Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Welcome to Marwen (2018)

 

A victim of a brutal attack finds a unique and beautiful therapeutic outlet to help him through his recovery process.

Well-intentioned and heartfelt drama based on a true story presents some great special effects and godd performances by Carrell and Mann, but there's an unbalance between its fantasy and reality segments, so that the real-life scenes seem more artificial than the imagined ones.

 

Allied (2016)

In 1942, a Canadian intelligence officer in North Africa encounters a female French Resistance fighter on a deadly mission behind enemy lines, and when they reunite in London, their relationship is tested by the pressures of war.

Old-fashioned WWII espionage romance drama has a good cast and production value, but doesn't quite convince as it only partially reveals its mystery.

On rewatching: Still good to watch, but one does wish a happy ending for Marion Cotillard.

1941 (1979)

Hysterical Californians prepare for a Japanese invasion in the days after Pearl Harbor.

From memory: Monstrously overblown spoof does have lots of brilliant bits and pieces and is occasionally funny, but, in every aspect, there is simply too much going on so that you really can take it all in

Halliwell*: "Absurdly over-budgeted manic farce which substitutes noise for wit and slapstick for comedy; it fails on every level."

Maltin**1/2: "Gargantuan comedy from the bigger-is-funnier school of filmmaking. Some excellent vignettes and dazzling special effects..., but on the whole suffers from overkill."

Romancing the Stone (1984)

A mousy romance novelist sets off for Colombia to ransom her kidnapped sister, and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure hunting for treasure with a mercenary rogue.

Lively and entertaining adventure spoof, sparked by some good chemistry between Tuner and Douglas.

Halliwell*: "Spoof adventure thriller which takes too long to get going and then it finds nowhere to go. But commercial..."

Maltin***: "Very likable high-adventure hokum...Silly story never stops moving - with some terrific action and stunts - but it's Turner's enormously appealing performance that really makes the film worthwhile."

A Christmas Carol (2009)

An animated retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.

Unnecessary adaptation of the Charles Dickens' classic is very showy with lots of flashy action and visuals, but hardly conveys the heart of the tale.

Maltin**1/2: "...this hybrid of animation and live action serves no apparent purpose except go flying over and around the streets of Victorian London. The story is still effective but it's been told much better before."

The Polar Express (2004)

On Christmas Eve, a young boy embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express, while learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas.

Likeable, but quite harmless Christmas entertainment for children; the animation technique is acquired taste, though.

Maltin**1/2: "...retains a feeling of wonder..."Performance Capture" difital animation renders all the characters unreal - the kids look like they're wearing dentures - but aside from enabling Tom Hanks to play five roles it doesn't seem to have been worth all the bother. Still an entertaining-enough adventure for children."

Allied (2016)

In 1942, a Canadian intelligence officer in North Africa encounters a female French Resistance fighter on a deadly mission behind enemy lines, and when they reunite in London, their relationship is tested by the pressures of war.

Old-fashioned WWII espionage romance drama has a good cast and production value, but doesn't quite convince as it only partially reveals its mystery.

Back to the Future Part III (1990)

Enjoying a peaceable existence in 1885, Doctor Emmet Brown is about to be killed by Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, so Marty McFly travels back in time to save his friend.

Satisfyingly exciting comclusion of the series, this time as an amusing Western parody and with a nice romantic interest for the doctor.

Halliwell***: "Good-natured fun at the expense of calssic Western movies."

Maltin***1/2: "Delightful conclusion to this time-travel trilogy...The dormant movie Western gets a major dose of adrenaline from this high-tech, high-powered comic adventure, which offers great fun, dazzling special effects, and imagination to spare. There's real movie magic at work here."

Back to the Future Part II (1989)

After visiting 2015, Marty McFly must repeat his visit to 1955 to prevent disastrous changes to 1985 without interfering with his first trip.

Another top-notch time travel comedy, highly entertaining, although this time around the plot is far more complex.

Halliwell (no star): "Extraordinarily raucous, confusingly plotted, poorly performed (rarely have actors aged so unconvincingly) sequel that amounts to little more than a trailer for the third part of the series."

Maltin**: "Joyless, frenetic follow-up...Considerable ingenuity, but hardly any laughs, and a surprising amount of unpleasantness. Works best toward the end when it creates a parallel existence to the climactic action in Part 1, but then it turns out to be a cliffhanger, advertising the upcoming Part III! Talk about a cheat..."

Back to the Future (1985)

A young man is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend and must make sure his high-school-age parents unite in order to save his own existence.

Highly entertaining sci-fi comedy that intelligently takes a playful view on time travel; an instant classic that hasn't dated at all.

Halliwell***: "Lightheart Twilight Zone fantasy which certainly pleased the international multitudes."

Maltin***: "Wonderful, wacked-out time travel comedy takes its time to get going, but once it does, it's a lot of fun building to a frantic climax...Lloyd is a standout as crazed scientist who sets story in motion."