Reviews by Kyle Ellis

I really liked Spy Kids. I thought it was a very entertaining film, without taking itself too seriously. It was funny, intelligent and creative. What I mean by that, is that there is something for adults and older children as well as young kids. There was a fun script, that was intelligent and funny without being too artificial, and the direction from Robert Rodriguez was surprisingly effective. The plot is original, the thumb people were great fun, the action was fast-paced, the scenery was lovely and the special effects and stunts are splendid. And the soundtrack was awesome. The acting was very good, with Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara spirited in the two leads and their constant bickering was a delight. Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino have fun as the parents, while Alan Cumming and Tony Shalhoub come close to stealing the film as Floop and Minion. The film also has a nice message; my only complaints are the rather over-emphasised ending, and I did feel that Cheech Marin and Danny Trejo didn't have enough screen time to shine properly but I did enjoy their brief appearances. All in all, a very underrated and fun movie. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Some people complained the makers changed the message of the book. They didn't, or I don't think so anyway. If that was the case, that was the only thing they changed. The script is focused and the direction masterful. The book in my opinion is one of the most enchanting children's books ever written. The film is equally enchanting, and the director manages to spoof a spirited performance from the lovely Kate Maberly. Haydn Prowse was great as Colin, and John Lynch is suitably melancholy as the uncle. Stealing the show, however, was Maggie Smith as Mrs Medlock, the truly beastly housekeeper. The film itself looks beautiful thanks to the stunning cinematography, and I loved the Gothic darkness tone retained from the book. Another mention is the haunting and poignant music score, that makes me cry. What does work best of all is its simplicity though. I thoroughly recommend this and Little Princess, 10/10 Bethany Cox

I absolutely loved the book, and i know they changed a few things but I don't care. I loved it anyway, because of the music and the cinematography. It is not quite as good as Secret Garden, but an extremely close contender. The scenes with the war were gut-wrenching, and the locations of India were stunning. And the music is gorgeous, very sad at times. Liesel Matthews brilliantly portrayed the girl with a wide imagination. Matching her perfectly, was Eleanor Bron as the evil Miss Minchin never once over the top, and there were some funny and touching moments, like Sara's first meeting with Becky and when she learns of her father's death. The costumes are gorgeous, really they were, the ending was a real tearjerker and Cuaron perfectly captured the essence of the themes of love, friendship and acceptance.10/10 Bethany Cox

When it comes to ranking the Marvel superhero(live action) films, Iron Man is for me up there with the better ones. It looks fabulous, the whole film is very slickly made with top-notch special effects(which look like time and effort was really put into it), awesome-looking futuristic gadgets and Iron Man's suit will be a guaranteed delight to anybody who is familiar or loves anything to do with the superhero. There is a pulsating soundtrack that adds much to the tension of the first half of the story and the enormously fun action sequences, which are exciting and tense with expertly choreography. The script crackles with smart humour that doesn't go overload, all of which is laugh-out-loud funny, yet the hostage plotting that takes up the first part of the film is intelligently written and somehow avoids being over-serious or over-familiar. The story has enough to allow you to emotionally connect with Iron Man(who I've always considered one of Marvel's most interesting and multi-faceted characters) and has a clever mix of the comic's 1960s origins and the effects of contemporary war, which will provide plenty of nostalgia while also feeling relevant. Jon Favreau does a great job directing, he never loses control of the story and he doesn't do anything too fussy. Robert Downey Jnr's performance as Tony Stark/Iron Man is a power-house and one of his best, doing much with the smart dialogue while making the emotional side of the characters wholly believable. Gwyneth Paltrow is a good, loyal side-kick with wise-cracks that don't come across as annoying and Jeff Bridges is surprisingly very good in an against-type role. Personally, the only disappointments were the useless character of Christine Everheart and the somewhat rushed and over-blown finale that wasn't quite as thrilling as it could have been, other than that Iron Man was a classy addition to the Marvel cannon and a great film on its own. 9/10 Bethany Cox