Casino Royale

For a long time, the James Bond franchise has had very little to do with the laws of physics, let alone Cold War paranoia. This latest romp for Her Majesty’s favourite sociopath is notable because the filmmakers have finally decided that enough is enough for the old formula. Yes, there is still wanton destruction and disrespect for the safety of all but the British Public, but this comes second to (gasp!) actual espionage. Daniel Craig displays a bit more depth than previous actors, but he wouldn’t be Bond if he wasn’t luxuriating in his own manliness, style, gadgets (as you’d expect, his mobile is second to none) and knowledge that everybody wants to be him. As a film, Casino Royale is patchy, but refreshing in that it eschews the machismo of “classic” Bond, and instead portrays the less glamorous side of his work. This isn’t to say it’s any more realistic though.

The Weatherman

Enjoyable, accurate, yet inconsistent and rambling in places, The Weatherman offers a very human portrayal of success and what it is to be content. The performances are fantastic, notably Michael Caine doing a great job of concealing his Cockney roots. The problems come with the narrative - the disemodied voice of Nicholas Cage isn't present enough to be anything other than surprising when it decides to show up. It also feels disjointed in a couple of "point-edifying" sequences that, if one was being unkind, would be better suited to a Guy Ritchie film.

Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

As characters with simple beginnings progress into ever more elaborate stories, it's only natural that they become near caricatures of themselves and risk losing some of what made them so charming in the first place. Wallace and Gromit teeter on the edge of this precipice sometimes, but not enough for it to be a problem. Also, be they the stars, our plasticine protaganists aren't allowed to dominate, and the film has plenty of other characters who are allowed to be in their own sense. Full of jokes that you might miss first time round, which is always a good sign of longevity in comedies.

Spiderman 2

It is testament to the power of hype that I voluntarily decided to watch this film. It has been said that the Spiderman movies rise above standard super hero franchises because of the strong characters. I can't find any of those however. It's hard to decide what I disliked most about this, but maybe it's that Peter Parkers martrydom is taken to such an absurd length, I wanted him to throw in the towel or become a super villian, or do something, anything to end it all...and that includes the film.

ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 - Gegege no Kitaro

Complaints that the finished product doesn't bear adequate resemblance to the source material are all too common when talking about film adaptations of comics, so I'll say no more on that subject, other than the lead is too sexy to play a character whose name translates as "Ogre Boy". To take the film on its merits, there are little of those. Whilst some scenes look almost stunning, others display the production values of a shoddily made for TV movie. Moreover, what little plot was offered resembled a wall constructed from randomly shaped and placed bricks. It isn't without it's charms though, and despite a long series of denouments, manages to be engaging for a while.

Broken Flowers

Although Bill Murray is once again playing a different degree of "successful yet jaded middle aged man", his performance is superbly underplayed, and fits well in this subtle film about an elderly Cassonova, searching for a former lover who may or may not have sent him a provocative letter. Good chemistry between the cast.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

Given the title and notoriety of this B Movie stalwart, I was hardly expecting Kubrick. A few more laughs would have sufficed. Despite a promising start and enthusiastic efforts from the cast (seemingly of thousands) the undeniable crapness eventually shines through. Watch out for the only funny gag (featuring a boy and his dog) and arm yourself with recreational substances if you feel inspired to watch this monstrosity.