Stand by Me (1986)

After the death of a friend, a writer recounts a boyhood journey to find the body of a missing boy.

Pleasantly nostalgic boys' coming of age story finely recreates 50s rural atmosphere; the boys' performances are sensationally realistic and credible.

Halliwell*: "Less macabre than its source may suggest, the film is mostly concerned with the friendships and tensions within the group; nostalgia for50s childhood is nicely conveyed."

Maltin***: "Affectionate Americana...Irresistible and wholly believable performances from all four youthful leads. Only complaint: the high volume of four-letter words, decidedly not characteristic of the 1950s."

Mission to Mars (2000)

When the first manned mission to Mars meets with a catastrophic and mysterious disaster after reporting a unidentified structure, a rescue mission is launched to investigate the tragedy and bring back any survivors.

Well-produced sci-fi adventure with some nice visuals, but the star cast is wasted and the 'metaphysical' ending quite disappointing.

Halliwell (no star): "Grandiose attempt at science fiction with a spiritual message; it never achieves lift-off."

Maltin**: "Stupefyingly dull drama...Film takes a matter-of-fact approach to space travel that soon becomes deadening, with a spell-it-all-out climax for those who still don't get 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY."