Watching this film, you can see the set-ups flicking past, one after the other. There are at least half a dozen such moments that feel like they’ll be important later on. But then, astonishingly, nothing comes to fruition. This doesn’t feel clever or deliberately anti-convention; it simply feels unfinished.
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Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Arrietty
Wreck-It Ralph hits all the emotional and narrative beats from Screenwriting 101, but it does it so skilfully that the film never feels predictable. Filled with pathos, there are some incredible moments that really tug at the heartstrings, and like all good kids’ films, there are some great lessons to be learned.
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Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Wreck-It Ralph
Haruka is well animated, however the foxlike Teo is simply ugly, which is a bit of a problem when he shares so much of the screen time. The whole film has a tendency to get a little gaudy once we move from our world to Teo’s.
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Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror
The animation is beautiful. Based on the original illustrations, it boasts a simplicity that I associate with picture books of my youth. The colours are subtle and backgrounds messy and vaguely impressionistic.
Rating: Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Ernest & Celestine
The animation and art design is superb. Merida has curly, unruly red locks that are so perfectly realised that I get the distinct impression that the ‘hair team’ contingent of the animation department must have comprised at least 100 workers.
Rating: Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Brave
I can’t imagine fans of the book will be too disappointed – enough box office takings to buy the moon disproves any uncertainty along those lines – though the few Muggles out there who never got what all the fuss is about aren’t about to experience any epiphanies.
Rating: Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The film is predictable and the many car races are too unrealistic to become exciting. The cars’ actions have no resemblance to real world physics, which means we can never be swept up in the action. At least the original Cars had a breathtaking opening race.
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Hoopla Factor: 
Continue reading Cars 2
As skilled a filmmaker as he is, the most explosive scene in the film isn’t as impressive as it could have been – a lot of it is down to fantastic sound effects work. Oh, and the Abrams Lens Flair™ is back, though doesn’t distract quite so much as it did in his Star Trek reboot.
Rating: Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Super 8
Moore is faultless as Rapunzel, and perhaps this is because of the natural enthusiasm she seems to exude in every role. This kind of bright-eyed innocence suits the character well, and she is the only cast member that really stands out.
Rating: Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Tangled
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the latest in a long line of shitty 3D conversions, and as you’d expect, it’s not worth handing over the extra money. I truly hope that the conversion fad is on its way out, because it’s quite a turn off and may actually reduce ticket sales.
Rating: Hoopla Factor: Continue reading The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader