Edge of Tomorrow (2014) – 8/10 science fiction time-travel action war movie

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Cast / crew Director: Doug Liman Tom Cruise: Cage Emily Blunt: Rita

Edge of Tomorrow (2014) Tom Cruise is being all ace as an army media advisor but his world is turned upside-down when he is informed that these services aren’t needed any more and he’s going to the front line of the war. Oh yes, there’s a war on. With aliens. 8/10 This is a terrific science fiction action movie, a lot of fun, with decent brain-tickling action and, surprisingly, some gleefully funny scenes. Tom Cruise nails it throughout (though he always brings his A-game, that’s what makes his movies always worth watching) with his Tom Cruise-ness being spectacularly punctured by a having-none-of-it Brendan Gleeson leaving him to progress from confused terror to confident combatant. The ending: SPOILER I think he inherited the Omega’s time-reset ability and can now redo anything he wants. Therefore he survives the interview with the General in London and convinces him to bomb the pants out of the Louvre and then heads over to the base to strike up a romantic relationship with Emily Blunt. Likely to end up being the best summer blockbuster of the year. This movie contains gruesome and unpleasant scenes, war violence, bad language and a fat man’s butt Classified 12A by BBFC. Persons under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Remember Me (2013, PS3) – 8/10 third-person science-fiction action game review

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Cast / crew Art Director: Aleksi Briclot Art Director: Michel Koch Technical Director: Jérome Banal Producer: Nicolas Simon Lead Technical Designer: Gautier de Souza Lead Technical Designer: Jacques Trombini Lead Environment Artist: Sophie Van de Velde Lead Character Artist: Alexis Smadja-Fellous Lead Visual Effects Artist: Timothée Letourneux Lead Lighting Artist: Frédéric Cros Lead Animator: Carole Chaland Lead Animator: Alexandre Cuing Cinematic Director: Jean-Luc Cano Lead Designer: Philippe Moreau Lead Designer: Marc Pestka Music Composer, Orchestrator, Producer and Adaptor: Olivier Derivière Director: Jean-Maxime Moris Kezia Burrows: Nilin

Remember Me (2013) Nilin is rescued from a memory-wipe facility by Edge and has little choice but to follow his instructions to stay alive. As she gradually remembers more skills he quickly sets her to work as a revolutionary but Nilin is conflicted about the chaos she is causing. 8/10 Remember Me deserved rather better than to be sniffed at by contemporary critics who moaned about stuff that exists in other more lauded games (such as the very mildly unruly camera and completely normal number of enemy types). The gameplay adds welcome wrinkles to the third-person brawler with its Pressen system. These are actions slotted into custom combos that can deal damage, heal, accelerate super-power cooldown or amplify the preceding Pressen; a combined effect that you design then execute during exciting, absorbing action. The gameplay is mixed up, as is the norm, with traversal and simple puzzles but a couple of riddles crop up and are something of an unexpected highlight. The cut-scenes are smoothly integrated and beautifully directed and edited, the art design is superb while Olivier Derivière’s music is unusual, effective and fitting. Remember Me drew me in and I wanted to see it through to the end. Well worth buying; don’t forget Remember Me. This game contains sexual swear words, bad language, adult dialogue, violence Classified 16+ by PEGI. The game is only suitable for persons who have reached the age of 16 or over.. Classified Violence by PEGI. Game contains depictions of violence.

Frozen (2013) – 8/10 fantasy Disney animated movie review

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Cast / crew Director and Story Writer Inspired by “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen: Chris Buck Director and Screenplay and Story Writer Inspired by “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen: Jennifer Lee Producer: Peter Del Vecho Executive Producer: John Lasseter Writer “The Snow Queen”: Hans Christian Andersen Story Writer Inspired by “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen: Shane Morris Songs Composer: Kristen Anderson-Lopez Songs Composer: Robert Lopez Head of Story: Paul Briggs Head of Animation: Lino DiSalvo Kristen Bell: Anna Idina Menzel: Elsa Jonathan Groff: Kristoff Josh Gad: Olaf Santino Fontana: Hans Stephen John Anderson: Kai

Frozen (2013) After a childhood accident nearly kills her younger sister, Princess Elsa has to hide to fact that she can produce ice by magic and isolates herself while trying to wrestle control over her immense power. As the time for her coronation approaches and a public appearance is unavoidable, the last thing she needs is any more stress. That’ll be when her sister tells her she’s marrying this dude she only met that day. Gaah! 8/10 Frozen has that rarest and most intangible of movie qualities: magic. This is the magic of Disney’s second golden age inspired by Howard Ashman and so it features songs that are integral to the storytelling. Why should it be that animation and songs go together so well and that the form is timeless? Anyway, it has never ceased to astonish me that directors saw songs as something that were bolted on to Disney’s past great animated movies. The songs, if used, are always part, indeed, I would say they were the heart, of the movie. They always tell you something, illuminate someone, touch you somewhere inside. The movie wouldn’t work without the songs (take note The Princess and The Frog). The power of the song is in telling the story, not augmenting it. Frozen realises this and the result is magic. This movie contains violence, unpleasant scenes

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) – 8/10 science-fiction action adventure movie review

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Cast / crew For: Gene Roddenberry Director and Screenplay Writer: Nicholas Meyer Kirk: William Shatner Spock: Leonard Nimoy DeForest Kelley: McCoy James Doohan: Scotty Walter Koenig: Chekov Nichelle Nichols: Uhuru George Takei: Sulu Mark Lenard: Sarek David Warner: Chancellor Gorkon Kim Cattrall: Lt. Valeris Rosana DeSoto: Azetbur Christopher Plummer: Chang Dedicated To and Original Series Creator STAR TREK: Gene Roddenberry Story Writer: Lawrence Konner Story Writer: Mark Rosenthal Actor, Executive Producer and Story Writer: Leonard Nimoy Screenplay Writer: Denny Martin Flinn Producer: Ralph Winter Producer: Steven-Charles Jaffe

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) When a disaster on Praxis, an important energy-producing moon, faces the Klingon race with the choice of military expenditure or survival as a species, they call to the Federation to arrange a peace. Three months from retirement, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise are sent as a figurative olive branch to escort the Klingon Ambassador to Earth. After a less-than-successful diplomatic meal aboard the Enterprise, Kirk is rudely awoken by the sound of Enterprise firing on the Ambassador’s ship and his subsequent assassination. In the absence of the actual killers, Kirk and McCoy are arrested and put on trial. 8/10 "Nice to see you in action, one more time, Captain Kirk." – Captain Sulu In what must be a unique cinematic event, the original Star Trek cast literally sign off from their motion picture series and must have been deservedly proud that it was done with this spectacular and interesting, generally well paced and smart movie. Boasting social commentary, courtroom drama, murder mystery intrigue, one of the greatest beards in movie history (Kurtwood Smith), a prison escape, a dude who doesn’t have knees where his knees are and a classic space battle resolved with intellect (and a lot of photon torpedoes, admittedly), The Undiscovered Country is a terrific movie with a lot to like. Not included in that list would be Kim Cattrall who threatens to undermine everything with her lack of acting ability. Generally, though, the movie is handled surely by Wrath of Khan director Nicholas Meyer and is headlined by wonderful work from William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. It certainly was nice to see them in action one more time. This movie contains graphic violence, gory scenes, unpleasant scenes Classified PG by BBFC. Parental Guidance.

Always (1989) – 8/10 fantasy action romance Steven Spielberg movie review

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Cast / crew Director: Steven Spielberg Screenplay Writer: Jerry Belson Writer (Original Screenplay) “A Guy Named Joe”: Dalton Trumbo Writer (Original Screenplay Adaptation) “A Guy Named Joe”: Frederick Hazlitt Brennan Writer (Original Screen Story) “A Guy Named Joe”: Chandler Sprague Writer (Original Screen Story) “A Guy Named Joe”: David Boehm Richard Dreyfuss: Pete Sandich Holly Hunter: Dorinda Durston John Goodman: Al Yackey Brad Johnson: Ted Baker Audrey Hepburn: Hap Producer: Steven Spielberg Producer: Frank Marshall Producer: Kathleen Kennedy Music: John Williams

Always (1989) Fire fighting pilot Pete saves best friend Al’s life by sacrificing his own. He is sent back by an angel to help influence the life of another trainee fire-fighting pilot, Ted Baker. However, a chance meeting by this trainee reintroduces Pete to his former love, Dorinda. Will he concentrate on his duty or will he make a futile attempt to rekindle his long-lost romance? 8/10 This is a forgotten Spielberg; a gem awaiting your discovery. This is an emotionally engaging fantasy romance with some good humour and outstanding action. It’s certainly not above criticism as it’s not consistently convincing and the Dreyfuss-Hunter romance for the first part of the movie feels lifted from an animated movie. However, all of the action sequences are extremely thrilling and spectacular, there are a number of lovely scenes and the climax works emotionally. Also, Always contains a mighty Hitler moustache gag that you probably won’t ever see again in a Spielberg movie. This movie contains mild adult dialogue, mild bad language, mild unpleasant scenes and Holly Hunter in adorably chunky white socks Classified PG by BBFC. Parental Guidance. Links Always: great Hitler moustache gag

Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets (2002) – 8/10 fantasy action movie review

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Cast / crew Director and Executive Producer: Chris Columbus Screenplay Writer Based on the novel by J.K. Rowling: Steve Kloves Producer: David Heyman Writer (Original Novel): J.K. Rowling Harry Potter: Daniel Radcliffe Ron Weasley: Rupert Grint Hermione Granger: Emma Watson Kenneth Branagh: Gilderoy Lockhart Nearly Headless Nick: John Cleese Rubeus Hagrid: Robbie Coltrane Professor Filius Flitwick: Warwick Davis Vernon Dursley: Richard Griffiths Professor Albus Dumbledore: Richard Harris Lucius Malfoy: Jason Isaacs Professor Severus Snape: Alan Rickman Petunia Dursley: Fiona Shaw Professor Minverva McConagall: Maggie Smith Molly Weasley: Julie Walters

Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets (2002) Unhappily existing at his Muggle family anxious to return to Hogwart’s, Harry Potter is visisted by a house elf who’s mission is to stop him attending this year at all costs. Despite the elf’s best efforts, Harry manages to get to school but he might wish he hadn’t as petrified animals and students and writing in blood on the walls warn of the re-opening of the legendary Chamber of Secrets and the unleashing of the horror within. 8/10 Significantly better than the first episode with vastly improved special effects, more interesting photography and lots of ideas and good moments. Kenneth Branagh steals the show as a superstar wizard, Jason Isaacs is good value as what will hopefully be a recurring character but the two male leads, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, provide the movies’ unshakable heart and soul. This movie contains intense scary scenes, violence, strong unpleasant scenes Classified PG by BBFC. Parental Guidance. Links Harry Potter Screened by Slimm Previous: Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone Next: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971) – 8/10 comedy western review

Cast / crew James Garner: Latigo [Smith] Suzanne Pleshette: Patience Harry Morgan: Taylor Jack Elam: Jug May Producer: William Finnegan Writer: James Edward Grant Director and Executive Producer: Burt Kennedy

Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971) When conman Latigo Smith rolls into town escaping from the clutches of fiancée Goldie with all her money, he soon succumbs to his one weakness: the roulette table. And loses all his money, of course. However, he soon thinks up another scheme by getting local horse-holder (!) and town idiot Jug May to pose as legendary gunslinger Swifty Morgan and hiring out his services despite neither of them being able to fire a single shot in a straight line. 8/10 Terrific comedy western which may disappoint on first viewing because it is not in the same style as predecessor Support Your Local Sheriff (1968). It may go above the heads of youngsters by ditching the more slapstick elements of its predecessor Support Your Local Sheriff in favour of mind games and gags more related to human weaknesses. However, the adults in the audience will still enjoy this. Garner, Morgan and beautiful, big-eyed Pleshette are all on top form but are outshone by the wonderful Jack Elam as his trusting sidekick Jug May. There’s even three (count ’em) top-notch ‘ass’ jokes. This movie contains adult dialogue and violence, unexpectedly and extremely unpleasant scene (just about off-screen finger-breaking, twice). Classified PG by BBFC. Parental Guidance. Links Support Your Local Sheriff