The Matrix Revolutions
Dir: Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski
2003
****
For me, this film failed for two big reasons. Firstly, the sad death of Gloria Foster. Nobody could help that, it's just that when a character changes actor, the overall film looses a certain believably. Again, no ones fault, just a pet hate. Secondly, and more importantly, the realisation of Zion being this tribal paradise, full of good looking people, who look far from being repressed, starved or in any kind of danger...and playing drums. Is this the best Zion you've been going on about for two films? It also got a little silly, hard to follow and a bit boring towards the end. It got to the point where I just didn't really care what happened to any of the characters and felt nothing in the final scene that should have filled me with emotion. Maybe I'm just cold blooded (I am) but maybe the Wachowski's just ran out of steam or buckled under the pressure.

The Matrix Reloaded
Dir: Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski
2003
***
Now that the Questions 'Is Neo the one?' and 'What the hell is the Matrix?' have been answered, The Matrix story has lost its edge slightly. New characters and new situations are added but I feel they couldn't really improve on the original when it came to originality. The SFX are even more impressive, as are the fight scenes etc but without the big questions, it's just another, albeit above average, action film.

The Matrix
Dir: Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski
1999
****
An effective method of measuring the success of a film is to see how many times it has been spoofed. While the world was waiting in anticipation for the brand new Star Wars film, the Wachowski's slipped The Matrix in with very little promotion from what I can remember. It was much better than the new Star Wars film, that's for sure. It is not very often that a truly original film like this comes along, a film where the brilliant ideas are realised to their full potential and then some. It is crammed full of memorable scenes, characters and quotes that it genially is, as overused as term is, a modern classic.

War of the Worlds
Dir: Steven Spielberg
2005
**
The first album I ever bought was Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds. The first TV program I remember ever being thrilled and scared witless by was The Tripods (A great little low budget BBC drama series that aired between 84-85 that was heavily inspired by The War of the Worlds). I used to love watching the 1953 version as a child (but always from behind the sofa) and I also loved H.G. Wells's book and I mean love! Apprehensive I may have been but an updated adaptation of the story was okay by me. I honestly thought that Steven Spielberg would have been perfect as director but how wrong I was. They had to update the story, I knew this, but the changes are far too big. The SFX are amazing, they really are, but the story is terrible in comparison. The source material has been completely misunderstood and while this was always going to be a blockbuster, it shouldn't have been treated as one, it should have been an intelligent drama with spectacular SFX rather than all out action. The original book was written as a reaction to Wells's feeling (mainly those of shame) towards Colonialism and imperialism, something the British empire was aggressively pursuing at the time. This of course needed to be updated but because 9/11 had only recently happened, the ideas took a very different road. The references to 9/11 are notable as is the patriotic view-point of the hurt and angry American. This only makes the adaptation even more distorted from the source material, apart from the name it bares little resemblance and that is somewhat of a pet hate for me and a big reason as to why I disliked it. I don't like the religious message of the 50's version and I can't say I feel much better about this 'patriotic' version. Also, the idea that they are in the ground and have been for many centuries is a fairly ridiculous idea and I'm shocked it made it into the final script.

Kill Bill Vol.2
Dir: Quentin Tarantino
2004
****
Kill Bill Vol.2 is far superior to the first in my opinion. The action/Martial arts sequences are less but more concise, the script is far more intelligently written and the performances are twice as good. There are aspects of the franchise that annoy me still; Who cares what her name is for instance, I remember the buzz at the time, everyone was speculating what the brides name was like it was something important. The random type that would randomly show up on screen, the 'Gargantuan' speech, the pedantic tenancies of the characters...the list goes on. These are Tarantinoisums that I'm not sure I will ever appreciate. That said, I thought the unexpectedly subtle approach to the sequel compared to the somewhat raucous first film showed a maturity to QT's work that I really liked. It looked like it was going to be a predictable affair but it was anything but and that kept it fresh.

Kill Bill Vol.1
Dir: Quentin Tarantino
2003
***
What I really like best about Kill Bill Vol.1 and indeed most of Quentin Tarantino's films is the editing. The non-linear narrative is also something that he excels at, no more so than in the Kill Bill films. Visually, the film is stunning, each episode a contrast to the next. However, it's this contrast that raises other questions. Can Tarantino do anything original? Nearly every aspect of the film is either a 'homage' or borrowed material. Some of it is down-right plagiarism but most of these ideas are either owned by large companies that don't know they own them (typically insurance companies who buy-out small film companies once they go bankrupt). These films are generally old and forgotten, if ever seen at all. Some of the directors/actors are long gone too, so not much risk of being called into the courts. Most owners/film makers decide to take the easier and more profitable path and cash in on QT's success and label it 'The film that inspired QT's...' Did you know that the character Elle Driver is based on a Swedish porn actress with one eye who used to let men, ahem, do things to her empty socket? Seriously, everything about Kill Bill is a copy but to be fair, it's almost always an improvement. 

Whiskey Galore
Dir: Alexander Mackendrick
1949
****
When ever I think about Whisky Galore I can't help but remember the very funny spoof sketch from the very funny Comedy sketch show, The Fast Show. Instead of Whisky, the sketch shows the locals enjoying tons of cocaine that are washed up in a shipwreck. It's all very funny. Thanks probably because the original film is funny, thus deserving a affectionate spoof. It's a bit of a British classic but I'm not too sure it's traveled much which is a shame. It's a very sweet, funny and charming film full of great characters and warm laughs. To be enjoyed with a glass of single malt for sure.