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Dan Owen reviews
2 0 0 5 R e t r o s p e c t i v e |
JANUARYThe year began on a satirical note with Trey Parker and Matt Stone's cult hit Team America: World Police. The movie wasn't the expected South Park sized success, although it certainly proved to be a refreshingly original splicing of adult humour and Thunderbirds-style puppetry.Elsewhere, Oliver Stone's potentially Oscar-baiitng Alexander proved to be a huge dud at the box office, marred by an edit that toned down the titular character's legendary debauchery and bisexuality. Closer, with its stellar cast of actors actually given a decent script to sink their teeth into, became a deserved hit, but again missed out on picking up Mr Oscar. Still, it was amazing to be reminded how great Natalie Portman can be when not directed by George Lucas, and Clive Owen continued to confirm his post-Croupier hot property label.
FEBRUARYBill Murray had a good year, following on from last year's Lost In Translation, he returned for another movie with Wes Anderson in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. Murray took the lead (for the first time in Anderson movie after supporting roles in Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums) and relished every moment. The movie itself was a charming sea-faring fantasy with plenty to recommend, but proved a little too left-field for most audiences.On a more crowd-pleasing note, Constantine became the post-Matrix movie for Keanu Reeves. Despite deviations from the original source material (the occult protagonist is actually a blonde Brit), Constantine managed to avoid failure thanks to some interesting visuals and some brilliantly realized gimmicks (puddle + cat = gateway to hell). Don't bet on a sequel, though... |
MARCHThe Machinist wasn't a massive success, but proved Christian Bale as one of the most dedicated actors currently working. The weight loss he underwent to star as the insomniac lead in this intelligent thriller was staggering, and the fact he piled on the muscle to play Batman straight after is all the more amazing. Great movie too!
APRILFew movies have a production history as long and complicated as Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy.First a radio series, then a series of books, then a classic BBC TV series, and now a Hollywood movie. In the end, just a few years after Adams' sad death, the movie was the dictionary definition of "mixed bag". The visuals were generally fun and interesting, the creature effects were great, but the plot was convoluted and too saggy for a movie, while the casting ranged from dependable (Sam Rockwell), to disappointing (Martin Freeman. One last thing: so did they ever deliver that gun to John Malkovich?) Disappointing sequels don't come much more disappointing than Be Cool, the John Travolta starring sequel to Get Shorty. A great cast (Uma Thurman, et al) couldn't hide the cracks in this altogether mediocre second outing for Chili Palmer as he joins the music biz. Forget what I wrote above about Be Cool, the year's worst sequel was surely The Ring 2. Same actors, same writer, the director of the original (some say scarier) Japanese movie... and it all equalled the most turgid waste of time for any horror fan. Save for a few jumps, Ring 2 disappoints in almost every way and reduces the ghostly Samara to just another rent-a-spook. It may not have had mass appeal, but The League Of Gentlemen's Apocalypse was a decent big-screen outing for the Brtish comedy-horror troupe. Still, there wasn't enough Royston Vasey for longtime fans of the series, and it proved too bewildering for anyone not familiar with the BBC series. An entertaining oddity that quite rightly tried to give fans something different... but unfortunately forgot to include the elements of the TV series fans particularly enjoyed. The best comic-book movie of the year is a close fought contest between a billionairre who likes to dress as a flying rodent and Sin City. Sin City? You'll never forget it once you see it. A superb trawl through the dingy streets of (Ba)sin City in four vignettes packed with acerbic humour, decapitations, multilations, brawling, shooting, torture, cannibalism and a yellow-skinned paedophile. Robert Rodriguez gave us his best film... er, ever... and showed George Lucas how to shoot a film using 95% greenscreen. |
MAYThere have been plenty of memorable scenes and some stunning special-effects along the way, but it's generally agreed that George Lucas' Star Wars prequels have been damp squibs. However, thankfully, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith managed to slightly buck the trend. Yes, it remains woefully scripted and containing enough duff scenes to sink key moments (one word: NOOOOO!), but Episode III was destined to rise above its predecessors thanks to its greater cohesion with the original (better) trilogy and the iconic creation of cinema's greatest sci-fi villain - Darth Vader.It wasn't a good year for the epic movie. Back in 2000, Ridley Scott resurrected the genre with the fabulous Gladiator, but with last year's Troy proving disappointing, many thought Scott would remind everyone how it's done with Kingdom Of Heaven. Many thought wrong. As beautiful as the movie is, what sinks Kingdom Of Heaven is a storyline without much direction and the casting of Orlando Bloom (too young and goodlooking to ever be realistic in this plot).
JUNEThe real life sexual activity of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie overshadowed just how entertaining and fun Mr & Mrs Smith actually was, unfortunately. Still, in a plot that merged The War Of The Roses with True Lies (in fact, this is that movies sequel in some respects), Mr & Mrs Smith is just good popcorn entertainment.Paris Hilton dies. In House Of Wax. Audiences watch. Audiences applaud. Horror fans discuss the remake's parallels to the original movie. Everyone else punches the air when Paris Hilton dies and mutter "is she the bird out of 24?" in cinemas the world over. In 1997 the Batman franchise died with Joel Schumacher's abomination. Now, seven years later, we go "bat to basics" with Batman Begins. In comes an acclaimed director (Christopher Nolan), a rising new star (Christian Bale), a stellar supporting cast (Caine, Freeman, Neeson) and the expected special-effects excellence. More importantly, in comes a story that treats the Batman legend with the respect it deserves. In one movie, the four previous entries look like dry runs, Adam West looks even more ridiculous... and the world awaits the return of The Joker with bated breath. Take that Spider-Man! |
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The following is a list of Dan's Movie Digests online :
2007 Retrospective: Part One 2007 Retrospective: Part Two 2007 Retrospective: Part Three 2007 Retrospective: Part Four
Issue 188: August 22nd 2007 Issue 187: August 8th 2007 Issue 186: February 22nd 2007 Issue 185: January 26th 2007
2006 Retrospective: Part One 2006 Retrospective: Part Two 2006 Retrospective: Part Three 2006 Retrospective: Part Four
Issue 184: December 20th 2006 Issue 183: December 8th 2006 Issue 182: November 30th 2006 Issue 181: November 22nd 2006 Issue 180: November 15th 2006 Issue 179: November 6th 2006 Issue 178: July 19th 2006 Issue 177: July 12th 2006 Issue 176: July 6th 2006 Issue 175: June 23rd 2006 Issue 174: June 16th 2006 Issue 173: June 7th 2006 Issue 172: May 18th 2006 Issue 171: May 10th 2006 Issue 170: May 4th 2006 Issue 169: April 26th 2006 Issue 168: April 20th 2006 Issue 167: April 12th 2006 Issue 166: April 5th 2006 Issue 165: March 29th 2006 Issue 164: March 15th 2006 Issue 163: March 9th 2006 Issue 162: March 3rd 2006 Issue 161: February 22nd 2006 Issue 160: February 15th 2006 Issue 159: February 8th 2006 Issue 158: February 3rd 2006 Issue 157: January 27th 2006 Issue 156: January 18th 2006
2005 Retrospective: Part One 2005 Retrospective: Part Two
Issue 155: November 24th 2005 Issue 154: November 18th 2005 Issue 153: November 11th 2005 Issue 152: November 4th 2005 Issue 151: October 21st 2005 Issue 150: October 12th 2005 Issue 149: October 7th 2005 Issue 148: September 29th 2005 Issue 147: September 21st 2005 Issue 146: August 19th 2005 Issue 145: August 10th 2005 Issue 144: August 4th 2005 Issue 143: July 29th 2005 Issue 142: July 22nd 2005 Issue 141: July 13th 2005 Issue 140: July 8th 2005 Issue 139: June 30th 2005 Issue 138: June 24th 2005 Issue 137: June 17th 2005 Issue 136: June 9th 2005 Issue 135: June 2nd 2005 Issue 134: May 25th 2005 Issue 133: May 20th 2005 Issue 132: May 11th 2005 Issue 131: April 20th 2005 Issue 130: April 13th 2005 Issue 129: April 6th 2005 Issue 128: March 23rd 2005 Issue 127: March 16th 2005 Issue 126: March 2nd 2005 Issue 125: February 23rd 2005 Issue 124: February 17th 2005 Issue 123: February 11th 2005 Issue 122: February 2nd 2005 Issue 121: January 26th 2005 Issue 120: January 21st 2005 Issue 119: January 12th 2005
2004 Retrospective: Part One 2004 Retrospective: Part Two 2004 Retrospective: Part Three 2004 Retrospective: Part Four
Issue 118: December 22nd 2004 Issue 117: December 15th 2004 Issue 116: December 8th 2004 Issue 115: December 1st 2004 Issue 114: November 24th 2004 Issue 113: November 18th 2004 Issue 112: November 11th 2004 Issue 111: November 3rd 2004 Issue 110: October 28th 2004 Issue 109: October 13th 2004 Issue 108: October 6th 2004 Issue 107: September 29th 2004 Issue 106: September 22nd 2004 Issue 105: September 15th 2004 Issue 104: September 8th 2004 Issue 103: September 1st 2004 Issue 102: August 11th 2004 Issue 101: August 7th 2004
Issue 100: Greatest Underdog Movies Part 4 Issue 100: Greatest Underdog Movies Part 3 Issue 100: Greatest Underdog Movies Part 2 Issue 100: Greatest Underdog Movies Part 1
Issue 99: July 28th 2004 Issue 98: July 21st 2004 Issue 97: July 9th 2004 Issue 96: July 7th 2004 Issue 95: June 30th 2004 Issue 94: June 22nd 2004 Issue 93: June 6th 2004 Issue 92: May 28th 2004 Issue 91: May 23rd 2004 Issue 90: May 14th 2004 Issue 89: May 9th 2004 Issue 88: April 30th 2004 Issue 87: April 24th 2004 Issue 86: April 17th 2004 Issue 85: April 9th 2004 Issue 84: March 27th 2004 Issue 83: March 19th 2004 Issue 82: March 12th 2004 Issue 81: March 5th 2004 Issue 80: February 27th 2004 Issue 79: February 20th 2004 Issue 78: February 13th 2004 Issue 77: February 6th 2004 Issue 76: January 30th 2004 Issue 75: January 23rd 2004 Issue 74: January 16th 2004 Issue 73: January 9th 2004
2003 Retrospective: Part One 2003 Retrospective: Part Two 2003 Retrospective: Part Three 2003 Retrospective: Part Four
Issue 72: December 12th 2003 Issue 71: December 4th 2003 Issue 70: November 28th 2003 Issue 69: November 21st 2003 Issue 68: November 14th 2003 Issue 67: November 7th 2003 Issue 66: October 31st 2003 Issue 65: October 24th 2003 Issue 64: October 17th 2003 Issue 63: October 10th 2003 Issue 62: October 3rd 2003 Issue 61: September 26th 2003 Issue 60: September 19th 2003 Issue 59: September 12th 2003 Issue 58: August 29th 2003 Issue 57: August 22nd 2003 Issue 56: August 15th 2003 Issue 55: August 8th 2003 Issue 54: August 1st 2003 Issue 53: July 25th 2003 Issue 52: July 18th 2003 Issue 51: July 11th 2003 Issue 50: July 4th 2003 Issue 49: June 27th 2003 Issue 48: June 20th 2003 Issue 47: June 13th 2003 Issue 46: June 6th 2003 Issue 45: May 30th 2003 Issue 44: May 23rd 2003 Issue 43: May 16th 2003 Issue 42: May 9th 2003 Issue 41: May 2nd 2003 Issue 40: April 25th 2003 Issue 39: April 18th 2003 Issue 38: April 11th 2003 Issue 37: April 4th 2003 Issue 36: March 28th 2003 Issue 35: March 21st 2003 Issue 34: March 14th 2003 Issue 33: March 7th 2003 Issue 32: February 28th 2003 Issue 31: February 21st 2003 Issue 30: February 14th 2003 Issue 29: February 7th 2003 Issue 28: January 31st 2003 Issue 27: January 24th 2003 Issue 26: January 17th 2003 Issue 25: January 10th 2003 Issue 24: January 3rd 2003
2002 Retrospective: Part One 2002 Retrospective: Part Two 2002 Retrospective: Part Three 2002 Retrospective: Part Four
Issue 23: December 20th 2002 Issue 22: December 13th 2002 Issue 21: December 6th 2002 Issue 20: November 29th 2002 Issue 19: November 22nd 2002 Issue 18: November 15th 2002 Issue 17: November 8th 2002 Issue 16: November 1st 2002 Issue 15: October 25th 2002 Issue 14: October 18th 2002 Issue 13: October 11th 2002 Issue 12: October 4th 2002 Issue 11: September 27th 2002 Issue 10: September 20th 2002 Issue 9: September 13th 2002 Issue 8: September 6th 2002 Issue 7: August 30th 2002 Issue 6: August 23rd 2002 Issue 5: August 16th 2002 Issue 4: August 9th 2002 Issue 3: August 2nd 2002 Issue 2: July 26th 2002 Issue 1: July 19th 2002
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
