The Island (1980)

The Island (1980)
Rating: ★★
Aug 20, 2003Lost Society of Pirate Descendants
Novelist Peter Benchley's name was massive as a result of Jaws. This is one of the less successful Benchley adaptations that came out concerning the discovery of a lost society of pirate descendants who survive by preying on shipping in the Bermuda Triangle

Jack the Ripper (1988)

Jack the Ripper (1988)
Rating: ★★
Oct 27, 2013Jack the Ripper Killings/TV Mini-Series
TV mini-series made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Jack the Ripper killings. The publicity claimed to uncover new evidence and, while the show adheres more to the facts of the case of any filmed work up to that point, the script only makes a beeline for the sensationalistic aspects and should more properly be considered fiction

The Prestige (2006)

The Prestige (2006)
Rating: ★★★★
Nov 30, 2006Rival Victorian Stage Magicians
Christopher Nolan directs a beautiful period piece with Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as rival Victorian stage magicians. The film is an elegantly crafted Hall of Mirrors and illusions, capped by sterling performances from all involved

Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)

Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)
Rating: ★★
Jan 29, 2011Animation/Shakespeare with Talking Garden Gnomes
Surely the most outlandish film premise ever slung together for an animated film – a version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet conducted between talking garden gnomes in rival backyards

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
Rating:
Feb 8, 2012Jules Verne Adaptation/Island of Giant Fauna
Supposed adaptation of Jules Verne's Mysterious Island that gives the impression that none of the screenwriters have read the book … a consistently silly and nonsensical film that operates at the level of a children's cartoon

Eliza Graves (2014)

Eliza Graves (2014)
Rating: ★★★
Nov 22, 2015Victorian Asylum Taken Over by the Inmates
Brad Anderson adapts an Edgar Allan Poe story about an asylum where the inmates are posing as the staff. This is lush period piece with an amazing cast line-up – the only surprise is that it did no box-office

Interstellar (2014)

Interstellar (2014)
Rating: ★★★★½
Nov 8, 2014Space Expedition
This could be Christopher Nolan's 2001: A Space Odyssey, which he draws from in many respects, but where Kubrick was cold and oblique, this is a 2001 with a heart. A pleasure to see a film rooted in credible science and dealing with high concept SF

The Last Witch Hunter (2015)

The Last Witch Hunter (2015)
Rating: ★½
Nov 7, 2015Immortal Witch Hunter
This had a lot of promise – it seems written with the rich, resonant mythology of tv's late lamented Constantine or the first Warlock. Instead what we end up with has been turned into a ponderous effects vehicle that dies an indifferent death on the screen

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Rating: ★★★½
Feb 21, 2015Spy Film/Comic-Book Adaptation
This sets out to rescue the spy from the silly self-parody of Austin Powers. The film's sly mocking of its Englishness, with Colin Firth going into action as an impeccably tailored and mannered gentleman, combined with a series of explosive action sequences make for an irresistible mix

Sherlock Gnomes (2018)

Sherlock Gnomes (2018)
Rating: ★★
Aug 4, 2019Animation/Talking Garden Gnomes Adventures
Sequel to Gnomeo & Juliet, which retold Shakespeare with garden gnomes. This for some reason adds a garden gnome Sherlock Holmes to the mix. The high speed whirring you hear is probably Arthur Conan Doyle rotating in his grave,