Review Category: Movie

Four android mercenaries with a variety of very human personality problems over-reach themselves in the combat arena and get smashed to bits by a killdozer. Reduced to a pile of unloved space junk and destined for the compactor, they are suddenly resurrected by a bearded floaty-head with designs on bringing peace and love to the war-torn universe. Now reconstructed and with guitars at the ready, our heroes set off down an altogether more worthwhile path than robot-bashing for cash: to free an enslaved artificial planet with the thrall and power of their guitar-based future-rock. Well you would, wouldn’t you?

With their 2009 film debut Killer Robots and the Battle for the Cosmic Potato, multimedia collective The Killer Robots went to war against the big-budget earnestness of the Transformers series and its dead-eyed, multiplex-gobbling ilk with a defiantly low-tech explosion of bubblegum CGI, cartoon aliens, wink-wink acting and unhinged music. While still very much a low-budget affair, it’s clear that director/star Sam Gaffin and his highly committed team had a bit more money to spend this time around. And rise to the occasion they do: think Evil Dead 2 compared to the original Evil Dead; everything is pumped up and more energised.

The human participants are still green-screened into the action Tron-style, but this time, crucially, you believe they are actually there. The wonderful hand-crafted miniatures and pleasingly 2D effects are a feast for the eyes, playing like an extended take on the alien kidnapping sequence from Monty Python’s Life of Brian – demented, thrilling and visually ingenious. Design and action meld together to frequently eye-popping effect, propelled by the maker’s gleeful absorption of all manner of influences; the aforesaid Terry Gilliam, manga comics, Toho monster-thons, Darren Aronofsky and the Banana Splits are all fair game here and you’ll no doubt spot many more affectionate nods. Performances are knowingly from the Adam West school of acting (not as easy as you might think to pull off) which suits the material well; this troupe have been together since 2004 and have found a pleasing groove.

On the minor downside, while the climactic concert sequence of our heroes attempting to unite the universe in musical harmony with the help of DJ-ing aliens (and a bunch of sunlit chickens) is worth waiting for, you may have expected it to arrive about 15 minutes earlier. And given the feature-length running time, the use of episodic chapter titles at intervals throughout the movie does rather kill the pacing and suggest the makers were hedging their bets on this being split up into an internet series.

Currently destined for VoD release, The Killer Robots! Crash and Burn may sound like one of those click-bait titles you hover over before moving on to catch up with the latest episode of Bates Motel. But put your cynicism aside and dive in, this stylish and anarchic cosmic mash up is well worth your attention.

THE KILLER ROBOTS! CRASH AND BURN / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: SAM GAFFIN / STARRING: SAM GAFFIN, CHARLIES HARRIS, MIKE MCGOWAN, SAMUEL WILLIAMS, AMBER BELKO, CHAR CALAQUIAN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Expected Rating: 7 out of 10

Actual Rating:
 

Who would win in a dick fight between Kirk and Picard? Who is Star Trek’s greatest ‘cum-sprinkler’? How much money would you accept to allow William Shatner to wee on you? These are just some of the questions posed in this feature-length attempt at transferring irreverent internet podcast Trekoff to the big screen.

Our hosts are Justin Timpane and Alexia Poe, whose modus operandi is clearly crazy! zany! despite Alexia constantly looking like she’s about to burst into tears. In fairness, this may be because she has to work with Justin. From the off, this comic leviathan sets out his stall; he likes Star Trek and he also likes the word ‘fuck’. He also asks a crucial metaphysical question to us, his audience. If they just, sort of, take their camera around and film some stuff with their “really talented” Trek fandom mates, will it count? Tragically, it appears no one was around to put him straight on this. What then follows is an unstructured, deeply unfunny mooch around a few rather sad-looking Trek conventions and amateur film and theatre sets with lots of nightclub-loo lewdness from Justin and contrived ‘kookiness’ from Alexia thrown in, all cut together by an editor with ADD. And it gets better; at every opportunity, bemused fans are forced to look into their camera and say “Trekoff Bitches!” as though the very lives of their children depend on it. Fellow podcasters, some looking slightly panicked at the prospect, are allowed to blurt out plugs for their own, no doubt equally crazy! zany! internet Trek efforts.

The naff self-promotion and frequent advertising of other podcasts is ultimately quite cringe-worthy and undermines any pretention this might have to be anything more than just an extended promo piece better suited to YouTube. The one constant of the film is the repeated cut-backs to our hosts reading out their flatlining “who would win a dick fight” posers to fellow fans. Apart from a few brief shots of a half empty room, said audience is worryingly out of sight. Perhaps next year we’ll get a special edition of Trekoff that reveals these poor souls were in fact lashed to their chairs with orders to laugh on cue by cosplaying Klingons holding electric cattle prods to their genitals?

Occasional detours towards conventional discussion of the merits of the various Star Trek series seem out of place in this towering smut-fest but we get them anyway (apparently Voyager was crap). The featured interview with the actor who played Dr Phlox in Enterprise (no, me neither) falls totally flat when the cat gets Justin’s legendary toilet-tongue so that he ends up just asking the poor guy a few lame, un-bitchy questions about being on the show. So what happened to “who would win a Phlox vs McCoy dick fight?”, Justin?

Ultimately Trekoff fails as a film because it isn’t really one at all.  After suffering through this witless, self-defeating star crash, you’ll want these bitches to Trek right off through the nearest wormhole.

TREKOFF: THE MOTION PICTURE / DIRECTOR: JUSTIN TIMPANE / SCREENPLAY: ALEXIA POE, JUSTIN TIMPANE / STARRING: JUSTIN TIMPANE, ALEXIA POE, LYON BECKWTIH, DAVID BELT, JOHN BILLINGSLEY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Expected Review: 6 out of 10

Actual Rating:
 

“Deep in the forest, there dragons will be!” And according to this film, those dragons will be furry and behave very much like a dog. Fans of Disney’s original Pete’s Dragon may not be overly happy with this furry CGI upgrade, but everyone else should rejoice. Disney’s hi-tech reboot roars and soars in all the right places, and best of all, it’s not even a musical anymore!

While the original’s song Candle on the Water was Oscar nominated back in 1977, this new version ditches the songs, most of the story, and even the cartoon dragon himself. Instead we get little Pete (Oakes Fegley) orphaned in a car crash in the first five minutes and meeting his furry dragon protector Elliot deep in the forest moments after. Cut to six years later and Pete and his puppy-like best friend spend all their time alone, unwashed and unbothered in the woods, living like wild animals until they are discovered simultaneously by forest ranger Grace Meacham (Bryce Dallas Howard) as well as the men whose job it is to turn all the trees to timber.

Shot in stunning New Zealand and with an overt, but not overdone, eco-message, Pete’s Dragon feels like a hugely worthwhile update of the original. Not only is Elliot now created from decent, if not mind-blowing CGI, but the struggle between ‘progress’ and the wilderness feels timely, especially when backed up by a healthy criticism of the mentality of trophy hunting.

Pete’s Dragon is stuffed full of heart, wild emotion and an overflowing love of nature. From Robert Redford’s teller of (what people assume to be tall) tales, to Bryce Dallas Howard’s ranger, to Pete and Elliot’s joyful playing in their forest home, the film is packed on one side by those with an affinity with the great outdoors. On the other side, you have Karl Urban and his gang of timber men whose disregard for nature and their fear of the unknown causes Pete and his dragon plenty of problems as the predictable story plays out.

This all makes it sound like a message movie, which Pete’s Dragon certainly isn’t. It’s a simple adventure of a boy and his dog/dragon with shades of both this year’s The Jungle Book and more surprisingly Room. Oakes Fegley’s resemblance to Room’s Jacob Tremblay helps, but it’s also in the scenes where Pete is forced from his forest home and into a civilisation he knows very little about, wanting nothing more than to return to the home he loves with the only companion he trusts.

Fegley is fantastic in the role and his relationships with both the adorable Elliot and mother figure Grace are the heart of the film. Along with Howard Shore’s suitably emotive score, Pete’s Dragon hits all the right notes to tug at the heartstrings. There’s nothing particularly original about it, but if the likes of E.T. or Marley and Me get to you, Pete’s Dragon is likely to have as many kids comforting their weepy parents as vice versa.

PETE’S DRAGON / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: DAVID LOWERY / SCREENPLAY: DAVID LOWERY, TOBY HALBROOKS / STARRING: OAKES FEGLEY, OONA LAURENCE, BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD, KARL URBAN, ROBERT REDFORD, WES BENTLEY, JOHN KASSIR / RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 12TH

Expected Rating: 6 out of 10

Actual Rating:
 

Since Scream reinvigorated the ailing
mainstream horror genre in the mid-90s, the slasher movie has been difficult to
do without putting an ironic spin on proceedings as audiences are all in on the
tropes and beats and expect a little more.  Filmmakers Steve Balderson and
Elizabeth Spear clearly decided that ironic spin wasn’t nearly enough and have
paired slasher flick with soap opera in Hell Town.  It’s presented,
credits and all, as the three surviving episodes of a lost TV series with each
one introduced by Troma star Debbie Rochon.  The first ‘episode’ starts
with the now common televisual ‘previously on’ which quickly establishes the
tone and gets the plot rolling.  Parody and satire in genre can be a
dangerous approach if you don’t get that tone right but Balderson and Spear,
along with a game and committed cast, get it spot on.  From illicit trysts
via family secrets to unrequited love, no cliché is left unused.  The arch
acting from the cast helps build the soap opera atmosphere, along with the
traditional stilted delivery and overblown score.

It’s also a slasher movie and as with
those soap opera clichés they go to (Hell) town with them.  All the high
school characters are played by actors who whilst not heading for retirement
just yet are clearly not of high school age (nodding to things like Luke Perry
in Beverly Hills 90210).  The perpetually horny teenagers that make up the
bulk of the cast are being picked off one by one by the Letter Jacket
Killer.  There’s some fairly gruesome murders along the way and numerous
red herrings set up for who the killer could be.  As it’s not actually a
TV show they’re free to add in plenty of salty language and gore when they want
to, even including the occasional dismembered member.  

Despite it being a pastiche of both
genres Balderson and Spear, also part of the writing team, clearly have love
for both.  It’s a delicate balance to acknowledge and have fun with the
conventions inherent in both slasher and soap, but harder still to remember
jokey self-awareness isn’t enough, you’re still making a film that needs to be
entertaining.   Hell Town is thankfully adept at achieving both.  Made
for less than the catering budget of a modest blockbuster, it’s well directed,
edited and for fans of either of the genres affectionately parodied there’s
plenty of clever little in-jokes.  

Everything is not-so-neatly wrapped up by
the end, with the Letter Jacket Killer revealed, and it’s hard not to be
disappointed that the ‘next week on Hell Town’ isn’t real.  As the big
studios focus on huge spectacle that they can sell to the four corners of the
globe and little else, it’s pleasing that adventurous filmmakers like Balderson
and Spear are producing low-budget, competent, exciting movies that are made by
film fans for fans of film.  It’ll be interesting to see what they both
come up with next.

HELL TOWN / DIRECTORS AND SCREENWRITERS: STEVE BALDERSON &ELIZABETH SPEAR / STARRING: DEBBIE ROCHON, PLESANT GEHMAN, AMANDA DEIBERT / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Expected Rating: 7 out of 10

Actual Rating: 
 

Lights Out is like getting a nicely wrapped box of
chocolates and discovering when you open it, all you have is empty wrappers.
Its Freddy Kruger meets Darkness Falls with a touch of the Babadook thrown in
and no wonder, the writer was the scribe of the remake of Nightmare On Elm
Street.

Based on Sandberg’s 2 1/2 minute short film that went viral,
producers decided to turn it into a feature film.

After a promising, pre-credits sequence that infuses a few
scares, the film focuses on Martin (Bateman) who sees a “boogeyman” creature
that lives in the shadows in his house his mother, Sophie (Bello) converses
with.

Enter avante guard artist, Rebecca (Palmer) and her
somewhat, boyfriend, Bret (DiPersia) where the creature known as Diana carves
her name on Rebecca’s wooden floor adding to the mystery.

Coming to the aid of Martin, Rebecca discovers that Diana
and her mother where at a mental hospital for assorted disorders as young
girls. Rebecca for depression and Diana, (who was living in a basement and
abandoned at 13 as her father mysteriously committed suicide.) for an abnormal
skin disease that reacts to light who also has pyschic powers.

Treatment for Diana using bright spectrum lights causes her
to spontaneously combust, but not before getting into Sophie’s head creating a
psychic connection where Diana can manifest through her in the darkness
creating havoc.

Why Diana waited so long to seek out her revenge and for
what purpose mystifies the audience.

As the story progresses, its filled with cookie cutter,
by-the-book, cheap scares that we’ve all seen before.

Welcome to the emperor’s new clothes as Sandberg’s
impressive short and the feature film trailer are better than the movie itself.

Predictable in all accounts, this movie would have been
better off entitled, Darkness Falls 2.

LIGHTS OUT / DIRECTOR: DAVID F. SANDBERG / SCREENPLAY: ERIC HEISSERER / STARRING: TERESA PALMER, GABRIEL BATEMAN, MARIA BELLO, ALEXANDER DIPERSIA / RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 19TH
 

A
great coming of age story. Set
in the 70’s at the beginning of punk rock, 15 year old Shay (Huttlestone) works
for his single dad’s (Scott) piano store who moonlights as a cabbie at night to
make ends meet. 

During
a trip to London to pick up piano parts, he meets Vivian (Willams) who
introduces him to punk rock scene and the music of the Clash.

 When his father is injured in a piano moving
accident, Shay takes on the responsibility of caring for his little sister as
he searches for his estranged mother, Sandrine (McElhone), briefly meeting Joe
Strummer (Meyers) in his quest. 

Learning
how to drive with the help if Vivian, he takes on piloting his father’s cab (in
a very unique way) where a second chance meeting with Joe Strummer that changes
his life. 

Borte
directs a film where you lose yourself in the story and its characters. It’s a
marvelous, rewarding adventure in the vein of Quadrophenia and That’ll Be the
Day. Every actor is outstanding in their performance especially Meyers as
Strummer who does his own singing and is so impressive, it’s as if Meyers was
Strummer’s long lost twin.

Huttlestone
is fantastic as Shay who starts off as a quiet kid that grows up especially in
his relationship with Vivian and his mother, Sandrine; a free spirit who lacks
responsibility living with an eclectic group in an abandoned house while
attempting to pursue her failed singing career.

Borte
does and excellent job capturing the feel and look of Soho in the 70’s that
sets the mood of the film.

For
any fan of the Clash or great film making; this is a movie not to be missed.

LONDON TOWN / DIRECTOR: DERRICK BORTE / SCREENPLAY: KIRSTEN SHERIDAN / STARRING: JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS, NATASCHA MCELHONE, DOUGRAY SCOTT, TOM HUGHES, DANIEL HUTTLESTONE

 

Picking up a year after the end of Finding Nemo, a chance comment knocks loose a flash of memory and sees Dory remember her parents as well as a clue to where they might be found. Embarking on an expedition to find them with Marlin and Nemo, after they become separated and she ends up at the sealife centre where she was born. Enlisting the aid of grouchy octopus Hank, short-sighted whale Destiny and neurotic beluga Bailey, she searches the complex for her parents while Marlin and Nemo look for her.

Finding Dory begins with an opening sequence as heartbreaking as the first few minutes of Finding Nemo that sees a terrified young Dory trying to find her way home, and her ceaseless search ultimately weaves into her initial entrance in the previous film. While it acknowledges its predecessor with a few references and familiar cameos from the likes of Mr Ray, Crush the sea turtle, and the “Mine! Mine! Mine!” seagulls – as a well as a post-credits scene from others you thought had been forgotten about – Finding Dory is very much its own story and in no way seeks to capitalise on the success of its predecessor.

Flashbacks abound as Dory remembers more and more about her childhood, which also serve to shape her parents into actual characters and not just the nebulous goal of her search. Their love and affection for baby Dory (who, at the risk of reactionary hyperbole, might actually be the most adorable Pixar creation yet) clearly shaped the development of the considerate individual she grew into, and never let her believe for a moment that her unreliable memory is a handicap or something she should be embarrassed about.

While Dory’s life might be perceived as being hamstrung by her forgetfulness, this in no way diminishes her worth or capability. She lives from one moment to the next, her every thought and decision taken on instantaneous instinct. Even after losing Marlin and Nemo, it never crosses her mind that without their help she should just give up, and it’s her perpetual upbeat optimism that soon wins over the new allies in her quest. Indeed, at one point Marlin comes to realise that “What would Dory do?” is not always as reckless and inadvisable a course of action as he had assumed.

As much as the plot features Marlin and Nemo searching for Dory, the title more specifically refers to the personal journey Dory undergoes that allows her to fully come to terms with herself. Her feeling the need to be constantly contrite for the inconvenience her memory problems causes for others (count the number of times she says “I’m sorry” as the film progresses) is a response she has evidently developed over the years after realising how others generally react to her. However, while her memory might make some interactions with her repetitive or frustrating, it’s a part of who she is, and as such is something for which she should not be expected to apologise. Her ultimate acceptance of this is as much a necessary part of becoming whole as a person (or rather fish) as being reunited with her parents.

Pixar’s deft touches to entertain adults are again evident in force (a wonderful riff on Labyrinth’s “Go back!” is a particular standout) and even throwaway encounters that last for mere moments, such as a lovesick clam or a migrating group of rays singing a sea shanty, are afforded as much detail and consideration as any moment of the main plot. The company has never been one to spare the emotions of its viewers, and no matter what your age you’ll find certain moments tugging on your heartstrings and starting to get you a little misty-eyed, especially at more than one turn of events when despair sets in after no apparent way out is evident. While you might second-guess some developments due to another outcome running counter to Pixar’s dramatic sensibilities or devious sense of humour, they are insignificant when held against the seamless and enthralling flow of the story. 

A worthy follow-up to a modern classic, Finding Dory is an enchanting tale that never once fells like an unnecessary retread, and while not quite surpassing its predecessor, it at least equals it. And when the pedigree you’re talking about is this high, that’s quite an achievement.

FINDING DORY / CERT: U / DIRECTOR: ANDREW STANTON, ANGUS MACLANE / SCREENPLAY: ANDREW STANTON, VICTORIA STROUSE, BOB PETERSON / STARRING: ELLEN DEGENERES, ALBERT BROOKS, HAYDEN ROLENCE, ED O’NEILL, KAITLIN OLSON, TY BURRELL, DIANE KEATON, EUGENE LEVY / RELEASE DATE: JULY 29TH

Expected Rating: 9 out of 10

Actual Rating: 
 

“Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise, its 5 year mission to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations and to boldly go where no man has gone before”. This opening monologue has echoed through the living rooms of multiple generations of Sci-Fi fans, as Gene Roddenberry’s staple in not only the genre but in popular culture has gone from entertainment to a way of life for many. Star Trek has dissected many pioneering ideas across its 50 years of existence and with this new film, in the ever changing, rebooting and alternating cinematic series of features, Fast & Furious director Justin Lin aims to celebrate the series, while also continuing its traditions.

At a time where nostalgia and going back to the past seems to be all the rage (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Jurassic World, Ghostbusters (2016), perhaps as a way of escaping the turbulent hateful times in which we now live, this latest entry in the Trek cinematic cannon likewise follows (space) suit. Beyond sees the crew three years into their five-year voyage, making a brief return to the starbase called Yorktown. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) each privately are contemplating leaving Starfleet but when a distressed alien pilot speaks of her crew being stranded on a planet, the Enterprise is encouraged to go on a rescue mission. However they are ambushed and decimated by the forces of Krall (Idris Elba), in an attempt to get an artifact from the Enterprise’s storage. This attack leaves the crew separated in the ship’s wreckage on the planet’s surface and desperate to reunite and uncover why Krall wants this artifact and what he can do with it?

Taking heavy influence from The Original Series, this new film in the rebooted era of Star Trek is the ideal way to celebrate the 50th year of this franchise. Stripping things back to a very simplistic approach, Lin’s film feels like a multi-stranded story of the series, with updated visuals. True it offers nothing new in a narrative sense but Simon Pegg and Doug Jung’s screenplay offers many moments of hilarity, as well as a brilliant development of the characters as we have come to know them and thus some of their classic interplay begins to grow. Beyond in many ways feels like throwback Trek, drawing some influences from the recent pop culture vibes of Guardians of the Galaxy, complete with a climatic sequence that makes use of a recognizable song in a scene that’s Guardians by way of Mars Attacks.

For those looking for brave new direction though, this entry is really more at ease with going back and just having fun with what has made the franchise work, as opposed to advancing anything massively and in turn is a film by and for longtime fans. This may mean that the appeal of Beyond is dependent on what you consider your Star Trek but this is an enjoyable, well-paced adventure that is constantly entertaining. The plot boldly goes where the series has before – albeit very well – but there are progressive elements in the film’s construction. Supporting characters are allowed to take more screen time, especially Chekov (the late Anton Yelchin- respectfully paid tribute to at the end of the film, alongside the legendary Leonard Nimoy) and Montgomery “Scotty” Scott (Pegg) take much bigger roles this time. While Saldana’s Ulhura is allowed to kick ass as a strong female character (one of a few in the film) and John Cho’s Sulu is revealed as gay (as a way of respecting franchise star George Takei – who has actually disapproved of the move), in a completely unshowily accepted way, just as it should be. These very developments are leaps and bounds ahead of other, more major, plot developments in the film. 

Quinto and Pine’s chemistry as Spock and Kirk is also maturing, while Urban finally gets more time to steal scenes as Leonard McCoy, who’s run-ins with Spock come into play a lot here! Also great is the addition of Sofia Boutella’s fantastic alien character Jaylah, who is a fantastic creation and a really exciting addition to the leading cast of characters. Really, the film’s major misstep is with villain Krall, who’s vengeful backstory feels a bit like a reahash of Eric Bana’s Captain Nero in the 2009 film and while Elba spouts menace, his villain – much like Oscar Isaac’s Apocalypse in this year’s X-Men: Apocalypse– feels a bit uninteresting.

Still this is not severe enough to derail the film’s chirpy momentum and despite some really dodgily edited moments of action, where you sometimes lose track of who is hitting/attacking who, this is a consistently busy and engaging slice of sci-fi action. Overall Beyond is a lot of fun and ought to (we repeat, “ought to”, as there are some very particular tastes when it comes to a franchise as popular and long lasting as this) please many old school Trek fans with its nostalgic narrative and colourful characters and performances. After 50 years, Star Trek continues to live long and prosper.

STAR TREK BEYOND / CERT: 12A / DIRECTOR: JUSTIN LIN / SCREENPLAY: SIMON PEGG, DOUG JUNG / STARRING: CHRIS PINE, ZACHARY QUINTO, JOHN CHO, SIMON PEGG, ZOE SALDANA, IDRIS ELBA, SOFIA BOUTELLA, KARL URBAN, ANTON YELCHIN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Expected Rating: 7/10

Actual Rating:

In adapting the works of Roald Dahl, a filmmaker has a wealth of material to work with. A legendary author whose stories mix British eccentricities with a fairy-tale heart and/or some truly twisted turns. Perhaps this is why many of the films adapted from Dahl’s work, have carried a certain kind of enchantment with them, from Mel Stuart’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Danny DeVito’s Matilda to Henry Selick’s James and the Giant Peach and Wes Anderson’s The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Dahl’s work has certainly translated well to the big screen many times- even if the author disowned Stuart’s Wonka film- but in many senses the biggest story of all, is his 1982 story ‘The BFG’. Already adapted once in animated form in 1989 (a version which Dahl heartily approved of), this new live-action film from classic cinematic storyteller Steven Spielberg is arguably the biggest scaled attempt at adapting a Dahl story yet.

The BFG sees young orphan Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) witness a giant (Mark Rylance) roaming the streets of London, being seen by a human encourages him to scoop this little witness up and take her back with him to his home in Giant Country. As she and this big, friendly giant begin to bond, Sophie discovers that the BFG is bullied by other giants and throws himself into his work, capturing and making dreams. Worse still, the giants catch Sophie’s scent putting her in danger but Sophie relies on her bravery not only to keep herself safe but also to try and save the BFG from his life of fear. In bringing this towering literary tale to the big screen, Steven Spielberg has used contemporary innovations to tell an old school story and while the result is not always seamless, it is regularly enchanting.

The late great Melissa Mathison’s (E.T) screenplay struggles with some action elements but soars when it comes to heart. The BFG features a dazzling array of visual powers but for all its grandness, it is the quieter moments of storytelling and the emotive connection between its two leads that elevates the film above any lacking elements. The story starts off in truly excellent fashion, feeling immediately of another age, using a transportative power that comes with both Dahl’s story and Spielberg’s approach to family movies. In fact the film is as much a throwback to Spielberg’s memorable days of enthralling family flicks, as it is an adaptation of the source material, which may annoy purists expecting a faithful incarnation of Dahl’s book, a few things are altered- this is especially evident come the finale.

That being said, The BFG has an unshakable charm thanks to its magnificent leads. Barnhill at points seems like she could annoy but almost as soon as the thought enters your head, she retains the innocence and yet unexpected strength of her character. However, in a fantastically realized motion-capture performance, it is the magnificent Rylance who cradles your heart. As the BFG he forms an immediate chemistry with Barnhill and his readings of the lines of Dahlian vocabulary are simply squiffling and at times poignant. He is the film’s brimming core and makes this whole adventure the smile inducing watch that it ends up being. Sadly the supporting cast, while good, cannot hope to match the power of the leads. Also the villains, the BFG’s long-windedly titled giant tormentors, are pretty forgettable (though the anti-bullying is much welcome).

From fart jokes to some prolonged set pieces, this film does have some excess but is carried forward by a youthful energy from Spielberg’s direction and John Williams’ equally playful scoring. Some gags miss the mark but there are laughs throughout when the dialogue delves into Dahl’s world and when the film uses its delightfully dreamlike touch, it becomes an absolute joy, with many sequences (the initial meeting over a snozzcumber soup and a funnier than expected palace dining scene) really standing out. Also fans of the book will notice a kind hearted little nod to illustrator Quentin Blake, during one of the film’s darker themed moments.

Many say Spielberg has lost his touch of late, perhaps down to this film’s box office bombing status in the states but Dahl’s work has often struggled to translate successfully – financially that is – to the big screen, especially to an American audience. Plus, with Spielberg’s recent works like last year’s acclaimed Bridge of Spies and his underrated 2011 release year, that saw both his version of Hérge series The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn and Michael Murpurgo adaptation War Horse released (two films this writer very much encourages people to revisit), it is hard to argue that this giant of movies has lost his touch. The BFG may not be faultless but Rylance’s charm and the narrative’s heart ensure this piece of old fashioned cinematic adventuring is still a hopscotchy piece of family entertainment.

THE BFG / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: STEVEN SPIELBERG / SCREENPLAY: MELISSA MATHISON / STARRING: MARK RYLANCE, RUBY BARNHILL, PENELOPE WILTON, JEMAINE CLEMENT, RAFE SPALL, REBECCA HALL / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Expected Rating: 9/10 

Actual Rating: