Reviews in a nutshell
If there is a third outing, it does need a good screenwriting hand. These characters became little treasures out of nowhere before seven years ago, and there is still a feeling they should be preserved for future audiences to enjoy.
A CGI triumph and a character fail, with a story/adventure worth telling far, far better.
A feast for the imagination, so the design team has well and truly done its job. It’s Carroll’s eccentric storytelling that’s woefully missing, even while revisiting the individually unique characters.
A lot is being uttered about The Lone Ranger, a Disney film that reunites Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski and star Johnny Depp, in what has got to be the most expensive ‘western’ in recent years (£165million to be precise). But although battered by American critics and arriving on these shores this week …
Once upon a time, the Burton-Depp partnership was such a sure thing with every project they entered into that they seemed to have the monopoly on quirky Gothic tales; we fell in love with Edward Scissorhands and were enchanted by Corpse Bride. So the chance to see the pair collaborate on a feature-film version of …
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle might be turning in his grave at the use of his work, but if he had a sense of humour, he might appreciate Guy Ritchie’s more contemporary, humorous interpretation of his British sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, and certainly admire Robert Downey Jr’s eccentric turn as the infamous detective again. What is certain …
Every girl dreams of Prom and fantasises about the hunk they’ll go with. Who better to deliver the fairy tale than Disney with its credit sheet that includes the mighty Glee and High School Musical? Even though this is another ‘paint-by-numbers’ coming-of-age tale, Prom is sweet natured and likable enough with a band of vanilla …
There’s an undeniable buzz of excitement at the thought of Captain Jack Sparrow returning for yet another swashbuckling adventure, simultaneously mixed with a feeling of intrepidation that the Sparrow charm might fail to translate this time around, especially after a four-year break. Sparrow is still a character with a lot of mileage, and thankfully, Johnny …
Continue reading “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ***”
Pirates of the Caribbean colleagues, director Gore Verbinski and actor Johnny Depp are the headliners on this new animation’s poster. But in all honesty, you really wouldn’t recognise Depp’s vocals, were you not in the know. Depp is like a voice chameleon himself as the optimistic lizard lead, Rango, the latest bestial hero sent to …
