thankfully, only used at the beginning but later returns. The film, from there, is great, with a 4/5 first half melding action and science-fiction beautifully. But, the film once more resorted to the use of high-paced action scenes, in the second half, with cuts left right and centre, completely disregarding its science-fiction origins for a small portion of this half; a mistake being the switch of location constantly occurring. The characters are unlikeable (excluding Cage), which is a downside, because they are either stereotypical soldiers speaking cliché dialogue, or an ex-alpha-alien killing woman constantly performing sensual push-ups due to the power Cage possesses. The film tries too hard to create a non-existent rapport with Luke and Rita, which seems stagnant, and should be mellifluous and free-flowing and this halts the progression of the actual story.