markkelly64 Reviews

Elemental (2023)

Sweet and clever

[8/10 · 28 December 2023]

How this sweet little movie failed is beyond me the animation is clever the story is good the characters are well realised it should have been a massive hit but it was killed by sourpuss critics on the Internet before it even started.

Essentially it's a modern take on the Romeo and Juliette trope a boy and girl from drastically different backgrounds fall in love to the chagrin of their parents, in this case it's a fire girl and a water boy.

Set in Element city a place where diverse cultures live together in a melting pot society it demonstrates how we can all rub along together even though we have our differences. Nice sweet movie great for children, Pixar at their best.

Excalibur (1981)

Good but flawed

[7/10 · 15 April 2022]

Essentially it's probably the best cinematic telling of the Arthurian legend , it's beautifully shot and the cast is good up to a point but it's spoiled by having a hero with a heavy Bristolian accent which makes him sound daft as a youngster and without authority as the king , the same reason David Prowse was dubbed by James Earl Jones in Star Wars .

Secondly the sound track whilst written with the same story in mind albeit many years previously, sounds jarring and for all intents and purposes suggests they ran out of money and decided to licence Wagner as a cost cutting measure to the film's detriment.

Lastly , the sound was badly recorded so dialogue had to be dubbed later and it's a really poor job reminiscent of the cheapest spaghetti westerns of the seventies .

If you can get past this it's a great film .

Les Misérables (2012)

Brilliant musical badly served

[6/10 · 28 December 2018]

I hope the musical director of this movie is run out of Hollywood with pitchforks and blazing brands never to destroy a fantastic piece of art again.

This is probably the best musical ever written , the songs are incredible , the story one of redemption and courage against terrible injustice , although no more injustice than picking people who cannot sing in singing roles and then to "keep it real kids" making them sing live and horribly , awfully , hatefully badly .

Miscast and leaden , buy the dream cast live DVD which knocks this into a cocked hat .

Lastly RIP Russel Crowe who died making this , every night and twice saturday.

Blockers (2018)

Comedy ?

[1/10 · 22 December 2018]

An unusual concept . A comedy that isn't remotely funny . Avoid , a trip to the dentist is funnier .