Groundhog Day, Big Daddy, Me, Myself, & Irene

A bit of classic humour in this one - by which I mean comedy films which are kinda old now.


#1 - GROUNDHOG DAY

Stars -Bill Murray, Andy MacDowell, Chris Elliott

Director -Harold Ramis

Memorable Quote -"That's right, woodchuck-chuckers - it's...Groundhog Day!"

Review - For many people, this is regarded as quite the classic. What it really is is a great bit of fun, and you just have to enjoy watching it for the concept itself. Of course you will want to try and imagine what you would do with all of that time yourself, and despite the real world implications of what would really happen afterwards, the ending is really feel good and leaves you with a smile on your face. A good performance all round, although Bill Murray has always struck me as an odd choice for a romantic male lead – though this does help the impression of him struggling to be that perfect man. 3.5/5

#2 - BIG DADDY

Stars - Adam Sandler, Joey Lauren Adams, Jon Stewart, Cole & Dylan Sprouse, Rob Schneider, Steve Buscemi

Director -Dennis Dugan

Memorable Quote -"Having a kid is great... as long as his eyes are closed and he's not moving or speaking."

Review - This one is something of a sickly sweet comedy, with a very unrealistic view on things and of course a denouement in which everyone acts like everything will be fine when really there is no possible way that it can be. Interestingly enough I had actually seen this before, and managed to get a good hour into watching it again before I realised that I remembered seeing it; that speaks volumes for how much of an impact it actual made the first time. This is the kind of film that you might put on while you are sitting and chatting with friends or to have on in the background while you are working on something, but really it is nothing special that requires your full attention. Some of the scenes also suffer from the classic Sandler curse of his comedian friends being allowed to do whatever they want, even though it just is not funny. 2.5/5

#3 -ME, MYSELF, & IRENE

Stars - Jim Carrey, Renee Zellweger, Chris Cooper, Richard Jenkins

Director - Bobby and Peter Farrelly

Memorable Quote - "Man how the hell can they call Pluto a planet?"

Review - Say what you like about Jim Carrey  - and many people do – this one is actually alright. There is some unnecessary mugging of the kind that he is very much prone to at the start, but thankfully it only takes up a small amount of screen time and much of the film is given over to madcap adventures and the exploits of the main character’s three “sons” as well as his attempts to woo Zellweger. Certainly not all of the film is funny, but some parts of it very much are and that redeems it enough to make it enjoyable. If you can make it through without cringing too much, you will have a good experience overall. 3.5/5

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The Dark Knight Rises, Skyfall, Chronicle

I've used up all my gold stars for this one...

#1 - THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Stars - Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine

Director - Christopher Nolan

Memorable Quote - "Death! By exile."

Review - As the final instalment of Nolan’s Batman trilogy, the expectations piled on this film were remarkably high – perhaps higher than they have ever been for a movie starring Bats – and it has certainly suffered for that in the way that many people have given it disappointed reviews. I loved it, however – silly plot holes aside and all of the rest of it, it was a fitting conclusion to the story arc and one that really brought out the best of both Bale’s character and the supporting characters. Hardy shone as Bane, and Cotillard of course always captures the attention, but Gordon-Levitt has to be the stand out character here – if only for that little twist at the end that revealed his identity, and who he might become. The fact that he appeared briefly in The Dark Knight is a testament to the vision and forethought put into place by Nolan, and above all it just makes you wish that he would come back and do some more. 5/5

#2 - SKYFALL

Stars - Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris

Director - Sam Mendes

Memorable Quote - "What did you expect, an exploding pen?"

Review - Skyfall is intense Bond at its modern best. As the film itself acknowledges, this is stripped back to basics: no gadgets, no exploding pens, just Bond and his superhuman ability to carry on fighting past the point of pain. With beautiful scenes such as the end sequence, featuring silhouettes against glowing orange mist, and a soundtrack that is bold and Bond during action but quiet and subtle otherwise, this is a masterclass in film making. The car is a fantastic and appropriate nod to the heritage of the series; the humour is as British as ever; and the switchover to a new era is handled with great style and grace. Overall, it is a hit worthy of the franchise. 5/5

#3 - CHRONICLE

Stars - Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan

Director - Josh Trank

Memorable Quote - "There's something wrong with Andrew."

Review - When I sat down to watch this film, I was expecting it to be the normal dull fare of the genre – but it completely blew me away. A filming style that is at once natural and yet also different to most films out there sets it apart right from the start, and rather than found footage movies like Cloverfield where the camera is clumsily dragged along so that someone might be documenting it this has a good reason for the camera to be there – which makes it all the more enjoyable, as you can really get into the film. The cast are all stellar, to the point that you actually mourn the loss of each of them when they are no longer part of the plot, and the storyline is fantastic as it both introduces drama and tragedy in a great way whilst also making you wish that things had turned out differently. This is the kind of film that you will find yourself watching again so that you can try to catch hints of the ending at the start. 5/5

If you enjoyed reading this blog, please take the time to comment, rate, or even click on an ad to support a starving blogger.
For movie trivia, take a look at the tumblr run by the same author!