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Labyrinth (1986)
One of my favorite childhood films
This film was one of my favorite as a kid. Both my brother and sister liked it equally. It applies to both sexes. Watching it again more recently also proves to me at least, it is a film adults can enjoy too.
All the jokes that went over my head as a child I noticed to my amusement. The set and the puppets are wonderful and weird. Highlights include the 'Helping Hands' and the 'Bog of the Eternal Stench'.
The character development is great and you warm to the kind-hearted band of friends that embark on an important mission. First to save Sarah's (Jen Connolly) baby brother and beat Jareth, The Goblin King's perplexing Labyrinth.
The set design and the many puppets used are a visual treat. You do not see a film set you see the world of the Labyrinth. A world of weird and wonderful where left is right and right is left. Very much akin to Lewis Carroll's famous novel Alice in Wonderland. The surreal nature of the film gives it great depth and atmosphere.
Davie Bowie is great as the Goblin King. He embodies the narcissistic despot living in the centre of the maze. Camping it up with style and providing the film with top class vocal performances in the film's musical interludes.
I could write an essay on this film, but I think I have said enough. A great kid's film that parents will also love.
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Matinée
Saw this with my wife. Good film for either gender. I had read the book many moons ago but forgot what happened at the end. So I was alongside Poirot trying to guess the culprit. Won't say more on that (spoiler).
Anyway what I liked about this film was the cinematic quality. Branagh used old fashioned film cameras and the plush decor of the Orient Express looks great on the big screen. Especially with all the (Alps) snow outside the train. Gave it a sort of 'christmassy' vibe.
Anyway I always envisioned Poirot as being a little swarthier than Branagh but non the less he does a good Belgian impression. Also I liked how his mustache was shaped just like the old fashionable facial hair of the era (1930s).
Yes there appears to be a black character shoe-horned in to satisfy the liberal cult. But they did not overdo it and it did not spoil the film. In fact even down to the way characters talk it was mostly historically accurate.
Not a classic by any means and for some reason Branagh just seems a tad too Anglo-Saxon to be Poirot but I never felt bored and left quite satisfied. I think Agatha Christie is a great writer and it shows.
Into the White (2012)
A fun story, well acted
Not a huge budget, most of the film takes place inside a cabin in a Norwegian snow storm. opposing factions from the same war become friends and work together to survive. Stuck in the middle of nowhere with no food and below freezing weather. The common ground comes from them both being survivors of air crashes. Luftwaffe and RAF.
This film depended a lot on the actors I feel. If they had been wooden it would have been a really boring film.
So as you may have guessed I thought they did a fine job. Rupert Grint and the flash 'hooray Henry' British officer (played by Lachlan Nieboor) had great poise and delivery. As did the German airmen.
It is not a big budget thrill a second film but it is an enjoyable slow burner. One of the most amusing scenes is when they are chopping their cabin up for firewood and the roof nearly caves in. They have to work together to prevent their temporary abode from crushing them.
It is not a classic or a blockbuster type film but it is definitely enjoyable till the end.
Rise of the Footsoldier 3 (2017)
Caaants
We re-join the same characters from the first film. What's to say about this one. It has more violence. It isn't very accurate to what happened, but it is good enough to fill a few hours. Nothing ground breaking here. There are no good or bad, just bad on both sides. General caaants I guess.
Rise of the Footsoldier: Part II (2015)
Awright you melts!
It is a good film, well put together and fun. They overdo the sex scenes a bit. Most people who watch this film have seen a pair of tits before.
The characters are pretty well cast. Leech is good but the actor looks totally different in almost every way which is a bit frustrating at times.
The people the film is based on are clearly no angels. But the film does not falsely try to make out they are great blokes. The problem in my view is that some young blokes watch films like this and then sort of look up to these people as glamorous.
They are in fact horrible caaants, especially the bloke who gets a lot of pleasure out of horrific torture. The fact he is a fictional character that is best mates with Carlton could be an illusion to something else if you catch my drift.
But I cannot deny that although I don't think there is any honor in being a gangster, I like many others find their world fascinating.
There are better gangster films about bigger cheeses out there but this one is still enjoyable and actually has a good climactic ending. It does not suffer the same shocking production values as some really budget gangster films
Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration (2011)
Entertaining but silly
I am being generous here. The production values are good and the film is perfectly well put together with an excellent visual quality about it.
The thing is, as a Christian myself I do not believe Joseph Smith was a prophet. Those listed as prophets in the bible were in my view under divine inspiration from god. That Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.
But Joseph Smith engaged in what would be considered verboten and occult practises. He was also a high ranking free mason. I am not going to say much more other than if you really consider yourself a Christian masonry is definitely not something you would be involved with. Or rather if Smith really was a prophet he would not have been a mason. Or he would have dropped it then and there.
Also many of the mormon ideas such as people being saved retrospectively having not lived as christians is not biblically true. Many of the very conservative advice offered in the bible is in fact in conflict with Joseph Smith.
I consider myself a Christian but Smith was not genuine. In fact it is likely a lot of the persecution came not because the opponents of Mormons were ridiculous bullies as portrayed in the film. Rather they had a more grounded idea of the bible and did not buy Smith's wacky ideas. In those days people perceived to be preaching doctrine not straight from the bible were considered heretics and they were often dealt with a lot more firmly than the equivalent today.
Heck it was funny though. I just watch it thinking how dumb anyone who buys it is.