Showing posts with label top films. Show all posts
Showing posts with label top films. Show all posts

Saturday, 29 December 2012

Top Films of 2012


Over the past year I haven’t caught as many movies as I would have liked but there were still some gems amongst the ones I did get round to.

Instead of a traditional top ten list I’ll use this end of year post to point out some of the highlights of the past 12 months.

These are in no particular order and weren’t necessarily released in 2012.


Avengers Assemble – The first film to feature Marvel heroes Captain America, The Hulk, Iron Man and Thor turned out even better than anyone dared to hope. Bring on the sequel!

The Grey – Liam Neeson leads a group of plane crash survivors through the wilderness but they encounter a pack of hungry wolves. Manages to be exciting and thought-provoking with great turns from Neeson and Frank Grillo.

The Angels Share – A Scottish comedy drama about a group of offenders attempting to steal a very rare and valuable whisky. After a bleak start this becomes a hilarious tale of misadventure.

Stay Cool – A successful author returns to his own high school to give a speech to students. Marketed as a romantic comedy this funny and often poignant film is much more than it appears to be as the thirtysomething finds himself back in situations he first experienced as a teenager.

Dredd – Karl Urban delivers a true representation of the comic book judge / jury / executioner as Dredd must take on a feared drug dealer while training a rookie Judge. Mega-violent and fast paced this will please fans of hardcore action films.

End Of Watch – Two cops find themselves with a price on their heads in this top notch action thriller.

American Pie: Reunion – Jim, Stifler and the gang are as funny as ever in this cast get-together that must spawn further films. Far better than expected.

Rise Of The Guardians – A brilliantly animated film that breathes life into the legends of Santa, The Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy, The Sandman and the unlikely hero Jack Frost as they take on the evil Pitch Black.


You can use the search facility to find my full reviews of all of the above.


Thursday, 29 December 2011

Top Films Of 2011



These are the films that I’ve enjoyed most over the past 12 months. All of them were “on target” in 2011.

The Next Three Days
Russell Crowe hatches a plan to help his wife escape from prison in this excellent re-make of the French film Anything For Her. Going into this one I didn’t know anything about it or that it was a re-make. This worked greatly in the film’s favour as I didn’t know how things were going to turn out.

Full review here http://ricsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/film-next-three-days.html

Let me In
Another re-make and again I haven’t seen the original. This tale of a child-like urban vampire manages to be the rarest of films, a great horror.

Full review here http://ricsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/dvd-let-me-in.html

Fast & Furious 5: Rio Heist
Also known as Fast Five this sequel really delivers. Big on action and excitement it also features a brilliant fight scene involving Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Full review here http://www.ricsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/film-fast-furious-5-rio-heist.html


Cell 211
A rookie prison guard finds himself locked in with the inmates during a riot in this brilliant Spanish drama. Can he keep his true identity hidden? Ferocious film with cool performances.

Full review here http://ricsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/07/film-cell-211.html

Terry
This British mock-documentary from director / star Nick Nevern follows a London wide boy as his life spirals out of control. It’s powerful stuff and very realistic.

Full review here http://ricsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/dvd-terry.html

Mother’s Day
Rebecca DeMornay is amazing as the Matriarch of a violent family in this excellent home invasion film from director of Saw sequels Darren Lynn Boussman.

Full review here http://www.ricsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/11/film-mothers-day.html

Horrible Bosses
What do you do when your boss is a tyrant? Three hapless friends conspire to bump theirs off in this surprisingly good comedy featuring fine performances from Colin Farrell and Jennifer Aniston.

Full review here http://ricsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/08/film-horrible-bosses.html

Thor
The God Of Thunder finally arrived on the big screen and director Kenneth Branagh delivered a film packed with action, effects and …….laughs! Excellent precursor to the upcoming Avengers film.

Full review here http://ricsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/film-thor.html

Rio Breaks
This emotional documentary follows two young boys as they attempt to escape a life in the slums of Brazil through professional surfing.

Full review here http://ricsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/06/film-rio-breaks.html

Warrior
At last, a decent MMA (mixed martial arts) film. An estranged family bring all their problems into the octagon in this modern day Rocky with great performances from Nick Nolte, Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy.

Full review here http://ricsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/09/film-warrrior.html

Near misses
Biutiful, Red State, Outcast, Stake Land, Collapse, Faster and The Troll Hunter.

Friday, 31 December 2010

Top Films Of 2010


1. Mine – Captivating from the very first minute, this heart wrenching documentary follows Hurricane Katrina survivors in their harrowing attempts to be re-united with their beloved dogs which they were forced to leave behind.

2. The Town – Ben Affleck’s tale of Charleston bank robbers would have been no.1 in any other year. It’s even better than Gone Baby Gone, cementing Affleck’s status as a top quality director.

3. Tony – Peter Ferdinando deserves nothing short of an Oscar nod for his amazing portrayal of a socially challenged loner who resorts to murder as a way of making friends. Outstanding.

4. The Expendables – Sylvester Stallone delivers the kind of film that action fans have been longing for as his crack team of mercenaries attempt to take down an oppressive regime.

5. Rare Exports – A movie from Finland about Santa? This dark take on the Santa legend is a welcome change to the usual Christmas movie drivel.

6. It’s Complicated – Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin excel in this excellent American Pie for the over 40’s brand of comedy.

7. Spiral – A geek with mental issues finds purpose when he begins a relationship with a work colleague. How long will the tranquillity last?

8. Hot Tub Time Machine – Four friends find themselves back in the 80’s after taking a dip in a magical hot tub. Far better than expected.

9. Rampage – Tense journey into the mind of a disillusioned young man with horrific results. Controversial director Uwe Boll is at the helm of this surprisingly well-acted and tense drama with an inspired ending.

10. The Fourth Kind – “Real” footage is mixed with the fictional account of this creepy story of alien abduction.


Notable mentions also go to The Losers, Machete and The Crazies.

All of the above (except Mine and The Fourth Kind) are reviewed elsewhere here.

Films included were not all necessarily released in 2010.

Friday, 15 January 2010

Top Films Of 2009



1. AVATAR

Ignore the predictability of the story and just enjoy the sheer spectacle. You too will want to be a Na'vi.

2. STAR TREK

Everything a re-make should be.

3. SEVEN POUNDS

Will Smith gives an excellent portrayal of a man looking to make amends.

4. INGLORIOUS BASTERDS

Tarantino is back on form with this WWII drama. Top notch script and great performances all round.

5. THE HANGOVER

Most unusual these days, a comedy that's actually funny and literally about a hangover. Brilliant.

6. WATCHMEN

Dark comic book adaptation.

7. SURVEILLANCE

Violent unpredictable drama.

8. DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM

Not as good as the original but Cyril Raffaelli and David Belle should be given a break in Hollywood after another amazing set of action scenes.

9. X MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE

Appearances by Marvel characters Gambit and Deadpool along with another good turn by Jackman and great action earn this one a place on the list.

10. DEFIANCE

Daniel Craig is much better than any of his Bond performances in this WWII tale of survival.

Friday, 2 October 2009

Films: Top Films of 2005

As this is a new blog I'll include some retrospective lists so here is the first.
2005 was a pretty good year for films and here are my top picks.
They are in order of merit and should all be available cheap on DVD.
Each one is a worthy addition to any collection.

THE JACKET
Adrian Brody in this highly original psychological thriller.

KUNG FU HUSTLE
Stephen Chow’s excellent martial arts mayhem movie.

THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE
A rare thing nowadays. A horror film that’s actually scary.

CRASH
Ensemble piece dealing with racial tension.

CINDERELLA MAN
Russell Crowe gives another powerhouse performance as boxer Jim Braddock.

STANDER
Thomas Jane plays the real life cop turned criminal.

ONG – BAK
Excellent showcase for the amazing skills of Tony Jaa as he sets out to retrieve a stolen ancient statue.

5 X 2
French film about the breakdown of a marriage. Told in reverse.

SIN CITY
Dark comic adaptation starring Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke and Clive Owen.

THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN
Very funny comedy about a late developer.