Reviews by Kyle Ellis

I really liked the book, it was a well written one and easy to read and understand. This film adaptation does have some flaws but it was much better than I expected it to be. The film looks very beautiful, the photography is excellent throughout, even in the flashbacks, and the music was great. The screenplay is fairly faithful to the book, and is consistently engaging. The performances from everybody involved are very good, Shia LeBoeuf I actually found quite likable in this movie, and Tim Blake Nelson is fun to watch too. Patricia Arquette is given little to do, and while her character was necessary, I just felt that they could have cast somebody else that fitted the character a tad better, though I liked her chemistry with Sam the onion man, wonderfully played by Psych star Dule Hill. Sigourney Weaver looks beautiful, and seems to be relishing her role as the warden, but my favourite is Jon Voigt. He was absolutely hilarious as Mr Sir. My only other complaint of the movie, other than Patricia Arquette was some slow moments in the middle half, where little of interest happens. On the whole, it is an enjoyable and engaging film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The first film was a nice one, but it is not as good as the wonderful animated classic which I found more poignant and endearing. This sequel is inferior, but not bad at all. Sure the slapstick is too much, the script has its weak spots and the plot is a tad uninspired. But the dogs are very cute here, and Eric Idle is hilarious as the macaw. The film is nice to look at with stylish cinematography and eye popping costumes(especially Cruella's), and the music is pleasant. The acting is mostly very good, Ioan Gruffudd is appealing and Gerard Depardieu while he has given better performances has fun as Cruella's accomplice. But the best asset, as it was with the first film, is the amazing Glenn Close in a deliciously over-the-top performance as Cruella, even more evil than she was previously. Overall, nice. 7/10 Bethany Cox

There is a lot to enjoy, especially Glenn Close's near-perfect performance as Cruella DeVil. She was absolutely brilliant here, truly evil, and was clearly having a lot of fun. Hugh Laurie made a memorable appearance as Jasper, and some of his lines are very funny. The scenes in the mansion, were inspired, I think by the Home Alone franchise, and for this sort of film it did work. Jeff Daniels and Joely Richardson are more subdued but deliver very human portrayals of the Dearlys. Joan Plowright was fine also as the nanny. And Michael Kamen's music was lovely. However, I much prefer the animated version to this, and here's why. The dogs were very cute, but nothing they did was particularly interesting. Also the Twilight Bark sequence was lost, and that's what made the animation so poignant. It also isn't as entertaining as the animated version. All in all, an entertaining film, that just lacked the ingredients that made the animated version a masterpiece. 7/10 Bethany Cox

What a thoroughly enjoyable movie. I really like Robin Williams, an actor that is I personally don't care for him that much as a comedian, and the roles of Daniel Hillard and Mrs Doubtfire were perfect for him. While he was fine as Daniel, it is his tour-de-force performance of Mrs Doubtfire that drives the film. Plus the make up used on him was fantastic. Also worthy of credit is director Chris Columbus, who nails the use of Williams's exuberance and quick-fire personality, and because of this every gag hits the right buttons. There are cracking set pieces such as the make up experiments and the series of table hopping quick changes. And I for one liked the routine with the dinosaur, it wasn't one of the better gags but it was funny. Pierce Brosnan also does surprisingly well as the bachelor looking for a ready-made family, and Mara Wilson gives one of her better performances as Natalie, very delightful and charming her performance was. The script is also funny and touching, the score is warm and sweet and the film is very nice to look at. Some people didn't like the ending, but I had no real problem with it personally. My only complaints are that the film is a little too long and Sally Field overdoes the exasperation slightly as the mother, but overall this is a delightful film, no matter how many times you see it, you are likely to love it every time, whether it is Williams, the gags or Wilson. 9/10 Bethany Cox

If you are looking for a daft but entertaining film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids fits that criteria like a glove. True, some parts are a little slow and sappy, and there are a lot of daft moments. Nonetheless, it is great fun, thanks to the in general fast pace, and the breeziness of the film. The camera work is well done, the soundtrack is pleasurable to the ears, I loved the clever animated opening credits sequence and there is a cheerful spirit here that have been absent in films like this(ie. Problem Child 2, Home Alone 4, Beethoven's 4th). The acting is not bad at all either, Rick Moranis especially is wonderfully nutty and likable as Wayne while Matt Frewer is hilarious as "Big" Russell" Thompson. The kids do give appealing performances too, and the special effects are well above average. Overall this is a fun film, nothing groundbreaking or anything like that, but it did something right; it entertained me. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The first Home Alone is very good indeed. The last two are just wannabes and feel like they don't belong. Home Alone 2 is my personal favourite, and I watch it about once a month. The only problem is that the jokes are basically retreads of the first movie, but believe me, they're miles better than the ones in the fourth ( which is one of the worst movies ever) This is still a very solid film, that gets slow in the second half. The performances are excellent. Macaulay Culkin brought a lot of charm to almost all the movies he's been in. Just a shame, he isn't acting any more. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are hilarious, as always. Catherine O'Hara and John heard are amiable as the parents, while the wonderful Tim Curry gives a hilarious performance as the Concierge. My favourite scenes were the bathroom scene in the hotel, and when the staff are held hostage by a television. Just priceless. Eddie Bracken and Brenda Fricker also make appearances, and their scenes are touching, as they are of friendship and acceptance. I absolutely adored the soundtrack too, New York looks splendid and the Plaza Hotel was incredible to look at. Brilliant movie! 9/10. Bethany Cox

Fantasia is so educational, and I was gob smacked by how well the animation mixed with the classical music. Can I also say that Leopold Stokowski is one of the best conductor of the 20th century, right on a parallel with Herbert Von Karajan? I was listening to Sibelius's 5th symphony a few years back, and he conducted it the year before he died, and he was in his 90s. Not only that, but that was the best version of that symphony I had ever heard. Back to Fantasia then. Each piece was expertly introduced by Deems Taylor, and unlike its sequel didn't take too long.(Even the soundtrack vignette was interesting) In the sequel, almost half of the film felt like too much introduction and not enough music. Fantasia rectified that problem brilliantly:

1. Bach's Toccata- Brilliant silhouettes of the orchestra, and then masterful abstract images. The orchestra played the piece to a phenomenal standard, and I hate to say this, but I actually prefer the piece orchestrated. It was originally written for organ, you see. The best thing about Stokowski is that you see him conducting without a baton, which is exceedingly clever.

2. Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker- I recommend you see the ballet, because it is a knockout. This is coming from a classical music lover. The animation was superb in this vignette. The most impressive thing though was the fact that the finishes immediately went into the next scene, without it being hackneyed. The waltz, or Dance of the Snow Fairies, was the highlight of this vignette, reminding me so strongly of Christmas.

3. Dukas's Scorceror's Apprentice- The most famous vignette, is the only vignette to feature in the sequel. YenSid(Disney backwards) has a magic hat, which he leaves lying around, and Mickey Mouse picks it up, and encounters various problems. the animation is very good here, and while I'm not a huge fan of the piece, I still found it enjoyable.

4. Stravinsky's Rite of Spring- This is the only reason why the movie isn't a 10. This vignette is far too long It's longer than the Beethoven. It is an interesting subject, dinosaurs, but the ballet wasn't simplified enough. This was boring, and was better left out. It was only here to give some historical context. However, there was beautiful animation and some lovely instrumental solos. Stravinsky hated what the film did to his work, but anyway I don't like Stravinsky much. I had no problem with the animation or the way it was performed, it was just too long.

5. Beethoven's pastoral Symphony- This is a fantastic piece of music. I am a huge fan of Beethoven, and I have all his 9 symphonies on my IPod. My favourites are this, the Choral and the Eroica. I loved the fact that they chose a Greek mythological setting, because it looked gorgeous. My dad who is a conductor wasn't keen on the centaurs, but I loved the winged horses, Bacchus and Zeus (who competes with Chernabog as the most frightening character of the movie). This vignette was so relaxing to watch; think it as like reciting a poem.

6. Ponchielli's Dance of the Hours-This was the funniest vignette of the film, and one of the many gems of Disney. It was a bit unrealistic of course, but it was fun. At first, I was worried that the most famous scene from the opera La Giaconda, would be ruined by the animation. But it wasn't. It was perfect. Even the elephants and hippos, considering their size, danced so elegantly, I was shocked. This vignette is a must-see if you want some comedy.

7. Mussorgsky's Night on Bare Mountain- Now this was my personal favourite, as when I first watched it when I was 10, and I was terrified of Chernabog. The music is also very hard to play, as the mood is very hard to capture, but this is undoubtedly the finest recording of this music. Chernabog was genuinely frightening, and a masterful creation. And the animation, while dark, matched the music, which is enough to give you nightmares, flawlessly. It was very like a Witch's Sabbath, which was what the composer originally intended. Do you know, that for his underrated fantasy movie Legend, Ridley Scott based Tim Curry's Darkness on Chernabog? Children may find it a bit too frightening, and adults may find it inappropriate, as there is a tiny glimpse of nudity. But it was still an effective vignette, and one of my favourite Disney moments actually.

8. Schubert's Ave Maria- This is a beautiful song, and Stokowski did it justice. The harmonies and animation were perfectly captured. how could you say this was boring? The animation couldn't have been happy looking, it would have completely ruined the mood of the song. It was beautifully sung by Juillietta Novis, who was so quiet that you had to turn the volume up, but that was the intention. The thing that impressed me most, was the complete contrast of this from the Mussorgsky, so the key of Ave Maria was so well chosen. (It is sung in many different keys.) In conclusion, the most underrated of the earlier Disney efforts, is well worth watching and a true animated classic! Also I was offended by the review that said that it was the worst movie ever made, and that the people who love this movie need new taste, that is plain insulting to anyone who grew up with this film. 9/10 Bethany Cox.

'The Matrix' is a genre and film milestone, while it is not one of my all-time favourite films it is still a great, impeccably made and awe-inspiring film and ground-breaking in its visuals and sound that broke boundaries in a way rarely if ever done before.

In 2003, 'The Matrix' boasted two sequels, 'The Matrix Reloaded' and 'The Matrix Revolutions', generally considered critically and to audience not a patch in quality (though more mixed reviews than negatively received). To me, both are vastly inferior and have major problems. At the same time, neither are travesties, there are notable good points.

Hard to say which is the better of the two sequels, they both have similar strengths but also similar flaws with a couple of things done better or worse in the other. Generally it is a shame that after such a great first instalment that 'The Matrix Revolutions' feels largely unsatisfying.

Starting with 'The Matrix Revolutions' good things, the film while not as imaginative as the previous film or as ground-breaking as the original still looks great. The production design is still audacious, the special effects dazzling and uber-cool, very slick editing and cinematography that's both clever and imaginative. There is an epic eeriness to the music score.

While not as astonishing as previously and there is a slight overload of them (with a couple overlong), the action scenes are still very impressive and the awe factor is still there. They benefit from looking great, breathless stunts, a great sense of paranoia, energy and tension. The final battle between Neo and Smith have garnered a mixed reaction, to me it was thrilling stuff and spectacular in mood even if ending on an anti-climactic note.

Lead performances are fine. Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss are cool, Hugo Weaving is deliciously wicked and Laurence Fishburne is imposing and charismatic and doesn't take it too seriously this time even with less to do.

On the other hand, 'The Matrix Revolutions' is particularly crippled by its pacing and dialogue. The pacing is even more problematic here than in 'Reloaded' with the first half especially being so inert the slower and talkier parts feel stillborn.

Dialogue was not a strong suit in 'Reloaded' but it's amplified here, its endlessly and annoyingly cryptic conversations, over-wordiness, over-complicated long sentences and wallowing self-importance add to its increasingly cheesy and stilted feel.

'The Matrix Revolutions' story often doesn't draw one in enough, with a very dull first half that makes one tempted to bail. Although the second half fares better, the sense of wonder is nowhere near as strong and it's masked by too many characters, situations and scenes that are overlong and extraneous so, along with an over-seriousness, it feels too bloated and heavy.

While the leads are good enough, the rest of the acting suffers from sketchy characterisation and poor writing. The ending is abrupt and confused, leaving one with too many unanswered questions which a final film in a trilogy should not do.

Overall, not a travesty but less than great. 5/10 Bethany Cox