The Aristocats

Cast: Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Sterling Holloway, Scatman Crothers and Liz English.

Director: Wolfgang Reitherman

Release Date: 1970

Running Time: 1hr 18 minutes

Genre: Family

Rating: U

Synopsis:

With the help of a smooth talking tomcat, a family of Parisian felines set to inherit a fortune from their owner try to make it home after a jealous butler kidnaps them and leaves them in the country.

Set in Paris, 1910. Cat lover Adelaide is preparing for her future when she decides she wants her cats to inherit her mansion and fortune. Jealous butler Edgar hears everything and whisks the cats off to the countryside to dump them, however when they awake they stumble across a fun-loving tomcat O'Malley who helps them find their owner. This is the perfect family film for any cat lover. Duchess, Marie, Toulouse and Berlioz are the fun loving cats that find themselves on a journey through Paris. At the time of this production it was still early days in terms of animation for Walt Disney. One would argue it's not the most stunning piece of animation, however at the same time, for the time in which it was made it is simply sensational.

The storyline at first sounds a lot more menacing than it actually is. It's one of those wonderful Disney movies where the bad guy gets it in the end and they all live happily ever after. It has to, it's a kid's movie right? You can't help but fall in love with the characters. The sibling rivalry between Marie, Toulouse and Berlioz is funny and fantastically adorable. Duchess always reminds me of our cat Smudge, a proper little lady. Each one of the cats has their own little character, just like our pets have in reality. Any animal lover will instantly fall in love with the idea of it. Roquefort performed by Sterling Holloway is one of the most lovable characters, hilariously funny he is the tiny little mouse that looks out for the kittens. Who says cats and mice can't get along?

The film comes with a smashing soundtrack, a score that is almost as famous as the film itself. There isn't a kid around that doesn't know the lyrics to "Everybody wants to be a cat", written and performed by Phil Harris and Scatman Crothers. A simple film that is funny and romantic. Paris is known for its romance. The animation is nothing short of stunning. The details in animation describing Paris are sensational. A cracking moment is when audiences are shown a scene where Roquefort is shown chasing a bunch of alley cats. A very simple and effective joke. One of Walt Disney's most heartwarming features.

5/5

Aliens

Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Beihn, Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton.

Director: James Cameron

Release Date: 1986

Running Time: 2hrs 17 minutes

Genre:  Science Fiction

Rating: 15

Synopsis:

Ellen Ripley is rescued by a deep salvage team after being in hypersleep for 57 years. The moon that the Nostromo visited has been colonized, but contact is lost. This time, colonial marines have impressive firepower, but will that be enough?

Set fifty-seven years after the events of the first film. Ripley finds herself back in search of a colony that has gone missing on the same planet her crew visited in 2122. Officer Ripley is questioned over the events that took place on her mission. On their journey they stumble across a little girl, Newt, her parents and family dead. The crew take it upon themselves to care for her. They have no idea what awaits them. The film unfortunately takes a while to get going. Although this builds suspense, there is a lot of communication between characters that honestly doesn't need to be there. Bill Paxton's character, Private Hudson is particularly irritating. You get the impression that the crew are treating their mission like a game. This unfortunately pulls the storyline away from being suspenseful.

Director James Cameron clearly had a different approach to how he wanted this movie to look  Ridley Scott was all about suspense and fear. James Cameron focuses too much on the dialogue between characters. It takes far too long for the action to get going for the film to be even a tiny bit enjoyable. Sigourney Weaver delivers the strongest performance as Officer Ripley. Are the rest of the crew supposed to be ignorant to the entire situation? The dialogue between characters in "Alien" was very genuine and natural. You could really sympathise with them. In my humble opinion, the first film didn't need a sequel, "Alien" is one of the best science-fiction movies out there. Unfortunately the "Alien" franchise is starting to look like it's never going to end.

Bill Paxton quite possibly delivers one of his worse performances as Private Hudson. Paxton and Beihn both performed in "Terminator" also written and directed by James Cameron. At least Biehn's performance is more sincere. Perhaps the character of Hudson is supposed to be irritating? It's a shame it takes so long for the action to get going, because once it does, it's very entertaining. Unfortunately it takes almost two hours for it to reach that point. Sigourney Weaver outweighs the rest of the cast with her sensational performance. Ripley is bad ass in this movie. Carrie Henn who plays Newt is fantastic, she gives a very heartfelt and genuine performance. Anyone else feel like the character of Venom was based on the alien in this movie? Overall a good movie, but unfortunately nowhere near as good as the first one.

3/5

Alien: Directors Cut

Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, John Hurt and Ian Holm.

Director: Ridley Scott

Running Time: 1hr 57 minutes

Genre: Science-Fiction

Rating: 15

Synopsis:

After a space merchant vessel recieves an unknown transmission as a distress call, one of the crew is attacked by a mysterious life form, they soon realise that it's like cycle has only just begun.

At the time of it's initial release, a film like "Alien" had never been made before. It was long before Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" fame. Set in 2122. A space merchant vessel waking up from hypersleep recieves an unknown transmission as a distress call. Unable to track it's source the crew head towards it in the hope they can find out where it came from. When Steven Spielberg made "Jaws" he made a point of deliberately not showing the shark for the first hour of the film, in order to build suspense. It's a good forty to fifty minutes before you see the alien type creature. As a member of the audience you are fully aware that it could pop out at any minute.

Long before her "Ghostbusters" fame, Sigourney weaver stars as crew member Ripley. Is her character name a slight nod to director Ridley Scott? It is not until the end of the movie that Ripley really becomes of great significance to the storyline. There seems to be a trend amongst directors these days to make the sequel before the prequels come out. The problem arises when audiences are used to seeing their favourite science fiction movie only to find there is a prequel explaining what happened before. Why not just make the films in order they were clearly intended to be made in.

The storyline is magnificent and has been terrifically thought out and written. There are a few jump scares that work fantastically. The characters respond in such a genuine and natural way, that you can't help but feel engaged from beginning to end. The character of Ash is complex and terrifying at the same time. Ian Holm delivers a superb performance. It's no surprise that fans around the world are convinced that "Blade Runner" and "Alien" are set in the same universe. Is it possible that Ash is a replicant sent to bring back an alien lifeform? A lot of the suspense is built not in what you see, but in what you don't see. A race against time, this is by far one of the best alien films you will ever see, that will leave you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

5/5

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Cast: Jim Carrey, Courtney Cox, Sean Young, Tone Loc and Dan Marino.

Director: Tom Shadyac

Release Date: 1994

Running Time: 1hr 26 minutes

Genre: Action

Rating: 12

Synopsis:

A goofy detective specialising in animals goes in search of the missing mascot of the Miami Dolphins.

Pet Detective, Ace Ventura is sent on a mission to help find the Miami Dolphins mascot, a very rare bottlenose dolphin called Snowflake. The only key he has to unlocking the mystery, is a stone from a championship ring belonging to one of many footballers. If George of the Jungle were to have a normal job, it'd probably be a Pet Detective. Firstly, the story is very tongue in cheek. The dialogue is hilarious and fantastically written. You'll find yourself laughing from beginning to end. Slapstick comedy at it's very finest. Jim Carrey is nothing short is wonderfully hilarious. The storyline however isn't just all fun and games there is a great twist to the story.

Courtney Cox stars as sports representative Melissa Robinson. Melissa finds herself wrapped up in Ace's mission to help track down Snowflake. Courtney also acts as Ace's love interest, something we don't see in it's sequel. It's not understood properly if Ace is in fact part of the Police force or whether or not he works alongside them as a detective. Sean Young of "Blade Runner" success delivers a strong performance as Lois Einhorn. Fierce and to the point, her fellow police officers are afraid of stepping a foot out of line. That of course is except for Ace Ventura who is prepared to question her every move in the investigation.

Unlike a lot of movies made today, this does carry its own unique storyline. It's possible it would even be considered controversial today due to its content. The sequel is a lot more family orientated. This film however does carry more serious content including a suicide, although not physically shown, it is mentioned and is considered a serious plot point in the film. The cinematography is nothing spectacular, but then it is a very simple film. This was never going to win oscars, nor can I imagine that was what director Tom Shadyac was thinking when he wanted to make this movie. For the time in which it was made, it has a nice modern soundtrack that is fun. It's probably considered a cult film now, fantastic and entertaining all round.

5/5

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

Cast: Jim Carrey, Ian McNiece, Simon Callow and Bob Gunton.

Director: Steve Oedekerk

Release Date: 1995

Running Time: 1hr 30 minutes

Genre: Action

Rating: 12

Synopsis:

Ace Ventura, Pet Detective returns from a spiritual quest to investigate the disappearance of a rare white bat, the sacred animal of tribe in Africa.

Shikaka! Jim Carrey invites us back into the animal kingdom, in this hilarious sequel. Pet Detective, Ace Ventura must travel to Namibia, Kenya on a spiritual quest to find a sacred white bat belonging to the Wachati tribe. He must face more than just animals on his travels, as a rich billionaire Vincent Cadby hopes to steal the bat and force the Wachati and Watchitoo tribe to go to war, if it isn't found before a sacred ceremony takes place. Jim Carrey is nothing but short of spectacular. Wonderfully eccentric and flamboyant, he brings his entire character to life. Ventura doesn't live in fear of anything. Unfortunately this often gets him into trouble.

Ian McNeice acts as Jim Carrey's explorer guide Fulton Greenwall, the man that has been sent to find him, in the hope that he can find the Wachati tribe their sacred bat. The storyline is very tongue in cheek and as someone watching it for the first time, it would be important to remember that. The film is not intended to be offensive. A lot of the fun is poked at Ace Ventura. Was it a good idea to make a sequel? Both films are very entertaining, although the first movie focuses more on Ace's proper intentions as a pet detective. A lot of the film is based on silly anecdotes around his character and  bad guy Vincent Cadby.

A few of Ace's animal friends make a comeback including his pet spider monkey, Spike! At the beginning of the movie, Ace is surrounded by all of his animal friends. At least that's the impression we're given. Did they all travel to Kenya with him? Who's looking after them all? The film has many memorable moments including Ace getting stuck inside a robotic rhino and him wrestling a crocodile. Tongue in cheek is probably an understatement when you realise how ridiculous this movie is. It would be no surprise to know that Jim Carrey improvised a lot of his scenes. The dialogue is hilariously funny.

Rumour has it that Jim Carrey didn't want to make this sequel. According to director Steve Oedekerk they had a few disagreements on his character and the way the script had been written. Considering these factors, Jim Carrey still managed to deliver a magnificent performance. This is a highly entertaining movie, suitable for families with a fun and catchy soundtrack to go with it. Depending on your taste, it is arguably one of Jim Carrey's best performances.

5/5

Avatar

Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Giovanni Ribisi.

Director: James Cameron

Release Date: 2009

Running Time: 2hrs 42 minutes

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 12

Synopsis:

A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission, becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.

Set in the year 2149. Jake Sully, a paraplegic marine is dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique scientific mission. A mission originally meant for his twin brother Tommy. Naturally, because Jake shares the same DNA as his brother, scientist took it upon themselves to hire him in the hope that he can finish his brothers mission. One could argue that director James Cameron took the idea from Disney's Pocahontas. Although there are a lot of similarities, it is clear there are a lot of differences too. James Cameron took inspiration from several books including The Jesus Incident, Speaker for the dead and Winds of Altair. The story will undoubtedly take you on a spiritual journey.

Pandora Native, Neytiri really takes you on a spiritual journey. Understandably this is where audiences compare it to the likes of "Pocahontas" that of course is romanticised and not true to the original story. The natives believe in a source called Eywa, the source of every living this on their planet. The Na'vi are completely in tune with every little thing and creature. Their home reminds me of the tree in The Lion King, the circle of life as it were. Needless to say their planet is absolutely stunning, especially the floating mountains of Pandora. The special effects can become a little bit overwhelming at times, to the point you can't always focus on the storyline, because your so fixated on the visuals. One can only imagine how stunning this must be in 3D.

Sam Worthington's performance isn't awful, however it's not particularly amazing either. Jake Sully is supposed to be learning their ways,  their language. The characterisation could honestly be a lot better, in terms of showing enthusiasm or curiosity towards the natives. One would think humans have come across a planet like this before? Sigourney Weaver's performance as Grace is good, her character reminds  me of her character from "Aliens" coincidentally also directed by James Cameron. Is "Alien" and "Avatar" potentially set in the same Universe? No one can fault the work that has gone into this movie, particularly with set design and special effects. Spectacular.

Zoe Saldana delivers the most powerful performance as Neytiri. Her character will take you on a spiritual journey from beginning to end. This isn't just a science-fiction movie, it's also a story of friendship and courage. It's also about confronting and facing your enemies. The acting isn't the most spectacular thing about this film, but it's certainly up there. The special effects are ridiculous as it sounds really are remarkable. So much attention to detail. James Horner delivers a beautiful soundtrack, that's both action packed and emotional. It's clear that director James Cameron has favourites when it comes to his projects. James Horner also wrote the soundtrack to Titanic. There's never been a film on the scale of Avatar since it was made and I doubt until the sequel comes out that anything ever will match this!

4.5/5

A Bug's Life

Cast: Kevin Spacey, Dave Foley, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hayden Panettiere and Phyllis Diller

Director: John Lassetter and Andrew Stanton

Release Date: 1998

Running Time: 1hr 31 minutes

Genre: Family

Rating: U

Synopsis:

A misfit ant, looking for warriors to save his colony from greedy, grasshoppers, recruits a group of bugs that turn out to be an inept circus troupe.

In terms of Pixar movies, this one has got to be my favourite. I have wonderful memories of watching it with my little sister and my cousin when we were all small. If you bought the VHS, you'll know that each video came with a different bug on it. This is the story about a maverick ant that does everything he can to protect his ant colony on ant island. A greedy group of grasshoppers want all of their food. Flick must travel to the city to find warrior bugs to help fight back. Coincidently the same year, a film called "Antz" was released, that was nowhere near as entertaining and appeared nothing more than a copycat movie.

We can just pretend that Kevin Spacey wasn't in this movie right? The voice over actors are excellent, most of whom were not well known at the time of this film's release. Each character becomes very likeable to audiences very early on in the film. Flick and Heimlich being personal favourites. Not forgetting the characters Tuck and Roll, whom are hilariously funny throughout the whole film. You will find yourself giggling from beginning to end. The storyline is so simple, yet so wonderfully entertaining. A story about friendship, family and courage.

The animation is stunning. Pixar are yet to produce a film that doesn't look amazing to be honest. Considering this type of animation was still fairly new to Disney  at the time in terms of how they work, they easily produced one of the most memorable movies of their career. Who would've thought a film about bugs would be so entertaining? Magnificently written, the dialogue is fantastically funny. You can see that the animators and creators have looked back on classic comedies like Laurel and Hardy for inspiration. A comedy style that is easy for all ages to understand. Randy Newman offered his services for "Toy Story" and produced a magnificent score. It was no surprise that he was asked to write the score for this film too. A great animation for the whole family to enjoy!

5/5

The Addams Family (Animation)

Cast: Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Bette Midler and Snoop Dogg.

Director: Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon.

Release Date: 2019

Running Time: 1hr 26 minutes

Genre: Family

Rating: PG

Synopsis:

The eccentrically macabre family moves into a bland suburb where Wednesday Addams friendship with the daughter of a hostile and conformist local reality show host exhibits conflict between the families.

You rang? I have a confession. I might have seen the original television series more than once. I also might have seen the original movie more than once, try fifty. Oh wait....and the live stage show too. You can probably imagine my excitement when I realised they were finally releasing an animated movie based on the original cartoon by Charles Addams. The Addams family find themselves being forced from their home by a conformist who dislikes their differences. The Addams's family of course, being the way they are, aren't going to let anyone stop them anytime soon. They must work together to scare off their new enemies. Unlike the television series and the movies, it's very nice to see a backstory to the Addams family in this adaptation. One difference in particular, audiences find out how Lurch came to join the family.

The storyline is essentially an accumulation of the TV show and the movies all put together. Gomez Addams is a ladies man, charismatic and confident. There were moments in the story that didn't portray him in this way which was a little bit disappointing, they made him out to be a coward at times. Oscar Isaac, however delivers a fantastic performance particular in how he presents dialogue. Morticia Addams in the past has been portrayed as deadpan and as elegantly beautiful woman. In this adaptation she's a combination of the two. One character that was a complete surprise was Cousin IT, normally portrayed as tall and covered in long hair from head to foot. The animation is on point, however he has been portrayed as a pimp in the storyline. Surprisingly it works.

Lurch originally didn't speak in the television series, apart from one line and never spoke in the movies. I love that the decision to keep it that way was kept for the animations sake. It's true to the original art form. Lurch is seen playing several modern tunes on the organ too which is pretty awesome. Thing is fantastic...not that Thing says anything. Great animation and character interaction. The animators have gone to great lengths to incorporate so many little details in from the original television show. We get to see the lion, the octopus, Wednesday is seen with a hang noose designed into her hairstyle, Cleopatra, the chair from their living room, the list goes on and on. The soundtrack is modern and fun but to be honest, an original score would have been better, in keeping with the original theme. Great fun for all the family.

5/5

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen and Anne Hathaway.

Director: James Bobin

Release Date: 2016

Running Time: 1hr 48 minutes

Genre: Family

Rating: PG

Synopsis:

Alice returns to the whimsical world of Wonderland and travels back in time to help the Mad Hatter.

Based on the book of the same name by Lewis Carroll. Set in 1875. Eccentric ship Captain Alice Kingsleigh, once again finds herself back in Wonderland. This time she must travel back in time through the chronosphere to help save The Mad Hatter and his family from being wiped out by the Red Queen. The Red Queen wants revenge on the Hatter and his family for making a fool out of her on her crowning day. The creatures of Wonderland must team together to help Alice and The Hatter before it's too late. Tim Burton's adaptation of the first book was very dark. Director James Bobin has certainly brought a more family friendly vibe to the film, in his colourful adaptation.

Time is not a thing, but a person. Sacha Cohen Baron will be familiar to most as Ali G, however let me tell you that he is certainly a versatile actor. Helena Bonham-Carter really shines as the Red Queen, a wonderfully versatile actress, she brings the role to life. Although we were introduced to her character in the first film, we are shown more of her backstory in the sequel. Very different to her sister the White Queen, the Red Queen is spoilt and used to getting her own way. I honestly don't know where I stand with actress Mia Wasikowska. Having grown up with the original animation of Alice in Wonderland there is certainly a difference in how Alice is portrayed. In the book it's clear that she's stubborn, headstrong and somewhat eccentric. However, apart from the dialogue that has been written for her Mia Wasikowska doesn't seem to give any enthusiasm or personality to her role.

Johnny Depp brings magnificent characterisation to his role as The Mad Hatter. Unlike the first film, we are shown a lot more of The Mad Hatters backstory. Who his family are and where they came from. Why is he so obsessed with hats? All of those questions get answered in this adaptation. A key element that was prominent in the original animation was the unbirthday scene. It's sad that neither director has made a point of really showing this in both adaptations. Characters are seen having a tea party, however it seems more like a chore to them than excitement. The costume design is fantastic, particularly Alice's. The detail that has gone into each and everyone of her costumes is superb. If you look very closely there are references to The Mad Hatter's character in his costume design.

Although a lot of CGI has been used it does allow for a very magical and colourful adaptation of the story. It really brings the story to life. Danny Elfman returns to perform a score for the film, not as dark as the original but still within his sound, it works with the storyline beautifully. Pink performs "Just like fire" for the end credits. Avril Lavigne wrote "Alice" for the first adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, although that fitted in more with the original storyline, Pink's "Just like fire" is feel good and fun and gives it that extra boost as a family film.

4/5