nbutcher-69458 Reviews (69)

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Better than Crystal Skull at least

[7/10 · 28 April 2025]

We can presume that this will be the final Indiana Jones film starring Harrison Ford. He's just too old and tired to be doing this anymore, and it certainly shows up in the performances. Sure, you can write that into the plot to make it make sense, but lets be real: Casting grandpa into an action movie just isn't going to work quite as well as a younger Harrison Ford.

Color me surprised then, when the first act of the film contains a de-aged Indiana Jones thanks to the magic of modern CGI. In fact the amount of CGI in this film is quite heavy and there's some uncanny-valley scenes in the film (particularly the parade scenes) which left me a bit flat. What I was watching was not real and I knew it - breaking immersion.

My third complaint is with the female foil. Helena is obviously an attempt at a Lara Croft-like competitor - coming full circle of it's inspiration here - but she is annoying and thoroughly unlikeable. Compared to the fun and antics with Sean Connery in the third outing, it's unfortunately not even a competition as to who made a better companion.

So what does this film get right? Well the story is actually not too bad. Indiana Jones films pick up right at the end for the climactic scene where the supernatural elements come in to play, and this one didn't disappoint either with the twist in the tale. Sadly there is no morality lesson in play in this one - despite the opportunities granted to it - so the ending feels a bit flat, especially for what we can assume is going to be the last Indiana Jones outing in film.

Yes, it's entertaining, but it could have been so much better. You can only repeat story beats so many times before they get predictable, and Indiana Jones' whip has been thoroughly cracked over with this one.

A Minecraft Movie (2025)

Everything is sort of awesome?

[6/10 · 5 April 2025]

Here we go with another video game adaption. This movie is one for the fans and the kids. They'll have a good time with this one so I won't rain on their parade. Adults on the other hand - unless they've played the game - are going to be asking themselves what on earth they're witnessing. I think there's going to be a certain section of the community that will find this one a better watch in different states of altered consciousness.

This is a fun movie that wants to be as silly as possible while being completely self-aware. This is going to attract a certain kind of moviegoer that likes an awkward and cringe "so-bad-it's-good" experience. In my viewing, there was a lot of audience participation, shout outs, and things being thrown up at the screen. This could shape up to be the next "The Room" or "Rocky Horror Show" for all I know.

All the same, it's a confused movie trying to jam as many callbacks and fanservice moments into the story when it barely fits into coherency. It has a sluggish start with too much pointless exposition. The jokes are there, but they're mostly in-jokes that the fans will love. Only a scant few good ones will manage to land for the uninitiated.

I take issue with the art direction. It's creepier than the Minecraft video game is, and when the violence happens it's a bit unsettling for very young kids who are more familiar with the game's harmless visuals. If the film stuck to keeping the visual language the same as the video game and maybe used voice actors instead of live acting it wouldn't have been as awkward. Just look at the violence in the LEGO movies for reference. It's funnier and more harmless there because it accurately represents the toy and is not hyper realistic at all.

As for the acting: it's a Jack Black movie so you can expect that he'll be playing as Jack Black instead of ... you know... doing any acting. He pulls in a few stupid songs as he is does in other films. Jason Momoa gets a few puerile laughs trying to play a buffoonish alpha male. The other characters feel tacked on and sadly forgettable. Basically there's no Oscar awards to hand out here in this film.

It's an entertaining film just for its sheer ridiculousness, but it's not a brilliant piece of cinema by a long shot. It's more of a cash grab, but Minecraft fans will love it regardless no matter what the critics say. My five year old thought it was a lot of fun, and judging by the box office and post-credit sequence, a sequel is all but assured.

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Lynch's masterpiece

[9/10 · 25 March 2025]

Lynch's genius lay in being able to take any ordinary scene, and then direct and edit it to the point of being compellingly creepy and awkward. Mulholland Drive is a masterclass in his abilities, and yet this film has a coherent narrative - yet it only becomes obvious with repeated viewings. It reminded me so much of films like "Fight Club" and "Eyes Wide Shut" which encouraged repeated viewings to catch all the clues to make sense of the story, so if you liked those films, you're going to like this one too.

Mulholland Drive starts out coherent enough, but not long into the film the viewer will note that something is not quite right with the characters. Certain scenes just don't seem to follow logically or make much sense - at least initially. To say any more would spoil the plot too much, but it's this awkwardness and seeming plot non-sequiturs that Lynch is famous for. Several of the scenes are fantastic - even hilarious - to watch, and towards the end the narrative seems to break apart at the seams.

Something must be said of the music, as its electronic title theme in particular is haunting and entirely appropriate.

This film is a must-watch for anyone who likes cinema.

Adolescence (2025)

Paleolithic Emotions, Medieval Institutions, God-Like Technology

[8/10 · 23 March 2025]

I don't know who thought it was ever a good idea to give kids completely unsupervised access and exposure to everyone in the world, radical talking points, and adult material before their minds are developed. Yet here we are.

It starts out as a young boy is run through the wringer of government institutions, accused of murder of a young girl. Just witnessing the process and procedure of the police as they arrest their suspect is gripping in and of itself. What initially seems to be a crime thriller then turns into a deeply human drama.

I see this series as a stock-take on where we are as a society and where we are headed. Are the kids alright? Who is looking after them? School? Religious organizations? Their parents? ... or none of the above? Who is influencing them and able to guide them from the innocence of childhood to the responsibilities of adulthood? Maybe it's some random people on the internet who have managed to effectively teach and twist adult concepts to kids in a way that they find addictive and empowering... long before they are mentally prepared for it?

The acting is second-to-none, dialogue great, and the cinematography fantastic. If it's one thing this series manages to do successfully is to make acting look like a real-life documentary.

It's not all great though. The one-take cinematography loses pace and drags on in a few areas and - while deliberate - the show ends somewhat ambiguously. This is a series more concerned with the social commentary and drama than actual plot. It asks more questions than it answers.

A hard watch with some emotional gut punches, but worth it.

Spaceballs (1987)

One of the best spoof movies

[8/10 · 19 March 2025]

Star Wars always deserved a good skewering, and it gets it here in Spaceballs. Where to begin? There are so many jokes, visual gags, quotable lines, and breaks of the fourth wall. The plot is fresh and equally ridiculous, and it even includes cameo spoofs of Alien, Planet of the Apes, Lawrence of Arabia, Wizard of Oz, and Star Trek for those paying attention.

Some of the adult jokes will go over kids' heads, and there are a few scenes which drag a bit - but otherwise it's a good time.

We never got a "Jews in Space" movie as referenced in Mel's "History of the World Part 1", but this will do nicely.

May the Schwartz be with you!

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

The Matrix eats itself

[6/10 · 22 February 2025]

This film is a cash grab, forced into existence by the hand of Warner Brothers, and tasked with replicating what was great about the original Matrix movies as best as possible. If this wasn't obvious, the film actually tells you this in the first opening scenes of the film.

Of course, this is kind of a cop out. An attitude of "We know we're never going to be as good as the first - so why try?".

That in itself is an interesting philosophical concept that the film begins to explore. What's left to continue the story with after you've already told the story? Tell it again with all new characters? Get a replacement for Laurence Fishburne? Get a bunch of fanboys and fangirls to drag Keanu Reeves out of retirement to play a version of Neo that just wants to be left alone to eat blue pills all day? Revisit the old haunts to see what they're all doing now? Rehash scenes of the old films to make a kind of "clip movie"?

Trying to rehash a classic film and failing to surpass it's insurmountable first outing is an interesting jumping off point for philosophical discussion. It gets a good start on this in the first part of the film, but as it travels along it doesn't deliver on the promise of a sensible resolution. It just throws in action sequences and integrates a hard-to-follow plot that's confusing, even for fans of the Matrix familiar with how it's universe works.

There's a few good philosophical dialogue scenes, but it doesn't really tie into the rest of the plot and feels disjointed. In fact the film's pace and aesthetics can't even match what came before. The whole thing feels like a made for TV film and structurally contrived. Using the "it was all a dream" trope in the writing felt lazy - if even the film itself admitted that it was a cop out.

The thing is that our heroes can never destroy the Matrix. It has to continue to exist for future sequels or this licensed property will have to stay dead!... but if that's the case, and with no hope of ever achieving this conclusion, the series will die a different kind of unsatisfying death.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

Overall entertaining with a few flaws

[7/10 · 5 February 2025]

This 6 part series is fan service. It focuses on the time Obi-wan spent in exile on Tatooine between episodes 3 and 4. It also elaborates on the relationships between Leia, Obi-wan, and Darth Vader which obviously existed prior to the events of the original Star Wars film but wasn't developed in any way.

The story isn't too bad, but there's a distinct feeling - especially by the end - that it might step on the toes of the Star Wars films following it chronologically. Fortunately it doesn't, but I'd say it comes pretty close with it's audacious premise involving characters we already know. Additionally there's nothing that makes it a remarkable addition to Star Wars lore, except perhaps during the final light sabre confrontation.

The series is action packed, but I'd say it's let down by some weak acting by the inquisitors - the Jedi hunters - which seems a bit too exaggerated. All in all, it's serviceable and entertaining I suppose but not particularly amazing. I think fans and non fans will like it anyway.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Darker and grittier Star Wars

[8/10 · 3 February 2025]

This is the best Star Wars film under Disney. A movie nobody asked for but we're ever so thankful it was placed in the right hands.

Rogue One tells the story hinted at in the opening crawl of the original Star Wars movie. We all know the outcome of the stolen Death Star plans, but Rogue One fleshes it out.

This iteration of Star Wars has a distinctly different feel to it, owing to it's gritter, more realistic, and darker tone. It feels like a more adult Star Wars that focuses on the grunts in the war and not the high politics of the Jedi - making it interestingly more relatable. There are no punches pulled when people die. The violence is more intense and there is a palpable feeling of desperation and tension coming from the characters as Rogue's plan barely holds together. When Darth Vader gets his screen time, it's some of the best action scenes from him in any Star Wars movie. Something also needs to be said of the special effects used for the massive explosions. They are beautifully terrifying on screen.

That said, there are some brief light hearted moments with some fan service. Most of these wisecracks coming from a delightfully evil droid - an interesting departure from the otherwise prim, proper, and clumsy "comic relief" droids that Star Wars fans are used to.

While not plot heavy or delving heavily into Star Wars lore of the force, there are some good scenes here with themes of faith, service, and sacrifice - like the original Star Wars movie. Star Wars doesn't really work if it simply has derivative action set piece after action set piece with nothing to say or no grand vision. Fortunately Rogue One does not fall into that trap.

The Witches of Eastwick (1987)

Nicholson at his best

[7/10 · 6 January 2025]

The Witches of Eastwick is really a commentary on the female sex drive against the backdrop of a puritanical town. Why do women want the perfect man and then set out to put the genie back in the bottle? Well, I don't think this movie has all the answers but it sure is fun exploring it's premise.

It's hard to pick villains in this story. Nicholson's devilish character takes most of the blame - despite being the most honest, likeable, and fun. He livens up the screen with every scene he is in and has some great monologues going throughout the film.

Now for the bad: The three leading ladies do an otherwise passable job but I don't think they're convincing enough, especially as they all collectively go through the same character arc. The film is stilted in places and plot points are easily missed. Additionally the introduction of jarring supernatural and gross-out elements cheapen the movie's themes, turning the movie into something of a fun and stupid romp.

The film doesn't really know what genre it is, but different people will find different things to like about it.

Kung Fu (1972–1975)

It's a western but also an eastern.

[8/10 · 6 December 2024]

While Kung Fu is out-and-out a western, but I think it's fair to say that the east has had for more influence on this genre than given credit.

Kung Fu is another "journey to the west", quite literally. In this iteration and westernization of the tale, the priest travels alone with no companions or monkey king to reign in. Every episode is a side-quest on the path of a greater journey as long as life.

People may take issues with the stilted pacing, slow movements, and photography in this series. Viewers looking for action need not apply. To it's credit, the flashbacks, long shots, philosophy, and slow pacing give the series a particularly "acid western" feel to it without becoming completely ungrounded. This must have been quite something when it first came out - with western audiences likely being completely unfamiliar with kung fu or any Chinese culture.

Carradine is a good acting fit for the role, although people refer to him as a "chinaman" when he only barely looks the part. To be fair I don't think Bruce Lee would have been a better fit, except to say he may have made the fights more exciting and more authentic, given that Carradine didn't know kung fu. Fortunately the fights are few and far between in this series. Sadly what fights there are are clouded by choppy takes and blurry movement to cover up Carradine's lack of ability.

Kung Fu is philosophically interesting to watch, and that's where the real charm and staying power of the series is.

The IT Crowd (2006–2013)

Have you tried turning it off and back on again?

[9/10 · 12 November 2024]

The IT crowd is a blend of Dilbert-esque office comedy, IT industry jokes, Seinfeld-like situation comedy, and a good dose of classic English comedy, reminding me of such classics as "The Young Ones". It also serves as a vehicle for Richard Aoyade's comic genius.

The quality is great throughout, and there are many quotable lines and scenes. The cast work well together and bounce off each other quite well, each of them flawed in their own way. You don't need to have been an IT worker to get the jokes or relate to the sketches. Anyone who has worked in an office or had to deal with IT support will find it funny. That said there are plenty of easter eggs in the show that IT workers will appreciate. They're not the only ones with a shelf of obsolete computers on it!

The Transformers: The Movie (1986)

You can win if you dare

[8/10 · 28 October 2024]

"Transformers: The Movie" is unashamedly a toy commercial, but a happy accident of marketing made it legendary. The film's writers were aiming to wipe out most of the first generation of Transformers in the movie so that they could sell kids on the new generation of Transformers coming up in the toy stores. Instead they ended up scarring a generation of 1980s kids, causing them to cry in the cinema as they watched their beloved heroes - including one who was a replacement father figure to many - be destroyed.

What should have then been a run-of-the mill movie length cartoon took on a whole new level of gravitas. This writing decision upped the on-screen stakes into the stratosphere, going where the cartoon series feared to tread. Kids had to stare down war and death and the movie didn't pull any punches with it. The movie mirrors Star Wars in that regard, complete with a planet destroying "death star" of sorts.

Transformers the movie is also noteworthy for it's detailed animation, bombastic 1980s rock and synth-heavy soundtrack, and some amazing voice acting from a number of well known actors, including Orson Welles, Leonard Nimoy, and Eric Idle.

While it's not going to win too much critical acclaim, this movie has to be appreciated for what it is: completely over-the-top action that consumes most of the film's runtime. When Stan Bush's "The Touch" starts playing and the heroes start winning, you're going to be more excited than a kid on Christmas day when you open up your present to find Optimus Prime in the box.

I would argue that it's mostly because of this movie, that the Transformers property became a cultural touchstone, going on to avoid being just another toy fad, and growing a more lasting appeal. It's influence is still felt in it's influence on video games and other media to this day.

The Karate Kid Part II (1986)

Rule #2, First learn Rule #1

[7/10 · 8 October 2024]

If the first Karate Kid movie made you want to take up karate as a teen, then this one made you want to visit Japan. Pat Morita can't put a foot wrong and newcomer Tamlyn Tomita is absolutely gorgeous in this film.

The Karate Kid II hits all the same beats of the original, but everything is in Japan and the pacing is worse. The Japanese antagonists and the thrust of the plot and scenes all seem overly contrived. A man acting as local yakuza thug isn't as relatable as a school bully, for one. The final fight also seems entirely inappropriate, especially for post-war Japan. Surely there's a better way to up the stakes from the previous film in a way that feels at least somewhat realistic?

While adults will roll their eyes, the Karate Kid films were really directed at early teens and pre-teens who will really enjoy this. That said, the amount of cheese and corniness in this film is double than the previous. Having actually been there, it overplays Okinawa as exotic in a way I don't recognize. It looks like Hawaii with a green-screen "castle"

All the same it's still an enjoyable, beautiful, and memorable film- even if leaning heavily on the formula from the first. You can have fun with this one if you suspend disbelief. It certainly helps to have one of the best soft rock songs ever made (Peter Cetera - Glory of Love) in your movie soundtrack too.

The Next Karate Kid (1994)

Why break boards? What boards do to you?

[6/10 · 7 October 2024]

This one is the black sheep in the "Karate Kid" series. It almost feels like it doesn't belong and is an unnecessary attempt to cash grab.

That said, it does have it's touching moments. Sadly most of the film is ruined by some ham-fisted acting and some really oddball villains who are more weird than menacing. The start of film's plot feels overly contrived and doesn't really grab you. The pacing and acting also feels incredibly awkward at the start. It's almost as if everyone needs time to warm up until they sort their roles and characters out.

It's Pat Morita that steals the show again and makes the movie watchable. Everybody loves this character. There are also some good new ideas and teachable moments in this film too, and there's just enough cheese to make it light hearted when it needs to be. It's just a shame that the plot wasn't thought out a bit better. It leaves you wondering about how good this film could have been. The ending felt rushed, not helped out at all by cartoonish villains and events that don't pass the credibility test. The 90s music also hasn't a patch on the first two Karate Kid films either.

Without the continuation of Daniel's story, it's unsurprising it bombed at the box office. Don't write it off completely though. Fans of the Karate Kid will enjoy this one all the same - when you get over the annoyances that break the immersion.

Cobra Kai (2018–2025)

First ensure the heart is in the right place

[8/10 · 4 October 2024]

In Karate Kid II, Miyagi didn't translate rule number two in the family dojo to LaRusso, saying only to refer to rule number one about self-defense. That second rule translated actually says "First ensure the heart is in the right place", and the excellent writing of Cobra Kai's is most certainly there.

Cobra Kai shows how you extend a franchise beyond it's source material. I can only wish that Star Wars got the same treatment.

I really didn't expect Cobra Kai to analyse political and religious extremist movements under the analogy of a karate dojo, but this is why this series is great. It holds your attention from start to finish. There's enough throwbacks to the previous films and 1980s references to satisfy fans of the original movies.

However, the most importantly the heart of the original films is here too. There's a lot to learn from karate as well as life. With Mr Miyagi long gone, all of the remaining cast are flawed characters in one way or another. This time includes a new generation learning karate, all of them having to find balance between their respective light and dark sides of the force. Also time has moved on for the original characters and they're also learning how to relate to the kids.

Sadly the wheels start to fall off the series the further you get past season one. While the Karate Kid movies were a bit goofy and corny in places originally, Cobra Kai ends up stretching it's own credulity a bit more than it should as it goes on. The fighting and some of the scenes eventually take on a comic book feel, and some of the characters aren't quite believable. Additionally it takes on a teen high school drama feel, akin to 1980s "Saved By the Bell" which may or may not be entirely deliberate. Sadly it's the cringe worthy moments and some unnecessary bad language that prevent the show being perfect - pushing it beyond a PG rating. I couldn't recommend it to younger kids like the original movies.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

The night of the blue collar monster

[8/10 · 20 August 2024]

It's hard not to be impressed by what was achieved on a very limited budget with this film. However, what it does get right works very strongly it it's favor. There's the black and white amateurish documentary style, camera lighting to convey a sense of fear and dread, good writing, and some strong performances from it's actors. What lends it that extra bit of credibility is it's likeness to an episode of the Twilight Zone TV series that wrapped up a few years prior. It also has that "date-night" drive-in cinema quality which would have had young couples ignoring the film to focus on each other back in the day.

Watching this as a grown adult some 50 years later however shows how amateurish the film really was. The zombies are clearly extras. The body parts they eat are from the local butcher's shop. The fight scene punches didn't really land convincingly. The "damsel in distress" trope is somewhat played out. A sense of disbelief when watching is certainly there now where it may not have been in the past. However, the story does it's best to subvert predictable expectations and provide a character study in addition to some zombie action and a few shots of true gruesomeness.

We've all been spoiled on more technically competent horror movies since, but this is a classic simply because it moved the needle forward for other horror movies to follow. As with most good horror films, and that of the really good Twilight Zone episodes, is that the monsters are ourselves.

The Karate Kid (1984)

Inspired many a Karate Kid

[8/10 · 23 July 2024]

An underdog tale and a classic 1980s film. What makes the Karate Kid so good is that it's relatable to anyone who's ever been an awkward teenager and been bullied. Even if you hadn't, you'd probably still want to take up karate. The story is predictably formulaic, but it does it's story justice.

While Ralph Macchio perfectly plays the awkward teenager Daniel, Pat Morita is the star of the show and it wouldn't have worked without him. There are some touching scenes as we discover that his character needs a son and a family as much as Daniel needs a Karate teacher and a father figure. There are also some subtle history nods about the plight of Japanese Americans during WW2.

The film has some great 80s music ("You're the best"), a lot of quotable lines from the film. Equally memorable and iconic are it's beach and tournament karate kick scenes.

Every 80s kid who went on to learn Karate in real life took their first lessons about it from Mr. Miyagi. The Karate Kid remains a classic and has had a lasting cultural impact.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Sometimes s*** happens, someone's gotta deal with it, and who you gonna call?

[6/10 · 20 July 2024]

Reviewers have often critiqued the original "Ghostbusters" movie for being a movie all about nothing. It's not quite true. It's about the blue collar worker - the backbone of society - using their skill and often risking their health and safety to do society's dirty work. Ultimately this keeps society safe and "saves the world" for yet another day. These people should be rewarded many times over with riches and fame due to their sacrifice, but thanks to the elites, they are taxed and penalized into oblivion and put on a working treadmill. They're barely able to make a living and always struggling - but that keeps them ready for the next time some idiot in the upper strata of society does something dumb to release the ghosts.

Some of this is reflected in the film, except for who's responsible for releasing the ghost in this outing - diminishing it's original underlying social critique.

Lore and story additions in this outing are good. It is just held back by introducing too many characters (including returning ones) and gives them very little screentime. Also the pacing is off, and it drags in places it shouldn't. The plot is also too convoluted for it's own good. Nadeem's character arc was enough to make a point about respecting one's history.

Frozen Empire definitely gets the spooky and creepiness needed but forgets to level that out with comedy - essential for the film. Most of the jokes fall flat, which is hardly surprising because the Ghostbusters are all serious Spenglers and no goofball Venkmans.

Fortunately Bill Murry is here to deliver a great one-liner. That's only one good joke though in a film of next to no quotable lines. Bill Murray usually carries the Ghostbusters films in terms of screwball comedy. Sadly he's looking really tired in this one and no-one else save a few lines from Nadeem gets much of a laugh. Ghostbusters sorely needs that one character who is having fun in the film, laughing at the plot, the sets, the ghosts, the situation, and not taking everything so painfully seriously.

There is one plot point in particular that gets my goat - specifically related to how the boss ghost ultimately escapes - pushing limits of credulity in even a Ghostbusters film, which is putting it mildly.

Not up to the standard of the previous outing in Afterlife, but as a popcorn film it's not half bad I guess. Seems hard that after so many years, they still haven't figured out exactly what made the original Ghostbusters work as well as it did.

Ex Machina (2014)

More prescient these days than ever

[9/10 · 12 June 2024]

This is probably the most intelligent film about Artificial Intelligence since Blade Runner.

A computer whiz is given the prize of conducting a Turing Test of an artificially intelligent robot created by a tech billionaire. He's sequestered away together with him into a private compound, and thus begins what can only be described as the worst case of cabin fever imaginable.

This is a slow moving thriller with lots of intelligent dialogue and enough pacing and ambiguity to allow the viewer to really think about the implications of artificial intelligence without directly spelling it out. The photography is fantastic, with contrasting outside shots of nature with the brutalist architecture inside the compound and it's many glass walls, separating the two. The overuse of mirrored glass also serves to separate man and machine. The special effects on the female actors to display their robotic innards is amazing.

There's "Garden of Eden" and "Alice in Wonderland" themes under the surface of the story. There are also lots of tiny details - details that you will probably miss unless you're paying attention and playing detective with repeated viewings. Quite brilliant. My only real issue with it is the final few scenes of the film, which don't make much logical sense. This is minor, as this is a movie more invested in communicating it's themes.

Being a thriller, the movie ends in a particularly surprising way but with lots of plot twists. Ultimately it's a story about power and manipulation, both by people, mega corporations, and religion, and quite directly - gender relationships. The film asks where is this is all headed. The movie is even more prescient these days with the advent of large language models like ChatGPT and their ilk.

I was left with the message that if we want to get artificial intelligence to be as close to human as possible, we're going to have to start treating it as such. Students always imitate the teacher. Anyone who is a parent to a child should know that already.

Monkey (1978–2004)

Thank You Baby

[10/10 · 30 May 2024]

How this NHK TV production found it's way out of Japan and onto the TV screens of English speaking children in the 1908s is something of a testament to how good the series is. Not many Japanese TV shows manage to reach escape velocity from their own domestic market. Monkey was many a child's formative exposure to the world of the far east, and my goodness, did it leave an impression!

Smashing onto the screen with some incredibly catchy 1970s rock music courtesy of band Godiego, the power of Monkey was irrepressable! It's strange to think in hindsight that this genre of music would fit with it's setting of ancient China, but it certainly does. Songs like Monkey's title theme, "Thank You Baby", "Havoc in Heaven", and "Ghandara" are seared onto my consciousness and those of the same generation.

Monkey had everything. Wild English dubbing, crazy jokes, ham-fisted performances, extravagant costumes, hokey special effects, and violent fight choreographed scenes. Amongst it all were sentimental and serious Buddhist teachings and philosophy about the human condition, delivered by a narrator and handled with great sensitivity. Most of this went over our heads as children, as we treated the Buddha as a make believe fantasy character peculiar to the world of Monkey Magic. We were more fascinated by the violence. Going beyond this, rewatching Monkey as an adult is considerably more... enlightening!

Unlike the source material of the "Journey to the west", Monkey doesn't really resolve itself properly in line with the overarching plot of the journey to India. This is expertly cast into the themes of it's final episode. I am not alone in feeling a desire for more episodes. Yet as the Buddha teaches, the source of all our suffering is desire. It is very hard to want nothing and to keep moving, but if we are to be enlightened, we must discover that this is in fact very easy.

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998 Video)

Foundation breaking premise may upset kids & parents

[8/10 · 20 May 2024]

Scooby Doo on zombie island commits the sin of breaking it's show's foundational premise. It starts treating the supernatural as real, and taking the show's format out of the realm of mystery and firmly into the horror camp. That just didn't sit well with me.

For one thing, parents can usually trust Scooby Doo will solve the mystery, helping the kids understand that there is no supernatural monster under the bed, and that everything has a rational explanation if the mystery is solved. Along with this you got some campy comedy, some clever Rube-Goldberg traps, and an appreciation of science and investigation. Scooby Doo has been taking the fear out of the unknown for kids for years. Sadly, Zombie Island does away with all of this. I figured if they were going to start accepting the supernatural as real, why not go further and just have the gang exercise their second-amendment rights on the monsters - instead of laying some overly elaborate trap as they usually do?

On the positive side it's actually well animated and has a well thought out plot, and some genuine scares and horror. There's also a number of self-referential gags poking fun about the formulaic nature of the Scooby Doo format, but the movie ends up subverting all of them - in a good way if you like horror, but should this have really been a Scooby Doo film?

If, however you watch this with your child and you are dismayed by the formula being broken right under your nose, there is good news. A sequel "Return to Zombie Island" has Velma is on a quest to make sense of this film. Thankfully it's a much needed book-end.

Falling Down (1993)

Clever character study

[9/10 · 14 May 2024]

Michael Douglas' fantastic performance of frustration with society usually gets most of the attention in this film, and quite rightly so.

However, what's actually going on is a contrasting character study between two frustrated old men. Each has what the other wants, but both men feel trapped in any case. Douglas' character has been fired, unfairly estranged from his wife, and has a child. He has decided to go on a rampage. Duvall's character is willingly leaving his police job, has an annoying wife he wants to stay away from, and lost a child he wanted. Yet he decides to stick around and play cop.

Many of the situations that Douglas' character finds himself in is extremely relatable, if somewhat exaggerated. He goes ahead and does what most of us may have felt like wanting to do, but refrain from doing because we're not psychopaths. Falling Down exposes the raw nerve that many of us experience. We have all been let down by what life promises, but always seem to fail to live up to. How we deal with that is what's important.

Legend (1985)

The Rocky Horror Show does dark fantasy

[6/10 · 7 March 2024]

So tell me if you've seen this one before: Two innocent lovers are corrupted by an evil villain played by Tim Curry in a dark castle where they somehow have to escape but are forever tainted by the experience.

I could be talking about the Rocky Horror Show, but I could also be talking about Legend. Both films are cult classics, and I think the reason why they manage to achieve this is through the time-tested "Garden of Eden/Original sin" plotline. The difference is that Legend lacks all the fun, silliness, and musicality of the Rocky Horror Show. It's all replaced with a dark fantasy setting and supporting actors that look the part.

I saw the US release with the Tangerine Dream soundtrack. The music is not at bad, especially the unicorn theme. Costume design is incredible as one imagines just how long it took for Tim Curry to get his demon head on before every filming session.

Ultimately the writing and pacing is fairly weak and it's not hard to see why it did poorly at the box office. I lived through the 1980s as a child and had never even heard of this film until recently. Now I know why.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

The Garden of Eden as a B-movie.

[9/10 · 21 February 2024]

The tough thing about understanding the RHPS is whether Richard O'Brien was deliberately trying to say something with this stage musical, or whether it was just an excuse to throw science-fiction B-movie tropes into a pot and to stir it all up for fun and laughs.

In the end, it may not really matter. People really love this movie/musical and it will stay with you once you've seen it and had time to take it all in.

The film will speak to everyone a bit differently, and perhaps that's the point. Members of the LGBTQI+ community find solace in the film (and Tim Curry's fabulous portrayal of the evil Dr. Franken-Furter), but conservative viewers can be equally satisfied in the ending as well. Others will see the entire film as frivolous drivel and take nothing away from it.

There seems to be something of a bizarre "Garden of Eden" story going on under the surface, with all the moral concepts that alludes to. There's also lots of strange references: such as the 1930's "American Gothic" portrait and two of the characters in the film, along with the pitchfork, foreboding what is to come. References to King Kong and Frankenstein are obvious, including some blink-and-you'll-miss-it ones. One might wonder if it all means something or not under closer analysis. Equally it could all just be a dreamworld that should be seen in a cinema with similar minded freaks at midnight, and enjoyed as the raucous musical it is. I could easily be reading too much into it!

Toy Story 4 (2019)

Disney trashed Toy Story's legacy with this

[6/10 · 24 October 2023]

There are so many things wrong with Toy Story 4.

Primarily it ruins character consistency with the rest of the Toy Story movies, and then stomps on the themes and messaging of the first three, and not for the better. In addition to that, there are some scary and creepy bits that might upset kids.

They have a new character which seems to be suffering severe depression and behaves in a way that's extremely concerning. It just feels completely wrong for this kids film to take such a dark turn.

However by far the worst part is it's emasculation of Woody by the female characters. It's almost as if they set out to do this - as it's so blatant - and in doing so, ruin the messaging of the first three movies. It feels deeply unsatisfying as you feel that the evil characters end up winning.

Toy Story 4 is a perfect case of an unnecessary sequel done for money, less interested in telling a story, and more concerned with pushing an agenda.

That said, it is really well animated.

You might want to get your kids the DVDs of the first three movies, but you'll deliberately want to skip this one as if it doesn't exist.