Certificate:

Director: Dean Parisot

Release Date: 28 April 2000

Tagline: The show has been cancelled, but the adventure is just beginning.

Main Cast:

Tim Allen … Jason Nesmith

Sigourney Weaver … Gwen DeMarco

Alan Rickman … Alexander Dane

I’m a ‘fanboy/girl’. I love going to conventions for my favourite programmes/films and have stood in awe of some of my favourite actors and have, on occasion, been barely able to utter much more than an “I love you” with a stupid grin on my face! Whilst I am seriously dedicated to my celluloid heroes, I am also able to take a bit of genial fun-poking too, and this is what Galaxy Quest is. Specifically, it is a parody of Star Trek‘s fans. ‘Trekkers’ (they hate being called ‘Trekkies’) do a lot of dressing up and acting in character at their conventions (some even speak nothing but ‘Klingon’ all weekend – which is, in truth, very sad), and this makes them a perfect subject for a parody.

On to the story. Actors from a long since ended TV show (Galaxy Quest) appear at a fan convention – some more happily than others – and are approached by some (seemingly nutters) people claiming to be from another galaxy requesting help.  It turns out that these people really are aliens, and they have watched episodes of “Galaxy Quest” believing that it is real life events, and they are on earth to recruit the ‘crew’ to help them vanquish their enemy. Needless to say, the Galaxy Quest crew find themselves well out of depth, but can they pull this charade off, and help defeat the enemy!

Alan Rickman is  brilliant as the jaded actor who is resentful of the fact that the only living he can now make is off the back of the character he played and now hates, and Sigourney Weaver as the ‘blonde bimbo’ role from the TV show is totally brilliant! Gwen DeMarco is the very antithesis of Ellen Ripley (Alien) – genius casting!

Not only does this film work as a parody, but it also works as a stand alone sci-fi film in its own right. It’s bloody marvellous

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

Director: Peter Brook

Release Date: 13 August 1963

Tagline: Evil is inherent in the human mind, whatever innocence may cloak it…

Main Cast:

James Aubrey … Ralph

Tom Chapin … Jack

Hugh Edwards … Piggy

A wonderful vision of human (especially male) behaviour.

Read the book, then watch the film.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

Director: Mike Hodges

Release Date: 5 December 1980

Tagline: He’ll save every one of us!

Main Cast:

Sam J. Jones … Flash Gordon

Melody Anderson … Dale Arden

Max von Sydow … The Emperor Ming

Bloody wonderful. If you were born in the 1970s and loved sci-fi, then you *have* to not only watch, but will also love this. In actual fact who wouldn’t love this? You’d have to be bereft of all sense of imagination and joy to dislike Flash Gordon. Unmissable to my generation (I was born in 1971), but perhaps not to others.

It’s my review and therefore gets five stars and a rating of unmissable!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

Director: Mark Waters

Release Date: 21 March 2008

Tagline: Their world is closer than you think.

Main Cast:

Freddie Highmore … Jared Grace / Simon Grace

Mary Louise Parker … Mary-Louise Parker

Nick Nolte … Mulgarath

I really enjoyed this. It’s very engaging from the start and Freddie Highmore does a good job playing both of the main characters. Whilst not suitable for very young children, older ones, both boys and girls, will enjoy it as it’s neither ‘girly’ or ‘boyish’.

All in all, a very good film which will be enjoyed by most people, especially fantasy fans.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

Director: Hoyt Yeatman

Release Date: 31 July 2009

Tagline: The world needs bigger heroes.

Main Cast:

Bill Nighy … Leonard Saber

Zach Galifianakis … Ben

Sam Rockwell … Darwin (voice)

Jon Favreau … Hurley (voice)

Nicolas Cage … Speckles (voice)

G-Force has guinea pigs in it. Talking guinea pigs. That’s two stars already! I actually really liked this, and don’t know why it has such a poor rating on the IMDB. It’s fast and funny, and although the plot is slightly bizarre and formulaic, it kept me entertained. Basically, a group of guinea pig special agents discover a plot to take over the world through household appliances (I told you it was bizarre), and they have to save the day. There are some really good gadgets, and I especially liked the exercise ball cars.

Whilst not in the same league as Pixar films, G-Force is still very worth watching both for children and adults.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

Director: Tim Burton

Release Date: 5 March 2010

Tagline: You’re invited to a very important date.

Main Cast:

Johnny Depp … Mad Hatter

Mia Wasikowska … Alice

Helena Bonham Carter … Red Queen

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are a marriage made in heaven. With Tim Burton you are sure to get a visual delight and a cinematic experience that is unique to him. It would also be rather remiss of me to neglect to mention Danny Elfman, whose talent makes up  a fantastic trio.

It’s magical, fantastical, and utterly delightful! I also really enjoyed Helena Bonham Carter’s performance, although it’s rather disconcerting to see her head on a small body!

I never really liked AIW as a child (I didn’t like the Chronicles of Narnia either), so, for me, this was not as enjoyable as Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (I love Roald Dahl). In that respect, I can’t really do a total review as I do not know the books. Perhaps an AIW devotee may not like this.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

Director: Henry Selick

Release Date: 8 May 2009

Tagline: Be careful what you wish for.

Main Cast: (voice)

Dakota Fanning … Coraline Jones

Teri Hatcher … Mel Jones / Other Mother / Beldam

Jennifer Saunders … Miss April Spink / Other Spink

Dawn French … Miss Miriam Forcible / Other Forcible

I really liked this. A beautifully crafted stop-motion animated tale about a bored girl whose explorations give her more than she bargained for. This is the first 3D stop-motion film to be made, although I can’t comment on if was a success or not as I watched the 2D version.

Coraline is rather an unlikeable character. Her family have just moved in to a rather peculiar house that has been divided in to apartments, and the other residents are all oddballs. Neither of her parents have much time for her so she’s left to find her own entertainment. She’s sullen and rude, and I kind of liked it when she realised how much trouble she’d got herself in.

She comes across a small door which leads her to a parallel universe where her parents are attentive and her every whim is catered for. She is offered a chance to stay with these ‘other parents’, but she must first replace her eyes with black buttons (all of the characters in the other world beyond the door have buttons for eyes). This doesn’t appeal to Coraline, and the true nature of her predicament becomes evident.

Coraline is a dark fairytale like story with some really creepy moments and a sinister undertone and is definitely not for small children. In fact, I can see this giving more than one or two a few nightmares.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

Directors: Matthew O’Callaghan and Todd Wilderman (co-director)

Release Date: 27 January 2009

Tagline: This time it’s pets against wilds. Weiner takes all!

Main Cast: (voice)

Joel McHale … Elliot

Mike Epps … Boog

If you haven’t seen the original you might wonder what on earth is going on, so I recommend you watch Open Season first.  You’ll get more out of it if you do. Of course, being a kid’s film it’s not essential, but I like to watch films in the correct order and you’ll get a better feel for the main characters if you do.

Whilst not in the same league as Pixar (but then again, who is?) I found this to be a really funny sequel and not in the least bit disappointing. There is plenty to amuse kids and adults alike (it had my husband laughing out loud!)

The poor old bunnies get a bit of a raw deal, but they are scene stealers! Their expressions are priceless!

Good, solid entertainment and I would happily watch it again.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

Directors: John Lasseter and Joe Ranft (co-director)

Release Date: 28 July 2006

Tagline: Ahhh… It’s got that new movie smell.

Main Cast: (voice)

Owen Wilson … Lightning McQueen

Paul Newman … Doc Hudson

Bonnie Hunt … Sally Carrera

Larry The Cable Guy … Mater

I have no clue why this received lukewarm reviews on release as it’s a very charming, funny and engaging film. How the animators managed to get so much character into cars I’ll never know. Humans and animals are easy to inject with emotion, but Pixar are proving to be exceptional at showing emotions on just about anything that they can put eyes on!

The film opens with a thundering race scene and the high octane thrills are fantastic, but its real joy is in the gentle and close knit town in which Lightning McQueen finds himself.

My favourite character has to be Mater, and my favourite scene is when he takes Lightning ‘cow’ tipping. Pure genius!

Cars is a visually stunning gem of a film. What more could you ask for?

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

Director: Tim Burton

Release Date: 29 July 2005

Tagline: Oompa-Loompas are crazy for cocoa beans.

Main Cast:

Johnny Depp … Willy Wonka

Freddie Highmore … Charlie Bucket

David Kelly … Grandpa Joe

Another visually wonderful treat from Tim Burton. He’s the perfect director for this quirky and slightly twisted work of art by Roald Dahl. All the usual Burton elements are there; great visuals, Johhny Depp and Danny Elfman (score) and as usual, they all work perfectly together.

The casting is fantastic. Charlie is humble and dignified and the other four kids are crass and ghastly and all play their roles perfectly. Not one of them is over the top and annoying.  And, of course, Depp is simply perfect.

Totally engaging from the start, CatCF is a superb journey that remains loyal to Dahl’s book. Mind you, it’s no surprise as you can’t improve on perfection!

A joy from start to finish.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars