Three Amigos! (1986)

Director: John Landis
Starring: Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short, Alfonso Arau
Certificate: PG
Genre: Comedy, Western
Awards: None

The Three Amigos are actors that star in silent films where they play lone rangers who save people. Being mistaken for their onscreen personas. A mexican village hires them to rid them of a terrible bandit. The actors however, do not know that this time it is for real.

Three Amigos is basically a parody of The Magnificent Seven. It's humour can only be described as silly. There is one part with a singing bush that was so weird that I was in hysterics. It is definitely an enjoyable film.

****Good

Three Amigos Trailer

Hidalgo (2004)

Director: Joe Johnson
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Omar Sharrif, Zuleikha Robinson, Louise Lombard
Certificate: 12
Genre: Western
Awards: None

Hidalgo is the name of the horse owned by Frank Hopkins (Mortensen). The two perform for a circus and occasionally fail to stop the slaughter of red indians - which is a sore spot for Mr Hopkins because he is half Red Indian. While performing in the circus, Hidalgo is described as the greatest endurance horse. However, a servant of an arabian Sheik who has no knowledge of exaggeration demands that the circus stop calling the horse that or enter an endurance race in Arabia to prove Hidalgo is the best. Hopkins agrees.

Hidalgo is a western that is set mostly in Arabia. The race is a lot more interesting than it looked like it was going to be thanks to some dastardly characters and a man with a trained bird. I'm glad that the film did not go down the route of just having a connection between man and horse in favour of some more interesting characters and subplots including abduction and gunfights.

Altogether, Hidalgo is a well put together film that has nice characters and a good story. It gets predictable near the end but their probably was no other appropriate way to finish it.

****Good

Hidalgo Trailer

Spaceballs (1987)

Director: Mel Brooks
Starring: Bill Pullman, John Candie, Daphne Zuniga, Rick Moranis, Mel Brooks
Certificate: 12
Genre: Comedy, Sci Fi
Awards: None

Spaceballs is a parody of the massive space opera Star Wars and a few other Sci Fi films. It tells the story of a rogue named Lone star (Pullman) who is offered a reward to rescue Princess Vespa (Zuniga) from the evil Lord Helmet (Moranis).

Spaceballs is a hit and miss comedy. A lot of it just seems tacky and rubbish but it has it's genuinely funny moments (Such as John Hurt's cameo with a surprising twist). The acting is abysmal from the main three characters. Moranis makes the film work as lord Helmet. He's funny and whenever he is off camera, you want him to come back.

If you compare this to some of Brooks' earlier works such as Blazing Saddles, this film seems like a cheap film with not much thought put into it. It was Disappointing but the best bits are definitely quotable.

***Okay

Spaceballs Trailer

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time (2010)

Director: Mike Newell
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina
Certificate: 12
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Adventure
Awards: None

During the time of the persian empire. An adopted prince named Dastan (Gyllenhaal) is wanted for the murder of his father, but he is innocent. He has also come across a mysterious dagger that can turn back time. Dastan also brings along princess Tamina (Arterton) who knows about the dagger and what harm it can do in the wrong hands. Dastan tries to find out who really killed his father while strange beings try and take the dagger from him.

Although Prince Of Persia did not light the world on fire, I feel that it was a pretty decent action film. It's a shame Disney are not planning on continuing the series as it would be interesting to see what happens to the characters.

Prince Of Persia does seem to be the first good Video-Game adaptation. It was entertaining and was stylised pretty well. However, if the reversing time gimmick was used a bit more it would have made it a lot more interesting.

****Good

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time Trailer

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest (1975)

Director: Milos Forman
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Brad Dourif, Sydney Lassick, Danny Devito, William Redfield, Christopher Lloyod, William Duell, Will Sampson
Certificate: 18
Genre: Drama
Awards: Best Actor (Nicholson), Best Actress (Fletcher), Best Director, Best Picture, Best adapted screenplay

To escape labour duties in prison, criminal McMurphy (Nicholson) pleads insanity and is sent to an insanity ward. But he soon finds out that the ward isn't going to be all fun and games. He clashes with nurse Ratched (Fletcher) who uses her position to bully the inmates. McMurphy gathers the other inmates they start to rebel against their keepers.

OFOTCN has a really good villain. Unlike many iconic villains, Nurse Ratched is a completely and utterly hatable character. People may like villains because they have a funny personality or seem cool. This character just thrusts a dagger in your heart.

I think that the best films are the one's you keep thinking about for a long time after you've seen it and Cuckoo's Nest is one of those films. The film lets you care about the characters and feel bad for them. The ending is terrific and makes the whole film feel different.

*****Brilliant

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest trailer

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009)

Director: Gareth Carrivick
Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Marc Wooton, Dean Lennox Kelly, Anna Faris
Certificate: 15
Genre: Science Fiction, Comedy
Awards: None

FAQ About Time Time Travel follows three friends who go for a drink after one of them is fired from their job. At the pub, every time that they go to the toilet. Ray (O'Dowd) also meets a woman from the future who says she is a time agent who fixes time leaks.

The film feels a lot like an episode of Doctor Who. The time travel is given full focus here however where most films only use it to get to the story and then forget about it. It did well with it as well. The time travel was the most fun part of the film as you always want to see where they turn out to be next. It's one of the films that makes you want more when it is over.

The CGI is pretty poor but that's to be expected from a low budget film. What makes this film good is the story and how the chemistry of the three main characters. All three have their moments and they all make you feel like they are real friends who have known each other for a long time.

I would definitely recomend watching FAQ About Time Travel and believe there should be more films like this. it shows that with a good story and actors, you can make a really good film.

*****Brilliant

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel Trailer

Wrath Of The Titans (2012)

Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Starring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Rosamund Pike, Edgar Ramirez, Toby Kebbell, Bill Nighy, Danny Huston
Certificate: 12
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: None

Wrath Of the Titans takes place a few years after Clash and Perseus (Worthington) now has a son and doesn't really want anything to do with the gods and how they always want to kill each other. Unfortunately, Hades (Fiennes) and Aries (Ramirez) decide to unleash Kronos - the father of Zeus, Hades and Poseidon - on the human race. He captures Zeus (Neeson) in order for Kronos to take his power and now Perseus must save the day.

Wrath is a lot better than Clash as it seems  to give a better story and actually show some of the reasons why the characters want to do what they do. More of the gods are shown and we get to see a few more Titans than the first one.

This film is not aiming to wow you with it's story. It's a film that wants to look good visually and it succeeds in that. The battles are fun to watch and the film keeps up a fast pace so that the audience are not bored. It' not brilliant but it sets out in what it aims to do.

It will be interesting how the creators take the franchise from here (as another film is inevitable). The writers written themselves into a corner which may make Bash Of The Titans seem a lot more strained in plot.

****Good

Wrath Of The Titans Trailer

Skyfall (2012)

Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Wishaw, Berenice Marlohe
Certificate: 12
Genre: Action, Spy
Awards: Best Song, Best Sound

Skyfall is the 23rd film in the James Bond franchise which sees Daniel Craig playing the MI6 agent at his weakest. Bond has been shot and presumed dead. He has ben defeated and seemed to have given up. Then, MI6 is attacked and an unknown person from M (Dench)'s past seems to be behind it.

Skyfall gives a a heap load of old characters that have not yet appeared yet in the Bond reboot. Notably Ben Wishaw as Q, the gadget man who is ridiculed by Bond for being so young. Bardem's cyberhacker villain is also a joy to watch and see how his character is fit into the story.

The action sequences are particularly good. A motorcycle chase onto a train before the opening sequence shows that Mendes can do action and he can do it well while the ending battle shows how to make a Bond film different but still remind you of others.

This is the first of the Craig Bonds to mostly be set in britain, which makes him seem a lot closer to his fellow operatives as he is not just continually talking to them through an ear piece. It also shows off a lot of Britain (during Olympic year nonetheless) that again makes it seem to be a special Bond. It's closer to home than any other.

In conclusion, Skyfall is a jump up with no gravity from the absolutely dismal Quantum Of Solace. I still preferred Casino Royale but that's really just preference. Skyfall is immensely entertaining and really introduces Craig into the classic Bonds.

****Good

Skyfall Trailer

Red (2010)

Director: Robert Schwentke
Starring: Bruce Willis, Mary- Louise Parker, Karl Urban, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Rebecca Pidgeon
Certificate: 12
Genre: Action, Comedy
Awards: None

Frank Moses (Willis) is an ex black- ops agent who is targeted by the CIA. After apologetically kidnapping a woman he talks to on the phone when he is lonely, he tries to bring back his old team and find out what exactly is going on.

Red shows what happens to old, retired secret agents and how they cope (although i'm sure they are not  attacked by the CIA). It's funny and the stars are all brilliant in their roles. Red 2 is said to be going into production soon. One more film to look forward to.

****Good

Red Trailer