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Dan Owen reviews
2 0 0 5 R e t r o s p e c t i v e |
JULYSteven Spielberg is the master of summer blockbusters (heck, the created the genre with Jaws) but War Of The Worlds, like Mr & Mrs Smith, was overshadowed by its star's sex life (in this case a sofa-hopping Tom Cruise proclaiming undying love to girlfriend Katie Holmes). Spielberg's modern retelling of H.G Wells' novel is a sporadically successful movie, but ultimately fails thanks to a schmaltzy ending, lazy narration by Morgan Freeman and a rushed third act. Still, when it worked it worked incredibly well - the opening attack of an alien Tripod is spine-tinglingly effective and realistic.Marvel comics continues their annual battle for superhero supremacy (but lost out, badly, to DC's latest Batman) with Fantastic Four. The comic's a difficult one to adapt - as it's the most comedic and family-friendly of the superhero franchises, which is at odds with the downbeat realism of Batman and the teen angst of Spider-Man. However, while the film was critically savaged it did great business and a sequel is already planned. Tim Burton put the ghost of Planet Of The Apes firmly behind him with Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, another solid effort to sit alongside Big Fish. Did someone push his quality control switch? It's more likely that having his muse (Johnny Depp) cast as chocolatier Willy Wonka made the difference. An excellent translation of Roald Dahl's classic novel.
AUGUSTMichael Bay failed to set the summer box office alight with his latest offering, The Island. It starred Ewan MacGregor and new hot property Scarlett Johannsen, but that didn't stop audienced being somewhat underwhelmed by the Logan's Run style plot - about an island of clones grown to medically aid their real-world counterparts. Still, the movie is still brainless entertainment with some typically OTT Bay moments.Yeehaw! The Dukes Of Hazzard has finished. The outtakes at the end prove infinitely more entertaining than the movie. Good casting, promising trailer... but it shoots itself in the foot thanks to two issues - 1, not enough Jessica Simpson and 2, it's not funny. |
SEPTEMBERA cult landmark arrived in the shuffling undead form of Land Of The Dead - the fourth in George A Romero's zombie saga. While Romero is undoubtedly the godfather of the modern zombie movie, he remains a cult figure only - as proven by poor box office takings. Still, despite a squandering of some potentially intetesting facets to the premise, it has done well enough on DVD to secure a fifth installment...On an entirely different note, Jane Austen's classic opus Pride & Prejudice arrived in the Autumn with Keira Knightley in a role she was surely born to play. If you need a pretty English role who looks good in a corset, look no further. The movie performed well, despite some critical grumblings in the direction of Matthew McFadden's Mr Darcy.
OCTOBERForget Keira Knightley, real British superstars dominated the October box office with their first feature-film adventure. Yes, Wallace & Gromit In The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit became Aardman Animation's belated follow-up to Chicken Run's success and went on to great success the world over. Even a fire that destroyed the studio's archive of characters and sets couldn't melt W&G.A disappointing outing for Night Watch - the 2004 Russian film that made no dent in the UK box office despite underground fervour. Well, blame the marketing. The movie itself isn't as wonderful as fans will have you think, but it's an interesting blend of US action movies like The Matrix and The Lord Of The Rings thrown into a suburban Russian setting. Yes, there are some great visual moments, but the plot remains impenetrable towards the end. I hope the Russian sequels iron out the kinks and that the US-funded remakes do the premise justice. Ever cursed when your favourite US TV show gets cancelled because its domestic audience fail to appreciate its delights? Step forward all you American Gothic, Carnivale, Space Above & Beyond and Firefly fans. Well, good news for Firefly's fans anyway, when Josh Whedon's cancelled sci-fi series became a rollicking adventure called Serenity. Not to everyone's taste perhaps, but there's a certain spirit and zest to Whedon's creation lacking in recent Star Trek and Star Wars outings... Lord Of War deserved better. Nicholas Cage impresses as a gun-runner who reconsiders his nerfarious arms-dealing days in Andrew Niccol's witty, satirical drama. From the writer of The Truman Show and Gattaca, you expect quality, and this delivers. A surprise hit last year was Saw, so exactly a year later a fast-tracked sequel found its way to multiplexes in the lazily entitled Saw II. More ghoulish games, gross deaths, torturous decisions and a (disappointing) twist ending. No classic, but effective in short bursts. A double-whammy for Tim Burton this year, as his animated The Corpse Bride pulls in respectable business. Somewhat overshadowed by Wallace & Gromit, and not as good as The Nightmare Before Christmas, but still solid black comedy for kiddies. |
NOVEMBERThe boy wizard returned to Hogwarts for a fourth year in Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire - with Harry embroiled in a Tri-Wizard Tournament that will lead him to confront the evil Lord Voldemort. Mike Newell ensures a brisk entry, full of teenaged angst and magical visuals. Goblet could well be the best Potter adventure yet, but will audiences flock to see altogether less impressive Order Of The Phoenix next time?
DECEMBERAn epic fantasy for kids arrived - aiming to dominate the Christmas box office for a good few years to come; with The Chronicles Of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. Think The Lord Of The Rings for the under-10s. Some great special effects and decent acting saves the day, but overall the movie lacks the scope and nasty bite it should have had to appeal to a wider audience.Peter Jackson returned to reclaim the Christmas box office, post-Lord Of The Rings, with a remake of his childhood favourite King Kong. In a stunning display of directorial muscle, Jackson's remake was quite rightly lauded by audiences and critics alike - stunning effects, gorgeous scenery, fantastic acting and a sense of adventure that's breathtaking to watch. |
So, there ends another movie-going year. Historial epics were given the
brush off (Alexander, Kingdom Of Heaven), superheroes split audiences (Batman
Begins - good, Fantastic Four - bad), and Christmas continued to outshine
summer blockbuster season with the quality of Harry Potter, Narnia and
King Kong.
Next year, X-Men 3 and Superman Returns fight it out for superhero supremacy and Tom Cruise returns for a third "impossible" mission in, er, Mission Impossible III. See you at the movies! |
Email Dan Owen
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:
