The January Man (1989)
Mar 26, 1999Serial Killer Thriller
Completely ridiculous thriller with fireman-detective Kevin Kline tracking a killer. It is hard to tell if it was intended as a comedy.
Alan Rickman
Dogma (1999)
Nov 18, 1999Angel War/Catholic Irreverence
Kevin Smith makes a film about Catholicism. Smith's irreverent humour caused considerable controversy when the film came out, although this is also an interesting and thoughtful work that does make a number of thoughtful theological points
GalaxyQuest (1999)
Dec 28, 1999Star Trek Parody
An extremely funny parody of Star Trek that sends up both the show, the actors and the fandom. A very witty and knowing script that has definitely been written by fans
Help! I’m a Fish (2000)
Jan 20, 2004Animation/Children Transformed Into Talking Fish
Okay if never standout Danish-made attempt to copy a Disney animated film concerning the underwater adventures of three children transformed into fish
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Nov 18, 2001Young Wizard
The first of the Harry Potter films. The first is the weakest and lumbers due to being placed in the hands of the perpetually banal Chris Columbus who allows visual effects wow and simplistic emotional cues to dominate
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Dec 6, 2002Young Wizard
The second of the Harry Potter films and better than its predecessor. Chris Columbus has his tendency to overblown effects more in check but that does leave the film more dependent on J.K. Rowling's contrived deus ex machina plotting
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Jun 15, 2004Young Wizard
The third Harry Potter film where it seems all that it took for the series to become quite good was the exit of the perpetually banal Chris Columbus and the entry of a new director in Alfonso Cuaron
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Nov 26, 2005Young Wizard
Fourth of the Harry Potter films and one that feels much more seamless and sure of itself as a story. The problem is the absurd contrivation of J.K. Rowling's weak story that wheels out every sports movie cliche in the book
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
May 2, 2005Gonzo SF
The big-budget film version of The Hitch Hiker’s Guide phenomenon is a disaster that fumbles Douglas Adams’s absurdist wit and blows everything up with big-budget effects and a pitch to American audiences
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
Aug 17, 2007Killer with a Hyper-Acute Sense of Smell
An extraordinary Tom Tykwer film starring Ben Whishaw as an 18th Century man who has a hyper-acute sense of smell
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Jul 11, 2007Young Wizard
The fifth and in my opinion the best of the Harry Potter films. It is the first film where we see the darkening of emotions and the children growing up as storm clouds gather. Much of the show is stolen by Imelda Staunton
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Feb 3, 2008Murderous Barber Musical
Tim Burton takes on the film version of the Stephen Sondhiem musical about a murderous barber featuring Johnny Depp in the title role. Disappointingly, Burton still makes the same film he always does
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Jul 17, 2009Young Wizard
Sixth of the Harry Potter films, this feels like a step back from what its predecessor built up. The film suffers from trying to cram all of J.K. Rowling's book into its running time and ends up being frustratingly mannered
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)
Nov 17, 2010Young Wizard
The penultimate chapter in the Harry Potter series surprisingly strips out most of the effects and is much slower, more character driven, while moving the saga towards an epic conclusion
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Mar 9, 2010Alice in Wonderland Adaptation/Epic Adventure
Tim Burton takes on Lewis Carroll but Carroll gets lost beneath Burton doing his usual quirky eccentric thing and a plot that seems to want to turn Alice's adventures into a modern epic fantasy
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
Jul 15, 2011Young Wizard
I've never been a huge fan of the Harry Potter series but the final chapter rounds out the boy wizard saga in rousing style, mounting an epic-sized battle and finding characters depths that hold some of the best writing of the series
Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)
Jun 4, 2016Alice in Wonderland Sequel
Sequel to the 2010 Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland. This has even less in common with Lewis Carroll's book sequel than its predecessor did – a total of two scenes. The sets and effects are just pretty eye candy