Reviews

I am always intrigued when I watch the credits at the end of a movie like this, particularly when the writers are mentioned. I always wonder if those people actually think they have written something new, different and innovative when, in fact, the movie is full of tropes and stereotypes that have turned up in many, often better, movies in the past. That's the case here. All I can say is Mel Gibson must really need the money. Lorraine Bracco's participation is a completely unnecessary as her character is completely unnecessary and has zilch to do with the plot and doesn't appear much anyway.

Look, I don't want to be completely negative about this. I think that tweens and young teens will probably find it riveting, so long as their parents are happy to let them watch it (it does get gruesome at times). Adults who have seen all this done before and can tell when they're being emotionally manipulated ( as this movie often tries to do) will find it all a bit of a yawn.

One final note about Mason Thames, the young protagonist: movies like this are fine to learn the basics and hone your acting chops, but if he doesn't start getting roles in better movies than this, his career is going to be a short one and that would be sad.

I have to confess that I am totally unfamiliar with the anime which is the source of this series and so I cannot comment on how faithful this adaption is to its origin. I recognise that for many watchers, the faithfulness of this adaption to its source is going to make a big impact on how they rate it. I can only comment on how enjoyable this is as a stand alone series. To be honest, I really did enjoy this series. The story is strong enough, the effects and the sets are good enough to keep the viewers attention and even to binge watch. The only down side I can see - and it's a big one - is that the acting throughout is awful. The cast seems to have been chosen based on how oriental they look, not on how well they act. It's hard to find a single cast member whose acting talents are even average. The young lad who plays Aang is one of the worst. Half the time, he speaks so quickly it's impossible to understand what he is saying. Thank goodness for subtitles. I don't know if the original anime was Chinese or Japanese (or otherwise Asian) in origin, but this series is pure Hollywood and America. That's definitely not to its benefit.

In short, I enjoyed this but it is seriously flawed.

I always say that the best children's movies are those which work on two levels: one which keeps the adults interested and chortling along and which flies above the heads of kids, and a second level which delights the kids and keeps them enthralled. The Paddington movies are a great example of this. By that standard, this is definitely not one of the best children's movies. The CGI in this movie and the special effects are top notch. The story is not. It's not even very original. You will recognise a lot of themes and concepts 'borrowed' from other, better movies as you watch this. Of the two main actors - both children - neither can act very well and one of them can't act at all. It's the pity there isn't more in this to appeal to older kids, teen and adults because I suspect that the story and themes may be a bit too complicated to hold the attention of younger kids, even though they're the target audience.

Sadly, it is really hard to recommend this movie. I guess it may be preferable to spending an evening re-arranging your sock drawer - but only just. Maybe.

Whatever it is you like in a movie - suspense, family drama, a gripping story, true-life drama, a plausible story or , let's be honest, a little bit of eroticism, this movie is just not going to provide it In fact, this movie fails so badly it is quite laughable. I think the producers think they are doing that, but they're not.

A story idea that has definite possibilities is ruined by a ridiculous script, clunky and unrealistic dialogue and, most of all, a complete lack of acting ability by any single member of the cast. Essentially, this movie is just a series of increasingly unlikely, poorly staged and simply ridiculous set pieces portraying the life of young Zac Butterfield during his abduction, the half-hearted efforts of the authorities as they seek to find him, and the travailles of his parents as they deal with the reality of their missing son.

I guess this movie isn't all bad. I guess it is family friendly in that there is very little flesh shown and barely any swearing. Trouble is, not many members of your family are going to be able to sit through it. I guess the best thing you can say about it is it doesn't last too long.

Very enjoyable action movie. Yes, there are many scenes which are quite improbable; there are any number of plot elements that will leave you saying, 'hang on a minute'; and you can just about guess how it's going to end while the opening titles are still running but as long as you can resist thinking too hard about it, you will really enjoy this. There is good acting, a great soundtrack and the locations in Finland are spectacular. The only complaint I have is that it ends too soon, with a number of plot lines left unresolved, at least to my satisfaction. I note that IMDb says this movie is 110 minutes long. The version I watched only ran for 90 minutes, so maybe there were missing scenes?? Anyway, it's still a good little movie and I'm happy to recommend it.

This little movie is touted as a thriller of sorts. Sadly, there are very few thrills to be had here. The script is really clunky and the dialogue is excruciating. There are only four actors in the whole movie and, other than the boy, they are not unknown actors. None are big stars, but they are not unknowns. Based on their performances here, they deserve to be. The young boy is the best of the bunch, and he is no great shakes. Maxwell Caulfield deserves a special mention. He has to be one of the most irritating, unappealing actors I have ever come across. I'm not going to say give this movie a miss, but don't get your expectations too high.

You have to hand it to the screenwriter: it is a real feat to take a fine British cast and and a story full of intrigue and mystery - and a true story no less - and produce such an average movie. Part of the problem, actually the main problem, is that the writer can't resist incorporating a totally unnecessary and irrelevant romantic subplot. Unfortunately, the movie spends time focusing on this tripe when it should be spending more time focusing on the story. As a result, the excitement and suspense that should permeate this movie is significantly watered down. Add the occasional turgid voice over to the mix, and this movie turns out to be so much less than it could have been. As it is, it is just OK.

I've got to confess, I only watched this because of the presence of Maggie Smith and Jim Broadbent in the cast. Unfortunately, their participation isn't enough to lift this movie out of the realm of average Christmas fare and into the high levels of the Christmas classics.

Don't get me wrong; the younger kids will love this. Older kids and adults, however, may find themselves growing a bit tired of it well before it's over. That's not to say, the movie doesn't try to appeal on two levels, at least to begin with, but it soon gives up. Those familiar with The Princess Bride may note some similarities with that movie in how this story is presented.

The production values are good, the locations are fantastic, the CGI work is up to what's required and the very PC and diverse cast is good. Again, it's hard not to enjoy Maggie Smith and Jim Broadbent in any movie. The young man who plays Nikolas is good in one of his first roles. I wish him a long and successful career. I couldn't help thinking he was a bit old for this role though.

I will say, there are one or two clever plot twists in this movie that older viewers will enjoy, especially at the end.

It would be churlish to be too critical of this movie. As I said, it's intended audience will love it, other age cohorts maybe not so much. At any rate, it'll give you time to get some presents wrapped while the kids are otherwise occupied.

Definitely one of the second tier superhero movies. A lot of money has been spent on the special effects and scenery. It's just a pity that more care was not taken with the script. At times I found it quite irritating. The putative good guys seem like nasty and chauvinistic and the titular 'bad guy' actually attracts much more sympathy. In particular, the character of Hawkman is an annoying bigot. You won't find yourself rooting for either side. Neither of them attract much sympathy. There are lame attempts at humour and very obvious attempts to extract emotion. They all fall flat.

The acting is pedestrian. The theme song is abominable. The script is derivative. Still, it isn't boring and is worth watching at least once. I just don't think it will attract many repeat viewings.

The original Hocus Pocus was a lot of fun, due in no small amount to the presence of Bette Midler. The original three ladies return to play the Sanderson sisters and, once again, Bette Midler is the best thing about this remake. Sadly, Disney has chosen to turn the concept into one of those dreary, girl-power drivel-fests that Disney and Nickelodeon churn out with nauseating regularity. And, to make matters worse, it descends into sickening schmaltz towards the end. That is even without mentioning the idiotic plot 'twist' based around the main girl character. The original was fun, because it wasn't trying to make a point or support an agenda and featured some delicious cameos. There are a few fun ideas in this movie and Bette Midler is always a joy to watch, but unless you're a pre-teen girl, you're not going to find a lot else to like about this.

This movie has got two things going for it: a great cast and a clever premise. Unfortunately, the only thing it hasn't got going for it is being funny. That's pretty deadly for a comedy one would think. Sadly, this movie doesn't get very far into the proceedings before it becomes pretty obvious that it's a lemon. The rest of its running time combines to make this the longest 90 or so minutes I have endured in a long time. And to think they made three in the series! I shall be giving the other two a miss and I'm sorry I didn't do the same for this one. In short, save yourself some time and find yourself something better.

I have seen quite a few adaptions of Agatha Christie novels on the screen, some good and some less so, but this has to be the worst of them.

This is set in Africa, but is definitely and obviously done on the cheap, I doubt this production ever came anywhere near the Serengeti. There is a monkey, however, and some African noises in the background but more than that is required to give this drab-looking movie any semblance of authenticity. There are a couple of well-known, talented actors, but they can't do much for this dud. They seem to acting on Valium anyway. Generally speaking, the acting here is very pedestrian.

It takes a rare talent to take an Agatha Christie story and completely remove all the tension and suspense, but the writers, director and producers of this movie have successfully done so.

Give it a miss.

It must take a certain kind of hubris to put your name down as the story writer for a picture like this. I'd be too embarrassed. That's because there is very little original here. You have seen this movie before - or versions of it - done much better than this. This movie might appeal to really young kids who haven't seen other, better, earlier movies that use the same oft-repeated template, but I don't think this movie is aimed at that age group.

So, a silly, derivative, unoriginal plot coupled with bad acting and annoying stereotypical characters. Sometimes, these movies redeem themselves by having talented child actors who outshine the adults and look to have a great future in the film industry. That's not the case here. Yes, the kids do outshine the adults, but that's because they get more screen time and because the adults are so bad. Hardly a compliment.

In a nutshell: save yourself some time and find something better to watch. It won't be difficult.

A gifted cast and innumerable colorful and spectacular special effects can't hide the fact a convoluted mess of a movie. This plot is completely lacking in tension, excitement or thrills. None of the characters are in any way sympathetic and I regret to say, things do not look promising for the longevity of the Dr Strange franchise. Perhaps Dr Strange has more value as a supporting character for other superheroes than he does as a stand alone character, at least as he has been used so far in the MCU. I am sad and surprised to say that even those this movie is just over two hours long, it seems much much longer. I was glad when it was over. Sorry, but I certainly can't recommend it.

Make no mistake: this is definitely a kids' movie and I expect most of the young 'uns will enjoy it, Mine did. Their parents will get quite a few chuckles from it too, and that's due to some delicious cameos by some well known British character actors, and one who is not British. I'm talking about Angelica Huston who is very funny as Henry's school teacher, Miss Battleaxe. These performers look like they are having a great time, even though some of them are only onscreen for a few minutes.. It's not just the adults who are enjoyable though. This features a bunch of talented child actors. I particularly liked Ross Marron who plays Henry's younger brother, Perfect Peter..

This movie is equal parts quirky, funny, clever and disgusting (an important quality for pre-teen schoolboys). Me and the family recommend it.

This was recommended by a friend who I think was playing a joke on me.

The most astounding thing about this movie is that the actors managed to keep a straight face as they were making it. A script that has more holes than Swiss cheese, dopey dialogue, lame special effects, absolutely atrocious acting, ridiculous schmaltz, absurd posturing and badly choreographed swordplay: this movie screams the 1980s. Sadly, it doesn't even fall into the class of 'so bad it's good.'

My favourite quote from this comes right at the end when the Beastmaster and Seth discuss the wounded teenage king. One says, 'He won't be using his left hand for a while' while the other says a bit later that the young king has 'the strongest right hand'. I'm still trying to work out if that double entendre was intentional or not. Still, it's hard to recommend this movie based on that little gem, so I won't.

This is quite an enjoyable little movie despite the fact that it is ridden with clichés and tropes that you have seen in many other sci-fi movies. This movie was created to make money not as art or to make a statement. Nonetheless, it is a pleasant way to spend 105 odd minutes.

Special effects are not blockbuster movie quality, but they are up to the job here. The script is fairly predictable but with enough interesting ideas percolating through to keep your intention. In fact, I felt some of these could have been developed more - e.g. Young Adam's relationship with the school bullies - but I guess that would have made for quite a long movie. The cast is mostly good. It's always a pleasure to see Mark Ruffalo in any movie. Zoe Saldana is here too because I think her contract says she has to be in every sci-fi movie that requires a female love interest. Jennifer Garner, who seems to be one of those ladies Hollywood calls on whenever they need someone to play a relatable mother character, is good as the mother. Ryan Reynolds plays, essentially, the same wise-cracking smart ass he plays in almost all of his movies. Catherine Keener is a fairly bland villain with Alex Millari Jr as her oriental (of course) henchman. The stand out in the cast is Walker Scobell as the young Adam. He acts well and steals the movie and I look forward to seeing him in future movies.

I don't want to seem like I'm being too hard on this movie. It may not be anything remarkable, but I enjoyed it and so did the kids. If you're looking for something for your family movie night, you won't go wrong with this.

This movie, set in an Australian Outback which simply does not exist, employs just about every inaccurate Aussie stereotype and cliché that ever existed as well as a lot more tried and true and tired Hollywood tropes. This movie is obviously intended for undiscerning kids and overseas audiences that don't know much at all about Australia.

The movie centers around an American mum.... sorry, Mom .... and her obnoxious kid who are forced, for reasons that aren't 100 percent clear, to leave New York and travel to Australia and visit the sheep station (although we never actually see any sheep, or cows for that matter) of the kid's crusty grandfather and the Mom's father-in-law. Grandpa is played by Bill Nighy, who is always enjoyable on screen, with the definite exception of this movie. Why Bill Nighy is in this picture in the first place is a real mystery. I mean that are no end of good Australian actors of the same vintage who could have played this part and played it better. Nighy's performance is one of the many irritating things about this movie. His grandfather is so laid back, so laconic that he's just short of being catatonic. Honestly, you just want to shake him. None of the other actors is very good either, to be honest, with the definite exception of Kelton Pell as the ranch hand Jules. Pell is a delight and a joy to watch and it is sad that he is not used more in this film. It would have been a vast improvement. The young actor playing the kid, Ridley, doesn't look set for a long screen career based on this. Still he's young and has time to improve. As a protagonist, Ridley fails to elicit sympathy from the audience. He's a stinker.

Australian viewers, will be gob smacked with the version of the Outback this film presents. There are vast, empty distances as in the real Outback, but there are also wide, raging rivers with deep waterfalls, sharing the space with deep open-cut mines, a large dam, a medium sized town and a suspicious number of clean, well built and well maintained buildings scattered through the desert. The fauna of the area is amazing too. There are no emus or kangaroos, but there are pythons and snakes that sound remarkably like rattlesnakes. Also there are dingoes. Some of them are nasty, vicious creatures, more like wolves, but then there are others, well one in particular, whose temperament and skills make him more akin to Lassie or Rin Tin Tin. To see grown men in this movie cowering in the presence of the last mentioned animal , who looks more like a whippet than a dangerous canine, will make you laugh.

Look, bottom line is this isn't a bad film, but it definitely isn't a good one. The kids will probably enjoy it and adults will either find it wholesome, clean, innocuous fun, or, depending on how well you know Australia, it will either make you groan or laugh. You have been warned.

I'm not a real fan of scary movies, but that doesn't matter with this flick because there isn't much scary about it.

You have to feel sorry for Henry, the protagonist of this tale. His parents have dumped him on his surly grandpa who Henry doesn't seem to know too well; grandpa's young neighbour is a homicidal fruitcake and has designs of some sorton Henry; and, saddest of all, his parents are two of the most painful, self-absorbed an d irritating people to ever produce a child together.

There are a couple of good things about this movie: it's always good to see Michael Ironside in a movie, although his presence is wasted here, and the young lad playing Henry seems to be a reasonable actor. That's about it though. The story of this movie is derivative, unoriginal, far-fetched and predictable. There is no tension and no moments that have you sitting on the end of your seat. There are also a number of plot 'twists' (for want of a better word) that are never explained and just leave you with questions at the end of the movie. Other than the two aforementioned actors, the acting in this does not stand out.

Like I said, only watch this if you want to fill 90 minutes and can't find anything else.

I am not at all familiar with the source material of this movie, so I can't comment on how faithful this movie is to it. I can say that this movie contains a lot of very interesting, clever and novel ideas. This had the basic materials to be something special, instead it is a mess. The writers, producers and director should be ashamed. I don't think I have ever seen so much potential wasted. Dull characters, a weak script, confusing flashbacks and flash forwards, and absolutely lame and cringeworthy attempts to inject humor. This movie is a mess. True, if you manage to get through the first 30 minutes without switching off, it does get better though and by the end you might even care about what happens, even if you don't care about any of the characters. This film goes for around 155 minutes, which seems really excessive. It wouldn't have though, if the story had been told well. Time would have flown by. Instead it drags. Quite obviously this is an important movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Like another movie with the same importance though, Captain Marvel, this is a dud. The thing is, the after credit scenes suggest a sequel to this is intended. The sequels better be better than this. New writers and director would help.

When my family sat down to watch this movie, we were unaware that it is a 'Christmas' movie. We watched it half way through the year, but that didn't affect our enjoyment of it.

There is nothing bad about this movie. It is a perfectly fine little family movie, but there is nothing really special about it either. The plot has its share of charming moments and a lot that you have seen before in other similar movies. The acting is good, particularly from the kids in this. Wyatt Ralff is particularly appealing as the protagonist, Felix. Some of the adults seem miscast though. Conchatta Ferrell is the supposedly strict and mean nun, but her character seemed quite pleasant to me. Molly RIngwald seems an odd choice to play a French Canadian substitute teacher who speaks in a French accent that Miss Ringwald sometimes has trouble maintaining for whole sentences. She also speaks to her class in French for some reason. This is one movie featuring Chevy Chase where I didn't find him overbearing and annoying. That's mainly because we don't actually see him; he just provides a voice-over. He should do more of this type of thing instead of appearing in front of the camera where his appeal is a complete and continuing mystery to me.

I happily recommend this movie as a good 90 odd minutes of screen time for your family, Your kids won't be bored and neither will you. You just won't remember it for long. Some reviewers have suggested that this movie will become a Christmas classic. Personally, I can't see it, but who knows? There are a lot worse movies than this that turn up every holiday season.

This movie will hold your attention throughout, as you try and work out exactly what is happening. I don't want to ruin it for the viewer by giving away the clever plot device which more or less divides the movie into two parts. Once you work out what is happening you will be quite intrigued. Pity then, that originality ruined by a stupid, pointless, illogical and unnecessary plot twist at the end which you may see coming well before it arrives. It suddenly piles a lot of plot holes onto an otherwise clever and intriguing movie. It doesn't ruin the movie, but it certainly detracts from its overall impact.

The cast all do a good job. I haven't seen Helen Hunt in a movie for quite some time and I honestly didn't recognise her. Was that the fault of the make up department; has she just aged poorly; or has she had cosmetic surgery that didn't go as planned? I don't know, but whatever it was, I was surprised by her appearance.

Bottom line with this movie, it is well worth a watch, even with its disappointing ending.

This is a movie about an important subject - bullying and the acceptance of people who are, in some way, different to you. Unfortunately, the movie itself is very underwhelming. I'm glad it only lasted 90 odd minutes. I really wanted to enjoy this movie. I hoped to, perhaps, watch it with a lump in my throat and the need to reach for a tissue or two. I wanted to be challenged and inspired. Unfortunately, important as this message is, the story is told in such broad strokes that it comes across as preachy, emotionally manipulative and sometimes down right corny. That seems a funny thing to say because, surely this type of movie needs to preach and evoke emotion. It does, but it has to do so in the right way, in a way that doesn't make you feel manipulated. There is very little subtlety here, no cleverness or skill in the story telling that would let the message sneak up on you and hit you all the more powerfully because of its restraint. Instead you are presented with scenes that couldn't be more obvious if they had text running across the bottom of the screen saying, 'BE SAD NOW'; 'BE OUTRAGED NOW'; 'BE MOVED NOW'; 'BE INFORMED NOW' etc etc As a result the message, the important message is diminished and I am really disappointed about that. I would like to recommend this movie, but, honestly, I can't.