Category Archives: Star Ratings

Here you’ll find all my reviews, because every review has a star rating.

Fantômas: Juve Versus Fantômas (1913)

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aka Juve contre Fantômas

2007 #105
Louis Feuillade | 62 mins | DVD | PG

Juve Versus FantomasSecond instalment of the early French film serial, adapted from a long-running series of pulp novels.

Fantômas is a criminal adept at disguise and avoiding capture by police inspector Juve. It’s full of crazy schemes and action set pieces, which means it’s actually a great deal of fun, relatively fast-paced and densely plotted, exciting and deliberately amusing (though, as with anything this old, there are things to point and laugh at if you’re so inclined). It also looks stunning for its age, with a stable and crisp picture, which incidentally makes great use of colour tinting (for example, turning from blue to yellow when someone switches on a light).

It’s not for everyone, but if you’re interested in early cinema this is one of the most entertaining examples I’ve seen. As you may have guessed, we were shown this as part of my degree; off the back of it I’ve ordered the DVD of the full serial.

4 out of 5

I never got round to watching the rest of Fantômas, though I’ve been meaning to ever since… (story of my life.)

Miracles (1989)

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aka Qi ji / Mr. Canton and Lady Rose / Black Dragon / The Canton Godfather

2007 #104
Jackie Chan | 122 mins | DVD | PG / PG-13

MiraclesI’ve always been a bit wary of Chan’s films: he’s renowned for using comedy in his action (to help break away from the frequently-applied “new Bruce Lee” label), which isn’t really to my taste; but after we were shown an impressive clip from this in a lecture I felt I had to give it a go.

It’s 1930s Hong Kong and Chan accidentally becomes the head of a mafia-like gang. The film follows a “gang war” plot for about 40 minutes before abruptly changing tack to become an identity-based farce! It’s all a bit messy and most of the genuinely funny bits are still in Chan’s excellent action sequences, which are mind-bogglingly impressive feats of acrobatics and choreography. Of course, it’s these that we’ve come for, and the film would benefit from less pointless farcing about, a shorter running time, and more evenly distributed action sequences.

Enjoyable, but flawed.

3 out of 5

Transporter 2 (2005)

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2007 #103
Louis Leterrier | 84 mins | DVD | 15 / PG-13

Transporter 2Sequel to 2002’s low-key, disposable-but-fun actioner.

The plot is almost senseless and thoroughly familiar from the likes of Man on Fire or M:i-2, but that doesn’t matter: the action’s the focus, and on that promise it mostly delivers. In spite of the odd bit of CG-aided silliness, or the lack of anything as inspired as the first film’s oil fight, the fights are still a lot of fun; one involving a fire hose is especially well executed. There’s also a good number of amusing moments (both intentional and not, it must be said).

It may not quite reach the first movie’s simple highs, but there’s still enough to like. More films in the series wouldn’t go amiss.

3 out of 5

Almost inevitably, Transporter 3 is on its way in 2008. Personally, I’ll wait for it on DVD, probably in a sale — but I’m somewhat looking forward to that day coming around.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005)

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2007 #102
Tetsuya Nomura | 101 mins | DVD | PG / PG-13

Final Fantasy VII: Advent ChildrenFor those who don’t know, this isn’t the seventh Final Fantasy film — it’s the second; though it’s not a sequel to the first; though it is a sequel, to the game Final Fantasy VII… which isn’t related to the preceding six. Just to be confusing, eh?

Advent Children is far from standalone then, but with the help of a DVD featurette and some concentration it’s possible to have an idea what’s going on. It almost doesn’t matter anyway: the main point is clearly the action, which is pretty spectacular. If you can bear the dense, plot-heavy first half (which does also contain several good sequences), the second is non-stop action, only occasionally marred by overactive camerawork. From a technical standpoint the CG is endlessly impressive (don’t expect it to be lifelike, just extremely good) and the freedom afforded by the format is well used.

I don’t know how satisfying fans would find this (I’m sure they’ve all seen it by now anyway), but for us lay-people, if you can ignore the plot (or put in some effort to follow it) and enjoy impressively executed fights and chases, there’s definite enjoyment to be had.

3 out of 5

300 (2006)

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2007 #101
Zack Snyder | 112 mins | DVD | 15 / R

300Highly stylised (and praised) adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel about the battle of Thermopylae.

It’s very much a Man’s Film: long graphic battles, esteemed warrior values, mostly-naked women, heavy soundtrack… This doesn’t mean it’s without virtue: it looks stunning, and while the slow motion may be overused it creates some beautiful tableaus. There’s even room for characterisation among the soldiers; these arcs may be familiar, but for once the filmmakers seem aware of that and keep such scenes to an appropriate, deftly handled minimum.

The slight plot may be stretched a bit thin and the closing speech is sadly over-written, but 300 is nonetheless an enjoyable, and surprisingly pretty, minor epic.

4 out of 5

300 placed 9th on my list of The Ten Best Films I Saw For the First Time in 2007, which can be read in full here.

Citizen Kane (1941)

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2007 #100
1941 | Orson Welles | 114 mins | DVD | U / PG

As of 1st August 2012, Citizen Kane is no longer the greatest film of all time. Here are some brief, aimless thoughts I had about it when I saw it for the first time, almost exactly five years ago…

Citizen KaneYes, that’s right: I’m a film buff and I’ve never seen Citizen Kane. I think this is a good occasion to have saved it for though. But I digress — what of the film itself; the film often voted Best Ever in countless polls?

Certainly, a lot of its fame rests on its innovations — the frequently ambitious camera work, the non-linear narrative, the multiple perspectives, the ‘trick’ beginnings, the dramatic lighting, the expansive sets… Not all of these are truly new (European art cinema and silent movies generally got to some first), but Welles can be credited for bringing some of it to the Hollywood mainstream; and even then, there’s enough truly new to justify the praise. A lot of it may be commonplace now, or at least widely imitated, but viewed in light of the limitations of the time it is frequently breathtaking.

It isn’t just technically marvellous though: the story is moderately complex, telling and re-telling itself from various perspectives, framing recollections of Kane’s life within a ‘present day’ quest to find the meaning behind his final words. The jumps demand the viewer’s attention even today, the full story slowly coming together… even though it’s almost all given to you in a 10-minute fake newsreel at the start! Welles’ performance is exceptional, depicting Kane as he grows from a young reckless newspaper editor into an aged recluse. He’s aided by effective make-up (looking remarkably like Welles himself would later in life), but it’s his performance from under it that shows the real differences.

There’s a lot more to be said about Kane (much of it already has, of course), and you don’t need me to tell you that if you’re a film fan this is required viewing. But even if you’re a ‘Normal Person’ I’d recommend it — I can’t guarantee you’ll like it, but you might well be surprised.

5 out of 5

Citizen Kane placed 7th on my list of The Ten Best Films I Saw For the First Time in 2007, which can be read in full here.

Starter for Ten (2006)

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2007 #99
Tom Vaughan | 92 mins | DVD | 12 / PG-13

Starter for TenA predictable British rom-com, enlivened only by a few good moments and performances, as well as the excellent ’80s soundtrack.

You’d assume the plot would focus on the characters’ aim to win University Challenge, coupled with a woefully predictable romantic subplot; sadly, it turns out the woefully predictable romance is the main plot and the quiz only turns up now and then to lend some structure. The final contest is almost entirely devoid of tension thanks to this and the other conclusions hold no surprises.

McAvoy is likeable, though held back by Brian’s near-unbearable ignorance about life. The best performances come from Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall, both actors worth watching.

2 out of 5

Starter for Ten is on BBC Two tonight, Sunday 31st August 2014, at 10:30pm.

Great Expectations (1946)

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2007 #98
David Lean | 113 mins | DVD | PG

Great ExpectationsClassic adaptation of the acclaimed novel. While my experience of Dickens is woefully limited to screen adaptations, this tale is one of my lesser favourites; the first act and elements of the climax are wonderfully Gothic (and here beautifully directed to that effect), but it seems to lack the depth or importance of works such as Bleak House, Oliver Twist or A Christmas Carol.*

Though, aside from the dully straightforward middle, there’s little to dislike about the adaptation. John Mills is too old to convince as a 20-year-old Pip, but his performance is good and he’s ably supported. However, the main highlights are undoubtedly all in Lean’s brilliant direction.

4 out of 5

* I don’t remove anything when I repost my old reviews, but I must add that I now find this comment to be suitably embarrassing. ^

A Study in Scarlet (1983)

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2007 #97
Ian Mackenzie & Alex Nicholas | 48 mins | DVD | U

A Study in ScarletPeter O’Toole is again the voice of the famous sleuth in this disappointing animated adaptation of the first Sherlock Holmes mystery.

The adaptation is faithful to the original novel’s structure (sadly, as it’s a somewhat bizarre one, and ripe for a more interesting interpretation), but loses any elements pertaining to Holmes and Watson’s first meeting. The animation seems more basic than the other entry in this particular series that I’ve seen, and O’Toole’s performance is flatter. The rest of the cast don’t fare any better. The story itself isn’t a bad one, but after being pleasantly surprised by The Sign of Four, I just found this to be disappointing.

2 out of 5

Before Sunset (2004)

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2007 #96
Richard Linklater | 77 mins | DVD | 15 / R

Before SunriseNine years on, Jesse and Celine meet again in Paris…

It’s as simple a premise as Sunrise, and in many ways is very similar: it’s essentially two people talking, laughing and philosophising. It’s an odd sort of sequel — it doesn’t just take the same characters into a new story, or directly continue the original. These are the same people, but they’re older and changed. It’s very reflective; it’s almost about the first film, from a different perspective. You also don’t miss a thing — its in real time from beginning to end, showing us every second the characters spend together.

Personally I didn’t think it was as good as Sunrise — it’s not as funny and it sadly closes off some of the original’s beautiful ambiguities. Part of the problem may be that I’m close to the character’s ages in the first film but a good decade out here (though, I hasten to add, that’s not solely it). In the end, it works quite nicely as a companion piece, but (perhaps) not as a film in its own right.

4 out of 5

Recently, Sunset beat Sunrise by a noteworthy number of places in Empire’s 500 Greatest Movies poll, which was an interesting result. I stand by my assertion that the first one’s better, and can only theorize that the second installment gains something if you had to wait a decade for it and, perhaps, were closer in age to the characters — the latter I believe is a fairly important aspect in what you get from films of this nature.