movie reviews by PvtCaboose91

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned for Sega."

Following Kevin Smith's breakout film Clerks. in 1994, the filmmaker was free to do whatever he wanted on the studio's dime. Smith's next film became Mallrats, another uproarious showcase of his talent for witty dialogue and entertaining characters. Bringing back the roles of Jay (Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith), the film is also a part of Smith's interconnected "View Askewniverse" series of movies; it's not exactly a sequel to Clerks., but it unfolds in the same cinematic universe. Although Mallrats bombed at the box office and received a lukewarm critical reception, the film was a success on home video, and has developed into somewhat of a cult classic. Ignore the bad reviews, as this is a devilishly enjoyable "beer and pizza" comedy.

After slackers T.S. (London) and Brodie (Lee) are dumped by their respective girlfriends, the pair retreat to their local shopping mall for a hangout. Upon arrival, they discover that a dating show is being filmed in the mall, overseen by Jared Svenning (Rooker), father of T.S.'s former girlfriend Brandi (Forlani). On top of this, T.S. and Brodie encounter a number of mall-dwellers, including Brodie's ex-girlfriend Rene (Doherty), angry sales clerk Shannon (Affleck), underage sex documentarian Tricia (Humphrey), and the dynamic duo of Jay and Silent Bob, who aim to prevent the dating show from taking place.

Smith simply recycled the Clerks. formula for his sophomore effort, changing the central setting to a mall but otherwise retaining the trademark of quirky, offbeat protagonists who deal with personal issues and banter about pop-culture topics. With most of the action confined to the shopping mall, Mallrats amounts to an infectiously fun sequence of non-sequiturs and comedic vignettes sporting sight gags, practical jokes and one-liners. Admittedly, the pacing is not as strong as it was in Clerks. since the dialogue is not as consistently sharp, but the film nevertheless contains a healthy amount of sparkling, quotable dialogue. Mallrats also contains many film and comic book references that geeks will appreciate. The likes of Batman, Apocalypse Now, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Jaws are all referenced, and Stan Lee, the master of the comic book universe, even makes a cameo. Added to this, there are a few nice visual gags; the shops are given wonderful names like Rug Munchers, Buy Me Toys, Burning Flesh Tanning Salon and Popular Girl Fashions.

Working on a much more generous budget as opposed to the $27,000 he provided himself to make Clerks., Mallrats is a more professional-looking picture than its predecessor, even though Smith's direction is somewhat on the drab side. There's not a great deal of artistry to the photography, with Smith and director of photography David Klein simply pointing the camera at the actors, mostly filming in master shots and only getting limited coverage. As a result, this is not exactly a dynamic flick, and dead spots arise because of this. However, there are a number of excellent sequences, the most notable of which involve the hijinks of Jay and Silent Bob. Surprisingly, action scenes stems from the antics of these two bumbling fools as they try to stop the game show and evade police. It's great stuff. On top of this, the film kicks off with a brilliant opening title sequence involving a killer joke and images of the cast in comic book form.

Mallrats stars an array of familiar faces, all of whom were in the early stages of their career at this point. In the cast there's Jeremy London, Ethan Suplee, Jason Lee, Claire Forlani, Shannen Doherty, Joey Lauren Adams, Michael Rooker and even Ben Affleck. London is a nicely effective T.S., but the standout is Lee, who's hilarious unhinged and adorably childish as Brodie. Lee steals the show with ease. It's also interesting to see a young Affleck here in a performance that oozes douchebaggery. Meanwhile, Rooker plays a moustache-twirling villain type as Brandie's father, but he does amusing things with the role.

Mallrats is one of Kevin Smith's least-respected films, but this reviewer had a ball with it. And, let's face it, it looks positively immaculate alongside the dreadful misfires of Cop Out and Red State. Although certainly no Oscar contender in any respect, Mallrats is a fun film with plenty of jokes and lots to enjoy.

7.6/10

"You think I'm a hero? I am not a hero. And if you're smart, that scares you. Because I have nothing to lose."

2012's Jack Reacher is not the type of film most people will be expecting. With Paramount marketing the picture as a pure action fiesta, movie-goers will likely watch the movie anticipating an unofficial Mission: Impossible sequel featuring Tom Cruise, the generic action hero. But, as those familiar with Lee Child's Jack Reacher books will be aware, the movie is, in fact, a mystery/thriller more concerned with intrigue and plot twists than outright violence. Though it falls short of its potential, Jack Reacher is a fun, handsomely mounted flick that delivers wholesome escapist thriller entertainment, the likes of which we only occasionally see done well. (It's a lot better than Alex Cross).

When unhinged Iraq War veteran James Barr (Joseph Sikora) is framed for a vicious sniper rampage that took the lives of five people, his one request is to get Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise). A drifter who now lives off the grid, Reacher is a former U.S. Army investigator, and he rides into town as soon as he hears of Barr's arrest. Though Reacher assumes Barr is guilty due to the vet's previous actions, the former Military Police Investigator begins to dig deeper into the clues with Barr's lawyer, Helen (Rosamund Pike), revealing a more intricate plot. As he works through suspects and conducts an investigation, Reacher soon comes up against brutal enforcer Charlie (Jai Courtney) and his fingerless boss, The Zec (Werner Herzog).

Writer-director Christopher McQuarrie's screenplay is based on Lee Child's 2005 novel One Shot. The translation to the screen is, for the most part, successful, with engaging dialogue and with McQuarrie keeping the story interesting throughout. Pacing is a strong suit, as no unnecessary subplots weigh the film down. Jack Reacher is very no-nonsense, with the titular character consistently moving from Point A to Point B, only occasionally slowing down to present Helen with his findings and allow the audience to catch up on all the evidence. However, the narrative is so sophisticated and dense that it seems McQuarrie was unsure how to handle it. Characters uncover conspiracies and shady company dealings, but McQuarrie opts for the easy way out, eventually simplifying the equation to people shooting one another. Those involved in the conspiracy end up dead, of course, but how much can be proved in court to justify the killings? Can the company behind the conspiracy be taken to task, or has Reacher done them a favour by eliminating the pawns who did all the dirty work? A lot needs further wrapping up after the climax, and McQuarrie does not even try to resolve it, cutting the film off instead.

McQuarrie's regular day job is as a screenwriter extraordinaire, with credits like the Oscar-winning The Usual Suspects and 2008's Valkyrie to his name. Jack Reacher is only his second directorial effort after the 2000 film The Way of the Gun from twelve years prior. Even though this is only his second time directing a feature film, McQuarrie's handling of Jack Reacher is slick and accomplished, building intrigue and staging action sequences with equal assurance. Most impressive is the opening sniper massacre, a harrowing and gripping set piece that begins the film with no dialogue and ample tension. With cinematographer Caleb Deschanel capturing the movie on 35mm film, this is a good-looking, old-fashioned action-thriller, with every fight and conflict captured through steady camera set-ups, smooth editing and extended shots. Cruise did most of his stunts, adding realism and excitement to the set pieces. A loud, intense car chase and a vicious showdown between Reacher and Charlie are of particular note. After so much patient build-up, the action may be out-of-place, but at least the action sequences are skilful and entertaining.

Internet controversy came thick and fast when Cruise closed a deal to star as Reacher. The books describe Reacher as a tall, muscular behemoth with short blonde hair, making the role appropriate for someone like Dwayne Johnson or Dolph Lundgren. A more faithful screen iteration of Reacher would be interesting, but Cruise makes this version of the character work, as he is both brutal and charming. The role is gruffer than the characters Cruise usually plays, and the star embraces the chance to go against his typecast persona, replacing his trademark smile with steely determination and tremendous ferocity. Cruise is fifty years old here, but he does not look a day over forty. Meanwhile, practically any actress could have played the role of Helen, but Rosamund Pike is a good pick, as she is beautiful and believable. The dependable Richard Jenkins also impresses as the District Attorney, while Australian actor Jai Courtney makes for a credible brute. What really boosts the film, though, is the casting of German filmmaker Werner Herzog as The Zec. He gets limited screen time, but he is memorably sinister. Also of note is the always-reliable screen legend Robert Duvall, who plays a gun shop owner and former Gunnery Sergeant. Duvall shares excellent chemistry with Cruise.

Jack Reacher entered cinemas at an awkward time for American audiences. Arriving not long after the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, many may feel uncomfortable watching the sniper slaughter, in which a gunman kills innocents in cold blood. This observation is not a criticism of the film, and the timing is not McQuarrie's fault, but sensitive movie-goers should be wary of the content. Ultimately, Jack Reacher is two-thirds of a great thriller and one-third of a standard, generic action film. It had the potential to be a more sophisticated, Oscar-grade flick, but the finished movie is nevertheless enjoyable as popcorn entertainment. Cruise is aiming for another film franchise here, as several other Jack Reacher books can be adapted if Paramount deems this endeavour successful enough. And there is no problem with that - I would happily pay to see further adventures of Cruise as Reacher.

7.1/10

"I'm not even supposed to be here today! "

Produced in 1994 on a measly $27,000 budget, Clerks. was the feature film debut for Kevin Smith, and it proved to be his ticket into the industry. Smith reportedly financed the flick himself, selling off his comic book collection, maxing out his credit cards and borrowing money from his parents to produce this foul-mouthed, witty and extremely enjoyable small-scale comedy. Love it or hate it, Clerks. defines a generation, and it has amassed an enormous cult following in the years since its release. And on top of being frequently entertaining, Clerks. is imbued with topics and ideas that resonate with people, regardless of how profane the dialogue is.

In the small township of Leonardo, New Jersey, Dante Hicks (O'Halloran) works a dead-end job at a local Quick Stop convenience store while his friend Randal (Anderson) watches over the neighbouring video shop. In the early hours of a Saturday morning, Dante is forced to come into work to even though it's his day off. From there, Clerks. is very much a day-in-the-life portrayal of Dante and Randal as they endure ungrateful customers and attempt to sort out their personal problems. Dante deals with his love life after finding out that one of his ex-girlfriends is getting married, while Randal spits blatant misanthropy and cynicism at every customer he sees. All the while, a pair of stoners named Jay (Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) hang around the store to sell marijuana, occasionally shoplift, and generally chill out.

Clerks. is a plotless 90-minute movie set almost entirely in one single location concerning a small group of main characters. And since it was shot on 16mm black and white film stock by an inexperienced crew, the film isn't exactly an aesthetically pleasing experience. For all intents and purposes, Clerks. should not have worked, but it does on account of Smith's witty screenplay, the well-judged pacing and the selection of entertaining characters. Smith has created some of the funniest, most intelligent speakers in the movie world; people who mix terms like "oral bowel movement" and "managerial control" with scores of profanity. Clerks. also excels as a biting commentary on working in retail. It's clear that Smith has dealt with his fair share of ignorant, moronic and rude souls during his time as a retail clerk, and wanted to expose the true nature of such people. Smith did not even need to use exaggeration; the idiosyncrasies displayed by the customers are hilariously authentic, and anyone who has worked behind a counter for more than a week will guffaw at how truthful the film is. At one stage, Randal even exclaims "This job would be great if it wasn't for the fucking customers" - something that any retail worker can relate to.

One has to admire Smith's dedicated work ethic. He was employed at the convenience store where the film was shot, and, for three straight weeks, he worked from 6am until 11pm, then filmed until 4am and got about an hour of sleep before repeating the cycle. However, while Clerks. is peppered with witty dialogue and brilliant jokes, it is an independent film created by a first-timer, and it does look rough. To save money, Smith shot on cheap film stock, leading to a grainy-looking picture with some harsh editing and odd cinematography, on top of various other technical issues. But while the film is not pretty, the raw moviemaking gives the film a sense of character.

For the most part, the acting is fairly amateurish, which is perhaps to be expected since Smith used his family and friends. (Some people even played various roles.) However, leads Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson are exceptional, displaying top-notch comic timing and emanating boundless charm. O'Halloran and Anderson exchange banter beautifully, and their interactions always sparkle. Also of note is an amusing Jason Mewes as Jay, and Kevin Smith himself who's funny and effective as Silent Bob.

Years on, Clerks. still holds up. It's very much a product of his time with its dated pop culture riffs and heavily out-dated depiction of video stores. (Remember VHS tapes? Remember when people rented films on a consistent basis, rather than pirating 90% of new releases?) However, its early '90s characteristics are all part of the charm. This is not family-friendly viewing due to all the expletives (the MPAA tried to slap the film with an NC-17 rating due to its dialogue), but those who enjoy more adult-oriented comedies should have an absolute ball with this one.

7.8/10

"We need someone to watch the kids. We were wondering if you'd want to?"

I thought (hoped?) Hollywood got over these types of movies years ago. Parental Guidance is one of those "dysfunctional family" comedies that were run into the ground by the likes of The Pacifier, Are We Done Yet?, Cheaper by the Dozen, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, RV, The Game Plan, and so on. And yet, it would seem that filmmakers still haven't learned how to do these types of comedies properly. Rather than an amusing distraction, Parental Guidance is a putrid holiday coal lump designed for the lowest common denominator, suffering from shamelessly broad acting, flaccid humour and an entirely trite message about family unity. It honestly feels like a tuneless 30-minute sitcom episode that has been tragically extended to feature-length.

Artie (Billy Crystal) is a veteran announcer for a minor league baseball team, but he suddenly loses his job for not being "hip" enough. When Artie's daughter, Alice (Marisa Tomei), and her husband, Phil (Tom Everett Scott), head out on a business trip, they call in Artie and his wife, Diane (Bette Midler), to babysit the kids. Artie baulks at the idea, but Diane embraces the chance to get closer to her grandchildren. However, Alice and Phil abide by a modern parental approach, which does not sit well with the old-fashioned Artie. Let the predictable hijinks begin...

Parental Guidance points out cultural differences in an attempt to score laughs, but the results are flat and predictable. Artie and Diane do not understand the new generation of parenting, leading to a few instances of "back in my day..." dialogue. Sure, today's overzealous, high-tech, "politically correct" parental methods are absurd, but the potshots are too easy and obvious. Oh, and the grandparents aren't well-versed in today's Internet world, leading to more "hilarious" gags - when Artie's boss fires him, he says he'd prefer an announcer who tweets, to which Artie replies, "I'll make any noise you want!" Outside of this, writers Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse trust in the good ol' poop and fart formula, with one of the kids turning the name Artie into "Fartie" and with skateboarder Tony Hawk stacking on a halfpipe after slipping on some urine. Every scene exists to set up some kind of gag, but everything is signposted so far in advance that you'll accurately predict whatever pitfall is about to occur. Worse, barely any of the gags are even funny; they are just pedestrian.

Unsurprisingly, sentiment eventually sneaks into the production, underscored by trite piano twinkling to shamelessly reinforce how important the moment is meant to be. There's no rhythm, personality or feeling to Andy Fickman's workmanlike direction. To its credit, Parental Guidance at least looks bright and vibrant, rendering it at least somewhat watchable to the unfussy viewers. Furthermore, as bad as the film is at its core, a few moments admittedly work, with a small amount of set pieces that achieve what they were designed to do. The problem is that it just takes too damn long for the half-decent stuff to kick in. Plus, too much trite malarkey is included for the stereotypical formula's sake. Of course, there's going to be a scene in which Alice and Phil unexpectedly arrive home at the most inopportune time for Artie and Diane, which leads to tattered relationships; of course, there's going to be heartfelt chatting and reconciliations, and of course, the good in Artie and Diane's old-school parenting methods are going to be brought out and lauded. Fickman could only do so much with this material, I guess.

By all accounts, the leading players at the centre of Parental Guidance are terrific under normal circumstances. Until recently, Crystal has been one of the most entertaining funny-men in the industry, but he's clearly lost his touch. Crystal hasn't headlined a movie in many-a-year, making it all the more disappointing that he sprinted into this tosh instead of attaching himself to a better script. It's clear, though, that all of the actors were let down by this by-the-numbers script. A few lines may cause guffaws, but there's a good chance that Crystal ad-libbed all of the worthwhile dialogue, and there's absolutely nothing here on a par with Crystal's best material.

Parental Guidance is a showcase of pretty much everything that can go wrong in filmmaking shy of forgetting to load the camera (which actually would've made for an improvement here). It's utterly terrible, a holiday movie intended to make you laugh and cry but will instead make you cringe and stare blankly at the screen. It feels too calculated and manufactured, without an ounce of passion or care in sight. The film also closes with a short additional scene at the end of the credits. Conventional wisdom would dictate sticking around for this, but it's not worth prolonging one's experience any longer. When the credits roll, just escape and move on with your life. Hell, escape before you start watching this rancid malarkey.

3.8/10

"Kable's the perfect soldier. He's a tactical killing computer. His only vulnerability is the nanex itself; the ping, the delay between Simon's commands and Kable's ability to execute."

Gamer is essentially the Death Race of the videogame world, topped off with a hint of social satire and filtered through the distinct filmmaking lens of Crank masterminds Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. There is a sci-fi twist, however - the gamers of the story do not control artificial avatars in a computer-generated environment, but are instead given full control over real flesh-and-blood human beings. To be sure, Gamer excels when it's locked in frenetic action mode, but the flick is less successful whenever the bloodshed halts, with the half-baked narrative leaving a lot to be desired.

In an unspecified future, virtual reality videogames are enormously popular. Owned by wealthy media mogul Ken Castle (Hall), the videogame Slayers lets players control the body of a death row inmate who's sent into a hellish warzone. The condemned prisoners volunteer to participate in the game, as they are promised their freedom if they survive 30 rounds of violent warfare. One warrior named Kable (Butler) is getting close to earning his freedom, with only a few rounds left to survive before he can return to his family. Knowing that Castle will not easily let him go, Kable asks the gamer who's controlling him, Simon (Lerman), to set him free during a battle. Staging an escape, Kable sets off to find his wife Angie (Valletta), who's a participant in Castle's other virtual reality game, Society. Helping Kable is a controversial group of hackers who called themselves 'Humanz'.

Neveldine and Taylor's script for Gamer is more ambitious than their efforts on the Crank movies. It's a satire which explores society's current love affair with both reality television and interactive videogames like The Sims, World of Warcraft and Second Life. Gamer also recognises that, when online, gamers can become anyone that they want thanks to internet anonymity. This is emphasised by the fact that Kable's attractive wife is seen being controlled by a disgusting fatty. The satire is easy and obvious, to be sure, but it is amusing, and it affords the film some sense of thoughtfulness. Unfortunately, Gamer carries the earmarks of a motion picture that was mangled in the editing room. The film is lean and mean at around 90 minutes in length, leaving no room for any meaningful dramatic growth. Admittedly, this facilitates effective narrative momentum, but it leaves the picture feeling underdone, with the huge cast of familiar faces (Alison Lohman, Keith David, Terry Crews, Ludacris, Milo Ventimiglia and John Leguizamo are all here) all stuck in thankless supporting roles, indicating that they might have formerly been part of a beefier story.

Gamer is at its best whenever the Slayers competitors enter the combat arena. Visually, the film is a home run; the world of Slayers is excellently-designed, with fantastic abandoned environments a perfect setting for plenty of awesome destruction marshalled by veteran action directors Neveldine and Taylor. The action set-pieces peppered throughout the flick are never short of spectacular. Although the photography is often shaky and the editing is a bit on the rapid side, it's still possible to discern what's happening, and the results are enormously exhilarating. As Gamer was shot with Red One cameras, it looks gorgeous and crystal clear, proving that digital photography is here to stay. Also impressive is the depiction of the other virtual reality game, the Sims-like Society. It's a bright, colourful and stylised world of sex, drugs, wigs and dated fashion.

Predictably, acting is terribly average on the whole, with none of the performers projecting enough gravitas or intensity to make for a proper central anchor to latch onto. Gerard Butler gives it his all, but the material renders him forgettable, as his character has no substance to speak of and Butler is just left to spout generic action movie speak. Michael C. Hall (TV's Dexter) embraced the chance to play the villain here, hamming it up to extremes. At one stage he even does a flamboyant song and dance number, for crying out loud. The rest of the cast is strictly 'meh'; Lohman is attractive but unremarkable, Leguizamo has exactly nothing to do, Crews gets an extended cameo at best, and so on.

In final analysis, Gamer is enjoyable as a switch-your-brain-off action fiesta (especially with the R-rated levels of carnage) but it's also frustrating. Neveldine and Taylor introduce a number of interesting concepts and ideas, but they are at odds with the generic storytelling. It's as if Philip K. Dick mapped out the broad strokes, but the fine details were filled in by much less sophisticated writers. Still, Gamer is not the joyless disaster that critics seem to have dismissed it as. Yes, the film could've been a profound sci-fi masterpiece if it ventured deeper below the surface, but it has a bucket-load of excellent action sequences and the hyper-kinetic style ensures that the picture is never boring.

6.5/10

"My dear Frodo, you asked me once if I had told you everything there was to know about my adventures. Well, I can honestly say I've told you the truth, I may not have told you all of it."

Following up Peter Jackson's groundbreaking The Lord of the Rings trilogy with a film adaptation of The Hobbit was always going to be a tricky proposition. Whereas The Lord of the Rings is a dense, dark and mature fantasy epic, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is a children's book with a light tone and a simplistic narrative. Hence, any fans of Jackson's trilogy expecting The Hobbit to be similarly gritty and expansive will be disappointed. Plus, you will need to accept the fact that The Hobbit was never going to be as good as LOTR - Jackson's Rings was a once-in-a-lifetime achievement that can never be equalled or topped in terms of sheer excellence, charm or emotional impact. If you can suitably adjust your expectations, however, 2012's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a solid return to Middle-earth; a damn good fantasy adventure that's funny, fun and visually succulent.

In the Lonely Mountains, the treasure-filled dwarf kingdom of Erebor is overtaken by the dragon Smaug, forcing the dwarves to abandon their home. Set 60 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, An Unexpected Journey concerns humble Hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who's suddenly visited by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and thirteen dwarves led by the great Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). The company is on a quest to reclaim Erebor, and are on the lookout for a small, stealthy thief to join the team. Although initially reluctant, Bilbo agrees to be the dwarves' burglar, leaving the comfort of his warm home as he sets out into the perilous world of Middle-earth. Thrust into the adventure, Bilbo encounters trolls and Orcs, as well as the cave of the creature Gollum where he finds the infamous One Ring…

Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novels ran for a total of 1500 pages and thus needed to be extensively truncated for the screen, but The Hobbit is a meagre 300 pages long, compelling Jackson and his co-writers (Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and original director Guillermo del Toro) to extend the slender kid's book to produce a prequel trilogy. Rather than simply padding everything out, the writers mined material from Tolkien's other works, further delving into certain characters and establishing additional connections to the LOTR universe. Cynical critics are destined to bash the trilogy notion as a cash-grab, and whine and moan that An Unexpected Journey feels too padded out, but the film actually works. It may be easy to call the film overlong but I cannot think of any scene or dialogue exchange that should be removed. Running at 160 minutes, the film has breathing room for proper character development and dramatic growth, two aspects of which are crucial in a story with so many protagonists. An Unexpected Journey is inherently tied to the events of The Fellowship of the Ring as well. The tale is framed around elderly Bilbo (Ian Holm) writing his memoirs while preparations for his 111th birthday party are well underway. To further the prequel angle, An Unexpected Journey is not solely concerned with the dwarves setting out to reclaim their home - there's a side story involving Gandalf investigating the possibility of Sauron's impending return.

Bilbo is initially anxious about leaving The Shire and he doesn't feel a sense of belonging with the dwarves, but he gradually develops into a man of courage and confidence, and his originally pessimistic companions grow to accept the Halfling as one of their own. This character arc gives the picture a degree of heart and emotion, two aspects which made The Lord of the Rings so excellent. Another tremendous benefit of An Unexpected Journey is the colourful and lively dialogue, not to mention the picture's wonderful sense of humour. The comedy does not feel cheap, however, but rather a natural extension of the dwarves' personalities as well as the nature of dwarves in general. The reintroduction of Gollum (Andy Serkis) is another huge plus. The return of this cult favourite comes at just the right time, and his game of riddles with Bilbo provides a delightful scene of character interaction that's every bit as exciting as the large-scale battles. Gollum looks astonishingly realistic here, highly detailed and with plenty of facial nuance courtesy of Serkis' expectedly brilliant motion capture performance that's incredibly entertaining to watch. Anyone who has read The Hobbit (this reviewer included) will be stoked with Jackson's cinematic treatment of some of the book's most iconic scenes.

Jackson started his career in low-budget cinema, forcing him to make the most of every dollar and focus on intensity rather than pure effects overload. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a CGI bonanza, yet the film is also genuinely exciting and at times nail-biting. The decade separating The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit has yielded enormous technological advancements; Jackson's WETA Workshop have raised the bar yet again, providing some of the most vibrant and stunning digital effects glimpsed in a motion picture this year. A few creatures admittedly look a bit too glossy and digital, however, and one feels that the creatures should've been brought to life using the incredible make-up effects which made the Uruk-hai in LOTR so memorable. Still, it's often difficult to discern where the live-action halts and the CGI begins. Plus, location shooting plays a huge part in the production, with the expansive landscapes of New Zealand providing gorgeous vistas and with intricate set construction breathing amazing life into Tolkien's visions.

Due to the decision to shoot digitally, An Unexpected Journey carries a different cinematic look, though the colour timing is reminiscent of LOTR. Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie also shot The Hobbit in 3-D in 48 frames per second (as opposed to the traditional 24fps) to give the experience a hyper-realistic look. The 48fps aspect will be polarising; for this reviewer, it was uniquely enthralling and the 3-D effects are extremely impressive. Watching An Unexpected Journey in 48fps 3-D is breathtaking, but it is equally effective in regular 2-D at 24fps, which is actually the preferred method of viewing since it feels more in keeping with the LOTR trilogy. The whole thing is topped off with Howard Shore's score, which is just as flavoursome and engaging as his work on The Lord of the Rings.

With over a decade having passed since the filming of The Lord of the Rings, returning actors look unusually older even though they're meant to be 60 years younger. It's not hugely problematic per se, but Ian Holm does not quite look the same as he did in The Fellowship of the Ring, and Elijah Wood's cameo takes you out of the film because of his aging. Moreover, while McKellen remains an excellent Gandalf, he too looks much older, and it's disappointing that make-up did not rectify this. In spite of this, performances are incredible right down the line. Martin Freeman is Bilbo Baggins. He does not simply play the part, he embodies it, and absolutely no-one else could've tackled this character. Another standout is Richard Armitage as Thorin, a dwarf both badass and charismatic who makes a huge impression as the company's leader. There are a lot of extra dwarves populating the background, only some of which stand out. My favourite was Irishman James Nesbitt (from the miniseries Jekyll), who's funny and energetic as Bofur.

It's difficult to be disappointed with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. It takes a little while to get going, but the picture truly takes off after the first hour, providing exceptional battle scenes and well-judged character interaction. It's good old-fashioned adventure epic fun, and it shows that Peter Jackson still has a gift for telling stories in this world. An Unexpected Journey is a wonderful return to Middle-earth and a breathtaking opener for this new trilogy. It's nothing short of a miracle that The Hobbit was even made after being so extensively delayed, so it's fortunate that this first part doesn't suck. Bring on the next two instalments!

9.2/10

On one grim day in April 2006, housing officers entered the apartment of Joyce Vincent in Wood Green, London, to follow up on the thousands of pounds she owed in rent. There, the investigators found Joyce's corpse slumped on the sofa, where she had lain dead for two-and-a-half years, so long that her body had severely decomposed, making it impossible to determine the cause of death. Christmas presents she'd just wrapped surrounded Joyce, and her television was still on. Shockingly, Joyce was not a shut-in senior citizen, nor did she take drugs or drink alcohol. Instead, she was a sexy, sociable 38-year-old woman with sisters, a string of former lovers, and various friends and work colleagues. How could her death have gone unnoticed? How could Joyce have been so isolated? It is a story that's heartbreaking, depressing and horrific, and it lingers in one's mind.

When filmmaker Carol Morley read about Joyce's death in the newspaper, she was shocked that the article revealed nothing about Joyce's life. It didn't even include a photo! Curious, Morley met with councillors and journalists in the Wood Green area but failed to find the answers she sought. Subsequently, Morley ran ads in newspapers and on taxis seeking Joyce's friends, family and acquaintances, hoping to cobble together their testimonies and piece together Joyce's life preceding her lonely death. Dreams of a Life is the product of Morley's hard work. An achingly poignant docudrama, the film comprises interviews with people connected to Joyce, who talk about her at great length. Morley intersperses the interviews with staged reconstructions featuring actor Zawe Ashton playing Joyce. Through the picture, Morley sets out to build a portrait of this woman, and she asks several provocative questions about sexual politics and the society that let Joyce down.

In the 21st Century, living off the grid is practically impossible. Cameras watch almost everything we do, we have rent and bills to pay, we (should) keep in constant contact with numerous people close to us, and so on. It's unthinkable that such a vibrant young woman as Joyce could go missing for almost three years without anybody realising. Any one of us would be heartbroken if we were deemed so expendable that nobody would notice our death, but as Morley digs deeper into the mystery, heart-wrenching testimonies explain that Joyce may need to shoulder some of the blame. She was not antisocial, but she was somewhat of a difficult person, moving from place to place without notice, ignoring calls from her family, and pushing people away from her, to the extent that her friends simply assumed she was off having a better life than them when she was, in fact, lying dead in her bedsit. It's a heartbreaking story, and it is all the more poignant as everything comes into focus.

The dramatic reenactments of Joyce's life add exceptional dimension and power to the picture. Morley does not stage the type of cheesy reconstruction scenes one sees in crime shows, nor does she show images of Joyce's decomposing skeleton or anything similarly morbid. Instead, the reenactments display tasteful imagination and interpretation, underscoring accounts of the person that Joyce was before her premature death. As played by Ashton, Joyce is brought back to life as a vibrant, bubbly and popular woman full of warmth and exuberance, yet certain scenes convey that Joyce was ultimately an enigma, as emphasised by the often contradictory accounts from Morley's interviewees. Joyce was also a budding singer, and Morley was able to dig up some of the very few recordings she left behind. When played, these recordings send a chill down your spine.

Morley's primary focus is on the extreme isolation of the documentary's heroine. Dreams of a Life is, at its core, a searing celluloid poem about loneliness; more specifically, it's about the type of loneliness that occurs in a large city. London is often considered a bustling metropolis, yet Morley paints a vision of London as an emotional wasteland where singles live unhappy lives in small flats. Dreams of a Life falls short of perfection, however. Joyce's sisters declined interviews, and their absence leaves a significant hole with a lot of untapped potential. It's unclear why they refused involvement, and this aspect remains a huge question mark. It would've been interesting to at least hear how Morley approached them and their reasons for not wanting to present on-camera testimonies.

We'll never know if Dreams of a Life represents a fair portrait of this enigmatic woman, but Joyce is undeniably immortalised through Carol Morley's investigation. One must wonder how many other people exist under similar circumstances. Dreams of a Life is a painful film, yet it's startlingly brilliant, overwhelmingly powerful and very moving. It's a Christmas film with no uplifting message, and it is a documentary of our time that explores our fractured modern society and examines extreme isolation.

8.4/10

"If your air conditioner goes on the fritz or your washing machine blows up or your video recorder conks out; before you call the repairman turn on all the lights, check all the closets and cupboards, look under all the beds, 'cause you never can tell there just might be a gremlin in your house."

A Yuletide-themed horror-comedy, Gremlins continues to endure as an eminently popular holiday mainstay, and it's easy to see why. In 1984, Steven Spielberg was primarily associated with three things: Jaws, E.T. and tremendous box office receipts. Executive produced by Spielberg, Gremlins is fundamentally a merger of all three, and it was one of the first movies to be made by Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment production company. It was released on the same weekend as the original Ghostbusters, and fast developed into somewhat of a phenomenon during its theatrical run. A kids Christmas film which pushed the envelope of what was allowed within the confines of PG-rated family entertainment, it became a hit, grossing in excess of $140 million at the American box office. Gremlins is not perfect, but it's entertaining B-grade fun which has stood the test of time.

In Chinatown, ambitious but incompetent inventor Randall Peltzer (Axton) buys a cute, furry little creature known as a "mogwai" as a Christmas present for his son, Billy (Galligan). Randall is given strict instructions relating to the creature, which he imparts onto Billy: do not give it any water, do not expose it to sunlight, and absolutely do not feed it after midnight. Affectionately calling the mogwai Gizmo, Billy is at first overjoyed by his new pet, but the all-important rules are soon broken. Before long, more mogwai are spawned and they are accidentally fed after midnight, transforming them into dangerous green creatures determined to wreak havoc. On Christmas Eve, the town becomes overrun with nasty gremlins, and it's up to Billy, his girlfriend Kate (Cates) and Gizmo to find a solution.

Gremlins was written by Chris Columbus, and it was actually his very first script to be produced. In the years since, Columbus became a big-time director, with films like Home Alone and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to his credit. Surprisingly, the first act of Gremlins feels somewhat like a Charles Dickens story. We're introduced to Billy's gruff old neighbour Mr. Futterman (the legendary Dick Miller) who hates everything foreign and drives a tractor. On top of this, there's an evil, rich old lady who delights in evicting families and generally acts like Ebenezer Scrooge. The set-up begs for a Christmas miracle, but we get something else entirely. It's a sly subversion of the typical feel-good formula, with director Joe Dante plunging the story into the realm of dark comedy and horror.

The biggest fault of Gremlins is one of tone. Dante attempted to mix humour and horror, but he's only moderately successful. Too often, the two tonal extremes cancel each other out - the film isn't scary enough due to the humorous touches, and the comedy is only sporadically effective because the violence and gore is too vivid. Certainly, Gremlins is fun throughout, but numerous moments are too uncomfortably mean-spirited. To the credit of Dante, though, when the film works, it really does work. The fact that he doesn't treat the material as an outright parody is commendable, and the film actually contains a handful of effective dramatic scenes. In one scene, for instance, Kate is drawn into telling Billy a tragic story of what happened one Christmas when she was a little girl. It was a ballsy move to include pathos but it works, thanks in large part to Phoebe Cates' well-judged performance. Meanwhile, Zach Galligan is charming as Billy, and he carries out leading man responsibilities with utmost confidence. Gremlins also features Judge Reinhold in a blink-and-you'll-miss-him cameo role, and a young Corey Feldman playing Billy's young friend Pete.

As perhaps to be expected, Gremlins is a pretty dumb movie. You will have to accept the fact that, while the gremlins are rampaging, nobody grabs a gun or a baseball bat until the closing minutes of the film. Moreover, the mythology behind the mogwai is half-baked, leaving numerous questions unanswered. For example, the mogwai cannot be fed after midnight or else they turn into vicious gremlins, but from midnight until when? Plus, what is it about light, water and food that affects these things? And why don't the gremlins take full advantage of the situation and crazily reproduce to the point that they could take over the entire world?

Executive producer Spielberg's fingerprints are all over the film. By this stage in his career, he had the power to get ample funding for his projects, hence Gremlins was produced for a decent sum. As a result, it contains a number of still-impressive special effects. The gremlins benefit from creative design and competent cinematic techniques which bring them to life, courtesy of effects technician Chris Walas (The Fly) and his talented crew. Gremlins contains several stand-out scenes which nail the intended tone of campy lunacy, including a bar sequence featuring gremlins lampooning typical human behavioural traits: they imitate drunkards, card players, muggers and dancers. It's glorious stuff. Plus, the main theme by Jerry Goldsmith is one of the most memorable pieces of music from the era.

In final analysis, it's hard to dislike Gremlins. It has a flawed script at its foundation and it's too dark at times, but the film remains a frequently enjoyable alternative holiday film, especially when Dante revels in the campy possibilities of the premise.

6.7/10

"It was for your welfare that I made this visit, Ebenezer Scrooge..."

It's borderline impossible to make a bad movie out of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. A bona fide classic which has been adapted countless times for films and television shows, Dickens' story is equipped with rich characters, an evocative setting, valuable messages and wonderful sentiment. Produced by MGM, 1938's A Christmas Carol was the first high-gloss, big-budget (for the period) cinematic treatment of the source material. Nimble and powerful, this adaptation was the definitive film version of Dickens' parable for over a decade. Though superior versions have been produced over the years, this A Christmas Carol remains an undisputed classic with plenty to recommend.

In the unlikely event that you've forgotten the story of A Christmas Carol, it concerns rich old coot Ebenezer Scrooge (Owen), who detests the notion of peace and goodwill. He especially hates Christmas, perceiving the jolly festive holiday as an unwanted hindrance to his business. Returning home on one Christmas Eve after sacking his long-suffering clerk Bob Cratchit (Lockhart), the ghost of Scrooge's former business partner Jacob Marley (Carroll) presents himself to Scrooge. Marley warns Scrooge that he must change his ways to redeem his soul, and explains that he will be visited by three spirits - the Ghost of Christmas Past (Rutherford), Christmas Present (Braham) and Christmas Future (Corrigan) - who aim to help Scrooge reform and persuade him away from a life of greed and ill temper.

Screenwriter Hugo Butler palpably understood that a rote cinematic adaptation of a literary source rarely works, and hence altered aspects of Dickens' novella to terrific effect. For instance, Scrooge's nephew Fred is given more dimension and presence, Cratchit is actually sacked by Scrooge on Christmas Eve, Scrooge alerts the police about Marley's ghostly presence, and the closing Christmas Day festivities are a little different. Such additions and alterations give the picture its own unique voice, and, more importantly, they allow the film to stand apart from the dozens of other adaptations that have been produced in the decades since this version. However, a few key elements are excluded entirely to detrimental effect, such as Scrooge's former fiancée and old Fezziwig's party. As a result, this Christmas Carol feels underdone. Clocking in at a slim 69 minutes, the film rushes through the material, seldom allowing sufficient dramatic growth and consequently making Scrooge's arc feel unearned. Indeed, Scrooge begins repenting too soon, abandoning his miserly ways almost immediately without sufficient motivation. The picture lacks a key scene which clearly affects Scrooge in a substantial way.

A critical aspect of any adaptation of A Christmas Carol is its atmosphere and mood. Luckily, this version for the most part gets these characteristics right. Director Edwin L. Marin and his team did a remarkable job of recreating bustling 19th Century London. Production design is laudable, with storefronts and streets that look entirely convincing, supplemented with Yuletide decorations and crowds of laughing children and merry onlookers. However, while Marin nails the jolly Christmas atmosphere, he unfortunately downplays the spookiness of the film's ghostly elements. Scenes featuring the spirits contain a few still-impressive special effects shots, but it's clear that Marin was catering to family audiences, particularly during scenes featuring the ostensibly foreboding Ghost of Christmas Future which are decidedly tame.

This A Christmas Carol was actually conceived for actor Lionel Barrymore, who had played Scrooge in a popular annual radio broadcast and was hired to recreate the role on film. However, the actor began to suffer major health problems, compelling him to bow out of the picture a few weeks before filming. To replace him, the actor suggested his friend Reginald Owen, and the rest is history. Although he's not the best Scrooge, Owen's performance is commendable; he looks the part, he's appropriately menacing in the film's early stages, and his performance at no point feels contrived. Meanwhile, Barry Mackay is a delightful Fred, playing the role as an irresistibly happy chap with a fiancée who enjoys sliding on ice and playing in the snow like a schoolboy. Since Fred has a heightened presence here, it's a huge benefit that Mackay is so charismatic. Almost stealing the show, though, are Gene Lockhart as Bob Cratchit, and Gene's real-life wife Kathleen as Mrs. Cratchit. The two supply warmth and Christmas cheer, and remain eminently watchable. To top things off, their daughter June plays one of the Cratchit children. The only real weak link is Terry Kilburn as Tiny Tim. At 12, Kilburn looks too old for the role, not to mention he's strangely effeminate. Worst of all, he doesn't look sick or dying; he makes Tim look like a kid who just broke his leg.

Despite its shortcomings, 1938's A Christmas Carol is a solid versions of this classic Yuletide morality tale. For a '30s movie it's surprisingly accessible, and there's little wonder why so many people have ingratiated this picture into their annual Christmastime traditions.

7.6/10

"Everybody thinks I'm suicidal, in which case, I'm fucked and nobody wants to work with me; or they think I'm faking to draw a psycho pension, in which case, I'm fucked and nobody wants to work with me. Basically, I'm fucked."

Die Hard consistently ranks highly on lists of favourite "alternative" Christmas films (and Christmas movies in general), but it's not the only Yuletide-themed action movie that deserves your attention. Directed by Richard Donner (Superman: The Movie, The Omen) and released in 1987, Lethal Weapon is a bona fide '80s action gem, a skilfully mounted buddy cop action-adventure laced with razor-sharp dialogue, memorable characters and entertaining bursts of R-rated action. Lethal Weapon may not have invented or revolutionised the buddy cop or action-comedy genres, but it refined both of them - it shows that execution is more important, and well-worn genre formulas can still work in the right hands. Moreover, on top of being a remarkable late '80s action picture, the film introduces a pair of memorable central characters.

A veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, Sergeant Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) begins eying retirement as he draws closer to celebrating his 50th birthday. When a sexy model is found dead after an apparent suicide from jumping off her apartment balcony, Murtaugh is pulled into the case and partnered with loose canon Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) to investigate. Owing to the untimely death of his wife, Riggs is a suicidal hothead; half the police force thinks Riggs is crazy, while the other half believes he's trying to earn a psycho pension. Developing a hesitant friendship, the two find themselves tracking a pair of dangerous drug smugglers, and the "suicide" turns out to be a murder case that's far more complicated than initially imagined.

Donner and screenwriter Shane Black (The Last Boy Scout, The Long Kiss Goodnight) clearly know their audience, as Lethal Weapon caters to the action crowd in a tremendously satisfying fashion. In the very first scene, the film provides a smattering of drugs, boobs and violence. It's one hell of a way to set the tone, and the rest of the picture easily lives up to this promise. Undoubtedly, the film works as well as it does thanks in large part to Black's screenplay. Black's contributions are often overlooked since the production is practically faultless from top to bottom, but the excellence of this script cannot be overstated. The dialogue is consistently engaging and witty, and Black mixes the humour and action with tender character development and moments of pathos. It also indulges in the writer's love of Christmas, which is evident in many of his films. While the still-good but inferior Lethal Weapon sequels primarily rely on set-pieces and are driven by their respective cop cases, this first instalment is driven by the personal journeys of these characters, affording depth and humanity to what could've just been an enjoyable but forgettable distraction. It goes without saying that the narrative is standard-order, but the execution is remarkable, and that's what truly matters.

Fortunately, for all of its character dramatics, Lethal Weapon does not skimp on the pyrotechnics. Ever the blockbuster veteran, Donner orchestrates a string of magnificent action set-pieces and conflicts scattered throughout the narrative, embracing the possibilities of the picture's R rating. Action was arguably at its pinnacle during the 1980s, and Lethal Weapon is a solid reinforcement of this opinion, with its fluid camerawork and crisp editing easily surpassing many of today's big-budget pretenders. However, the film does have its dumb moments. In the final sequence, for example, Riggs decides not to simply arrest the bad guy but have a punch-up with him instead while dozens of police officers stand around watching. It's an entertaining fight, to be sure, but the foundation is a bit shaky, and it feels like the only time in the film that action is being forced. For the record, the extended director's cut is this reviewer's preferred version. Some may find it too long, but the additional scenes deserve a place in the picture, providing extra action, a few extra laughs, and added character depth.

While Lethal Weapon is vehemently a buddy movie, it's very much Mel Gibson's party. Back in 1987, Mel was a rising star adored by the industry and by audiences, and it's easy to see why: he's a fantastic actor. Martin Riggs's introductory scene alone features some of the finest moments in Gibson's career. The star's intensity is extraordinary, and he balances depression with superb comic timing and edgy energy. His emotional outbursts are unexpectedly powerful, as well. One pivotal scene depicts Riggs contemplating suicide, sobbing as he sticks a gun into his mouth before realising that he can't do it. Gibson's acting in this scene is riveting, showing how much this guy genuinely deserves an Oscar for his acting skills. Likewise, Glover could have turned Roger Murtaugh into a one-note bore, but the actor creates a complex, devoted family man, and he matches Gibson step-for-step. The chemistry between Glover and Gibson is absolutely killer - it's hard to think of any male/female relationships in romantic comedies that click as brilliantly as these two. Watching Glover and Gibson trade witty banter is an absolute pleasure. Lethal Weapon also benefits from including Gary Busey as Mr. Joshua, the main villain's henchman. Busey is a fine actor who's as entertaining on the screen as he is off-camera, and he makes for a top-notch bad guy.

Like most action franchises, the Lethal Weapon series is somewhat tarnished by its sequels. Although the sequels are entertaining enough, four movies is pushing it. As the series progressed, things became more action-oriented, and the tone veered more into the comedic realm. On the other hand, this first film nails the mix of action and comedy, with Donner shifting between the two tonal extremes with utmost dexterity. The film is a godsend for action fans, but more casual movie fans will also find a lot to like due to how thoroughly enjoyable it is. And I don't know about you, but I'll always be watching this one come Christmas Eve.

9.2/10