The Amazing Spider-Man 2

 

Two years after the Amazing Spider-Man burst onto the scene (looking significantly younger, less geekier and better looking than Tobey Maguire) Marvel’s iconic New York based web-slinger has returned to the silver screen, welcomed by the sound of rapturous applause from cinema goers.  In this super hero sequel Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus), (The Social Network) continues his struggle to strike a balance between his life as a normal, everyday teenager with that of his alter-ego, Spider-Man.  Peter struggles to maintain his romantic relationship with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), (The Help), (Easy A) after promising her late Father, at the end of the first movie, that he will break up with Gwen for her own protection.  Parker is also hell bent on finding out the truth regarding his parents’ mysterious disappearance when he was only a child (a secret director Marc Webb lets us in on within the film’s opening sequence.)  To make matters worse Spider-Man must overcome a new powerful super-villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), (Django Unchained), (Ray), who has come to power courtesy of an accident at the shady corporation, Oscorp (a work based accident which could mean Jamie Foxx is entitled to compensation thanks to Injury Lawers 4U).  The dynamics of Peter Parker/Spider Man’s life are also altered by the return of Peter’s childhood friend, Harry Osborn, who has become CEO of Oscorp after the death of his father, Norman.  Unfortunately for Parker, his old play mate takes a bit of a disliking to Spider-Man and eventually emerges as the real villain of the piece when Harry Osborn trades his Armani suit for some green face paint and a hover craft, when he becomes the Green Goblin.

While I have heard many good things about the latest instalment of the Spidey franchise, I’m afraid, after watching the film, that I am unable to say many good things about it.  The film suffers from severe miscasting which deeply affects its character development, plot and to be honest, its credibility.  I’m not sure whether Webb made such questionable casting choices to break away from the conventions of Spidey history, or whether he cast actors in mismatched roles because he genuinely thought they would flourish in the part.  Either way it doesn’t really work.  I’ll begin my critique by looking at the film’s protagonist.  At best Peter Parker should be interesting looking.  He definitely shouldn’t be clinically handsome, cool or ‘trendy’…basically he shouldn’t be Andrew Garfield.  If you think about it Spider-Man is all the more cooler and ‘amazing’ the geekier and more insignificant Peter Parker is.  Indeed, the audience generally respond well to a superhero whose persona completely changes when he has the mask on.  It is that idea of escapism which made Spider-Man so successful in the first place.  After all, “the main difference between Peter Parker and Spider-Man is that Spider-Man gets the girl.”  In this respect Garfield’s depiction of Peter Parker is all wrong.  He come’s across as a socially comfortable, slightly cocky teenager who is confident in his own abilities and is comfortable in his own skin; everything Peter Parker shouldn’t be…oh and he also cries too much

The character of Harry Osborn also poses a few problems.  Dane DeHaan (Chronicle), (Lawless) does not portray Harry Osborn as a rich playboy, characteristics James Franco brought to the role in the original Spider-Man franchise, but instead offers a creepy and unnerving depiction which makes Harry’s descent into darkness and evil far less surprising than it should have been.  It’s also really weird watching a Spider-Man movie in which the actor playing Harry Osborn looks much more likely to be an underdog than the actor playing Peter Parker.  Can you imagine if the original Spider-Man trilogy had Tobey Maguire cast as Harry Osborn and James Franco cast in the title role?  To be frank the film would probably have benefited more by swapping the respective roles of Garfield and DeHaan.  Additionally the role of Max Dillon/Electro was also the subject of poor casting.  As seen in previous roles and highlighted particularly by his performance in Django Unchained, Jamie Foxx is the ultimate cool customer.  I cannot therefore comprehend why it would seem plausible to cast Foxx as the film’s initial villain who is a seemingly mentally challenged loser, whose obsession with Spidey could definitely warrant a restraining order.  There are many actors who could have done this role justice, but Foxx is not one of them.

I can only hope that the conclusion to the second Spider-Man trilogy learns from the mistakes made in this film.  While the roles of DeHaan and Garfield are regrettably set in stone, the casting director needs to work hard to ensure the casting of the next film’s villain or villains (as the ending of the film implies) is spot on in order to save the franchise.  Overall the film was pretty boring and doesn’t make much progress until the final half hour.  I’ll admit that the director successfully raises the emotional stakes during the film’s climax, but a lot needs to be done to ensure the next film is better than this one…with great power comes great responsibility Mr Webb

Non-Stop

 

When writing this review I was vigorously debating whether or not to include the all too ‘easy’ line, ‘I couldn’t wait for Non-Stop to stop.’  As you can see I eventually decided it was the only way to sum up one of the worst action movies I have ever had the displeasure of watching.  The movie is full of  lazy symbolism, laughable action movie clichés, and is barely held together by a farcical plot, which completely snowballs out of control.  Having said all of this, the first half an hour of the film is not actually that bad, but its shambolic character development left the remainder of Liam Neeson’s latest action flick in complete disarray.

Non-Stop centres around US air marshal, Bill Marks (Neeson), a man struggling with alcoholism after the untimely death of his daughter, who must protect the passengers on board his flight after he is sent a series of text messages threatening to kill off the passengers, unless the airline transfers $150 million to an off-shore account.  The film assumes a ‘who done it’/murder mystery position clumsily highlighting to the audiences that there are several people on the plane who may well be sending Mr Neeson the menacing text messages.  I however did not find myself guessing who the culprit was because I simply didn’t care!  Due to the film’s appalling character and story development, I was not emotionally invested in the movie at all.  Therefore I was, at most, indifferent to finding out what the fate of the plane and its passengers would be (like I hadn’t guessed anyway)

Amongst the cast is respected Hollywood actress Julianne Moore, whose career may hit some unexpected turbulence after her shaky performance as Jen Summers, the only person on the plane who Neeson trusts and his eventual love interest.  To be fair to Moore, her uncharacteristically weak performance is more down to the abysmal script rather than her acting ability (we have seen from past performances that Moore is usually very solid.)  However to a certain extent actors and actresses are only as good as the films they are in.  In this respect Liam Neeson himself is probably one of the most inconsistent actors of all time.  It seems mind boggling that the same actor who has starred in cinematic successes such as Batman Begins, Taken and Schindler’s List can also be in complete flops such as The Grey, Battleship and now his most recent dud, Non-Stop.  Don’t get me wrong I think Neeson is a great actor, but it’s a mystery to me why he continues to cheapen himself by being in streams of these ridiculous films.  Also in the cast is Lupita Nyong’o, who has recently shot to international stardom courtesy of her staggering performance, which earned her a well deserved Oscar, in 12 Years a Slave.  In my review of 12 Years I said that Nyong’o was set for a magnificent acting career if she was to build on her stunning début performance.  Whilst I still think this is true, she definitely hasn’t made the most impressive start.  Her character has no purpose in the film and does not add to its development in any way shape or form.  The minimal screen time Nyong’o has in Non-Stop makes me wonder why she decided to be in the film in the first place.

If you are wondering whether or not Non-Stop is a breakaway from the typical ‘no-brainer’ action movie, then let me save you the suspense.  It…is…not!!  A lot of these action movies still work, because at least they are engaging, but this film has virtually nothing going for it.  Like I’ve already said, I couldn’t wait for Non-Stop to stop…(Sorry…couldn’t resist)

12 Years a Slave

After seeing director Steve McQueen’s (Shame, Hunger) latest masterpiece, 12 Years a Slave, I can only say that it’s no wonder the film has been earmarked to raid the Oscars this year.  The extraordinary true story of a free African American man, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), (Children of Men, American Gangster), who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the antebellum United States, is one which will stay in the hearts and minds of movie-goers for generations.  12 Years a Slave is easily the most accurate and realistic depiction of slavery that has ever been exhibited on the silver screen.  The film’s brutally honest representation of African American slavery earns it a place in Hollywood history, and McQueen must be applauded for approaching the issue with such sensitivity and authenticity.  Many of the scenes in 12 Years a Slave are profoundly disturbing and difficult to watch, but credit should go to the director for not watering down the content, and telling the story in the manner in which it needs to be told.

 

One of the factors which makes the film the triumph it is, is the array of talent which came together to make the movie.  First and foremost Ejiofor is brilliant as Solomon Northup, and is probably the favourite to take home the ‘Best Actor’ award at the Oscars on March 2nd.  Also nominated for an Oscar is Lupita Nyong’o who plays the slave girl, Patsey, whose incredibly brutal struggles as a slave gives the audience an insight into the relentless harsh reality of slavery.  If Nyong’o acts half as well throughout her career as she did in 12 Years a Slave, she is set for a blossoming and award filled career as an actress.  Experienced Hollywood actors Paul Giamatti and Brad Pitt also impress in their respective roles, which are essentially extended cameos, but are nonetheless very important.  Likewise up and coming actor Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness, The Hobbit) puts in an equally good performance as Solomon’s first owner, Mr Ford, a man who treats his slaves with dignity and respect and who Solomon himself refers to as a ‘decent man.’  However the show is stolen by Michael Fassbender (X Men: First Class, Inglorious Basterds), who plays Solomon’s second owner, Edwin Epps, a sadistic and callous slave owner, the polar opposite to Mr Ford and a personification of the evil of his time.  I will be astounded if Fassbender does not win ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role’ at the Oscars, as his portrayal of the mean-spirited and brutal Edwin Epps typifies his versatility and confidence to take on new and differing roles, an attribute which he has displayed throughout his still very young career.

 

When watching 12 Years a Slave I got a real sense of the hardship and brutality of slavery, which I don’t think has been so expertly represented in any other film regarding the subject.  Having previously studied the topic of African American slavery I found the film both insightful and disturbing.  I have heard stories and read diary entries concerning the inhumanity of slavery, but seeing it portrayed with such authenticity and ruthlessness on the big screen was something else.  It is such a disturbing idea to think that humans were able to physically own other humans, purely on the basis that one race had supremacy over the other, and for this reason it is a difficult subject to cover in film.  However as said before 12 Years a Slave covers the issue with sensitivity and honesty, and for this reason the film is destined to become a classic.  The tearful climax of the movie is probably one of the most significant tear jerker moments in film history, and one which i can say will stay with me forever.  Freedom is something we now take for granted in the western world, but watching 12 Years a Slave will most definitely make you appreciate yours.  I can only wonder why it has taken so long for a director to summon the courage to portray Solomon Northup’s astonishing true story on the big screen, but now it has been done, it’s safe to say the film is nothing short of a masterpiece. 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z02Ie8wKKRg

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

After the unprecedented success of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, many movie-goers maintained a sceptical attitude when discussing the news that director Peter Jackson would also be making The Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkien’s beloved prequel to The Lord of the Rings books.  In this second instalment of the adventures of hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Bilbo, along with Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) and a group of dwarves, continue their quest to reclaim the dwarf kingdom of Erebor from the evil dragon, Smaug.  Known to only Bilbo and the audience, the hobbit has also found a mysterious ring at the end of the last film, which is destined to alter the fate of Middle Earth forever.

The task to recreate such an iconic and well-known story as The Hobbit is a momentous one, but one to which Peter Jackson is definitely no stranger.  Due to the phenomenal success of The Lord of the Rings, there is always a danger that The Hobbit will be overshadowed by it’s older and stronger brother.  However from what I have seen so far, I am reasonably impressed!  An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug have set the scene very well and have mastered the tricky ability of linking in with The Lord of the Rings, while also establishing The Hobbit as a new and completely different story.  The film exhibits stunning and exhilarating fight sequences involving giant spiders, a mean spirited dragon, and orcs (obviously).  There is also an ‘extended cameo’ for Orlando Bloom, who reprises his role as Elven warrior Legolas, a character who I am pleased to say has a bit more bite to him than the foppish and frankly boring representation we saw throughout the majority of The Lord of the Rings.  Jackson also introduces us to Legolas’ female counterpart, Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly, Lost, The Hurt Locker), whose presence in the film sparks an inter-racial romance between herself and the spirited dwarf, Kili (Aidan Turner).

While I enjoyed the movie, it is safe to say that it looses it’s way at a certain point in the film.  The story ceases to be engaging once the dwarves and Bilbo reach Laketown.  It very much seems to me that at this point the story goes off on a bit of a tangent and detours from the thrilling nature of the plot so far.  It is no secret that Peter Jackson had to draw out the content of the film, and that of course is the trouble of converting a relatively short children’s book into three film’s worth of action.  It is interesting to note that the romance between Tauriel and Kili was not a part of the original footage, but the story was only created to pad out the film during re-shoots in 2013.  Although in the long run Peter Jackson and the production companies who endorsed the making of The Hobbit will feel the financial benefit of converting one book into three films, such a task involves a lot of padding and will arguably do a disservice to the franchise.  In particular The Desolation of Smaug is not as concise as it perhaps should be.  Throughout the film you get the impression that Jackson is playing for time, and that is the only aspect of the film which lets it down.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Ever since Will Ferrell, dressed as Ron Burgundy, appeared on The Conan O Brien Show in March 2012, announcing that Paramount Pictures were planning to release a sequel to Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, movie-goers around the world have been in great anticipation.  Nine years on from our first introduction to Ron Burgundy and his beloved news team, the kings of comedy have returned to bring more laughs in this sequel to one of the greatest comedies ever made!

Although the main cast have obviously been subject to physical change, as they have aged since the first movie, they are no less funnier together!  The characters of Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), Champ Kind (David Koechner), and Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) reunite alongside their leader Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), as they journey to New York to make their mark on the very first 24-hour news channel.  In all honesty, the film’s plot isn’t all that important, as this group of actors can make just about anything hilariously funny.  The ridiculous scenarios the news team constantly find themselves in makes Anchorman 2 the definition of comedy gold.  Moreover, the cameos in the film, who make up the ensemble of the traditional and obligatory news team fight are legendary!  It says a lot for the reputation of Anchorman that so many Hollywood superstars were willing to put their name to this comedy sequel.

However, before I get carried away, I must deal with the extremely important and inevitable question that will be asked; Is this one better than the first?  To some extent every sequel is always going to be fighting a losing battle from the word go, but it must be said that Anchorman 2 weathers the storm extremely well.  While I cannot say it is better than the first film, it very nearly equals it.  It does not surpass Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy simply because the first movie centred around such an original idea.  It is extremely hard to continue an idea into another film, let alone better it, and I think in a certain way the film possibly tries a little too hard to match it’s predecessor, as it does things it simply does not need to do.  For example the introduction of Kristen Wiig’s (Bridesmaids) character, Chani Lastname’, intended as a weird romantic partner to Brick, brings very little in the way of laughs.  The scenes were Chani and Brick partake in random and disjointed interchange don’t really work, and make up the few scenes that didn’t really make me laugh.  This is mostly because Steve Carell is so much more funnier than Kristen Wiig, so constantly outshines out-acts and out-humours her.  As a character Brick is funnier as a social outcast who is significantly different from the rest of the characters, and is isolated in his weirdness.  Having a character who is just as strange and nonsensical as him almost detracts from the humour that the character of Brick offers.  Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues did a lot of things right, but the introduction of Chani Lastname’ was not one of them.

On the whole, the film was extremely funny and entertaining.  The content of the movie was unsubtle and not particularly clever, but that’s what makes Anchorman  work!  Anchorman 2 has got to be the second most quotable film of all time, behind the first Anchorman film.  But to be perfectly honest I don’t think it matters which Anchorman film was better than which.  In my opinion, a comedy sequel doesn’t really need to live up to the standard set by the first movie, as it is never realistically going to do so.  All a comedy sequel needs to do is make sure that the members of the audience leave the cinema with a big smile spread across their faces, which was what Anchorman 2 most definitely did! 

American Hustle

Since director David O Russell came to prominence with the release of The Fighter in 2010, his career has really taken off!  In the past three years he has been nominated twice for Best Achievement in Directing at the Oscars, and now it is conceivable that he will be given his third Oscar nod, as his new film American Hustle is being heralded by most critics as ‘film of the year.’  The up and coming director’s decision to open his new film with the ambiguous disclaimer, ‘some of this actually happened’, rather than merely stating, ‘based on a true story’, shows the depth and genius of this director.  This disclaimer immediately captures the imagination of the audience and draws us in so we spend the remainder of the movie speculating about what parts are fictional and what parts ‘actually happened.’

From past evidence it is easy to assert that O Russell is one of these directors who likes to recycle his actors and actresses.  Just like Martin Scorsese has constantly turned to the services of Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, and Tim Burton with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, David O Russell also seems to put his faith in the same group of actors.  The fact is, most of the stars of American Hustle have worked with O Russell before.  Amy Adams and Christian Bale in The Fighter and Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro in Silver Linings Playbook.  The decision to reuse his old colleagues has definitely paid off for the in-form O Russell, as the entire ensemble of American Hustle act extremely well.  They definitely seem to see eye to eye with their director.  Christian Bale is barely recognisable as con man Irving Rosenfeld, who along with his seductive partner in crime and romance, Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) is forced to work for an eccentric FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper), who wishes to take down corrupt New Jersey politicians, as well as the mob.  Both Bale and Cooper put in the best performances of their career to date, while Amy Adams’ immaculate English accent conned not only several characters in the film, but also myself!  Jeremy Renner also acts extremely well as the passionate and well-intentioned Mayor of New Jersey, Carmine Polito, who you cannot help but think gets a raw deal as you witness him getting conned into corruption.  However, the show is most definitely stolen by Hollywood’s new golden girl, Jennifer Lawrence who plays Rosalyn Rosenfeld, the unpredictable and mentally unhinged wife of Irving, who constantly threatens to give the game away.

Although the film exhibited very strong acting, it failed to completely engage me from start to finish.  Although there were many interesting twists and turns, I felt that many scenes were dragged out and consequently these scenes were dangerously close to being boring.  I have heard that many scenes were improvised and this definitely shows.  IMDb states that “according to Christian Bale much of the movie was improvised.  So, during the shooting of the film he noted to David O Russell, ‘you realise that this is going to change the plot greatly down track.’  To which the director replied, ‘Christian, I hate plots.  I am all about characters, that’s it.’  I am a big fan of improvisation, but only to an extent.  To entirely improvise the majority of a movie is extremely risky and dangerous, and the decision to do so in American Hustle meant that the film wasn’t exactly easy to follow in places.  The director’s decision to focus more on the characters than the plot gave the movie a significant lack of structure, and this is really the only negative point that sticks out in my mind.  Unlike David O Russell, I think that the plot is more important than characters, and the plot of American Hustle was not always clear and coherent.

I did enjoy the film but I wouldn’t go as far to say it was a cinematic masterpiece.  There were elements of the film that I really liked and enjoyed, but I think that critics are jumping the gun a bit when already pronouncing David O Russell’s latest picture as film of the year.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Released approximately a year and a half after the first Hunger Games movie established itself  as a success on the silver screen, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire arguably outdoes even it’s predecessor.  Victors of the 74th annual Hunger Games Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) return to battle in the Quarter Quell as the Capitol becomes wary of the revolutionary symbol Katniss has become since winning the games.  An ensemble of new characters are successfully introduced who all play a big part in the film, and I suspect will play an even bigger part in the conclusion of the franchise.  The new characters include the new Game-maker, Plutarch Heavensbee, played by the consistently brilliant Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Katniss and Peeta’s fellow victors Finnick Odair and Johanna Mason, played by Hollywood newcomers Sam Claflin and Jena Malone.  The returning support characters also help to make the story as engaging as the first with veteran actor Donald Sutherland offering an outstandingly sinister portrayal of the evil President Snow, and Woody Harrelson putting in an equally sturdy performance as Katniss and Peeta’s alcoholic mentor Haymitch Abernathy.  The character of Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) also returns as the Capitol’s equivalent to Jonathan Ross or Jay Leno, whose sycophantic and phoney interviews with the victors make the Hunger Games seem more like a game show than a battle to the death.  Most noticeable however is Liam Hemsworth’s representation of Katniss’ friend Gale Hawthorne, a character who was somewhat overlooked in the first Hunger Games film, but one who is given more recognition this time around.  As Gale becomes a more important character in the film, an interesting love triangle becomes evident between Gale, Katniss and Peeta, which is perfectly poised for the last two movies.  It speaks volumes for the maturity of the film’s content that young girls are not arguing about whether their ‘team Peeta’ or ‘team Gale’ like they did with the Twilight franchise, and it just shows that an engaging storyline and strong acting trumps all other factors when creating a successful movie.  It’s extremely rare that an action/sci-fi film is most noticeable for the quality of it’s acting rather than it’s special FX, but The Hunger Games: Catching Fire most definitely is.  I have to admit that I wasn’t as emotionally connected to this film as I was the first, but I think that’s probably because the first film covered the death and destruction of the Hunger Games much more than Catching Fire did.  After all, the aim of the first film was to soften our hearts so the audience could sympathy with the plight of Katniss Everdeen and her fellow maltreated citizens of Panem, whereas the aim of this film  is to set up the story for the eventual revolution that is obviously going to take place.  Moreover, in many ways Catching Fire does definitely surpass the first instalment of The Hunger Games.  For starters the camera work in Catching Fire is far superior to that of the first movie, which was undeniably poor.  Also, the actual games were far more imaginative in this movie compared to the representation of The Hunger Games in the first film.  There can be no denying that blood rain, poisonous gas, flooding, and a troop of man eating baboons is far more exhilarating and entertaining to watch than a mere pack of dogs, which made up the slightly disappointing finale of the first film.  All in all The Hunger Games: Catching Fire did it’s job very well as it offered an enthralling and captivating next chapter to The Hunger Games  story.  It is completely understandable to assert that The Hunger Games has the potential to become one of the most successful and memorable franchises in film history.  So far Suzanne Collins’ books have adapted well to cinema, and the position of The Hunger Games in movie history now lies in the next two films which will be released in 2014 and 2015.  Let us hope that they deliver…I’m sure they will.

Top 10 Christmas Films

Hello bloggers!! For my first ever post I feel inclined to write a list of what I consider to be the top 10 Christmas films, as I’m feeling extremely festive and Christmas Day itself is only a couple of weeks away.  So sit back, relax and enjoy this list…

10) Jingle All The Way

To start us off I thought I’d go for a film with more sentimental value rather than genuine quality.  The fact is Jingle All The Way is no classic, but is light-hearted good-humoured fun, and that’s what Christmas is all about right?  Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the well-intentioned but forgetful father of Jamie (Jake Lloyd), the same kid who played the child version of Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace (no… really!)  Jamie wants just one thing for Christmas, the incredibly cool new toy, Turbo Man, and Arnie’s character is given just one responsibility, to buy a Turbo Man doll.  Of course, he leaves it to Christmas Eve, and all hell breaks loose as he races around town desperately trying to get his hands on a Turbo Man.  The film offers fairly unsophisticated laughs including an oddly amusing fight between Schwarzenegger and a group of shopping mall Santas, but as I said before the film earns its place on this list not because of its cinematic prowess but because of its light-hearted nature.  It also promoted a very good message for kids watching.  ‘You should always keep your promises if you want to keep your friends.’  Thanks Turbo Man!

9) Miracle On 34th Street

The Christmas film so good they made it twice!  With the exception of A Christmas Carol this is probably the only Christmas movie to be remade, with the 1994 version starring Richard Attenborough preceding the original, which was made in 1947.  The warm and wonderful story of Kris Kringle, the department store Santa Claus who is convinced that he is the real deal, is most certainly a Christmas classic.  After openly claiming that he is Santa Claus, the harmless Kringle is thought to be insane by many, with the exception of a little girl and a big city lawyer, who represents Kringle in court.  The film is of course a highly idealised take on Christmas, but even the most cynical of beings can’t help but watch it with a great big smile on their face.  It is also the perfect film to watch for children who are beginning to question the existence of Santa Claus, and for those who need their faith in the big guy to be restored.

8) The Nightmare Before Christmas

This addition to the top 10 Christmas films is the only animated feature/musical on the list, and is also the only movie which can be classed as a Halloween film as well as a Christmas one.  Written by acclaimed film-maker Tim Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas follows the adventures of the pumpkin king of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington (voiced by Danny Elfman.)  After accidentally coming across Christmas Town, and falling in love with the festivity of the holidays, Jack is adamant that he will introduce Christmas to the residents of Halloween Town.  Of course this does not go entirely to plan and ultimately Jack has to offer his services in order to save Christmas.  The film’s eccentricities and it’s cinematic creativity makes it an enjoyable, albeit unorthodox Christmas treat which can be enjoyed by the whole family.  Tim Burton is extremely gifted in exploring the darker nature of light-hearted topics and in A Nightmare Before Christmas he offers an extremely twisted but delightful portrayal of the most light-hearted topic of all, Christmas.

7) The Santa Clause

After accidentally causing the death of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, a divorcee and Father of one named Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is saddled with the responsibility of filling the boots…literally, of Mr Claus himself.  Initially Calvin denies what has happened dismissing it as a dream, but eventually he accepts his responsibilities as he realises that he is inescapably fated to assume the position of Santa Claus.  The film offers genuinely funny laughs as Scott Calvin (who shares his initials with Santa Claus) inexplicably grows a white beard and puts on a lot of weight overnight whilst attempting to juggle his hectic personal and professional life.  In many ways The Santa Clause shares similarities with Miracle on 34th Street as Calvin is considered to be insane for believing he is the real Santa.  But of course all works out in the end as Scott Calvin is allowed to assume his rightful position as Santa Claus, just like Kris Kringle.  A truly great Christmas film but be warned, if you have the initials SC don’t go inadvertently killing any Santas otherwise you might just enter into the Santa Clause yourself… (pun intended)

6) Elf

At number six is the charming story of the lovable Buddy (Will Ferrell), a man raised as an elf, who travels to the human world in search of his true identity and his estranged father, Walter (James Caan.)  It is no secret that the success of this film can almost entirely be attributed to one factor; Will Ferrell.  I think it is safe to say that without Ferrell’s performance Elf would not have been so widely adored by the public.  In fact Buddy the elf is probably one of Ferrell’s most iconic screen characters after Ricky Bobby and, of course the famous Ron Burgundy.  However, regardless of Ferrell’s expertise, the story and plot of Elf is extremely funny and fairly unique.  The idea of an innocent and naive elf/man wandering around the tough and cynical city of New York is enormously amusing.  Buddy’s overwhelming desire to meet his father and be a part of his life is also very touching, and when watching the film you can’t help but hope that it all works out for him.  Overall this film has earned itself a regular time slot on numerous TV networks during the holiday season, and rightly so!

5) Home Alone

The halfway point of my list is marked by the film which saw a mother’s worst nightmare turn to a burglar’s worst nightmare in the space of 103 minutes.  Although somewhat let down by inferior sequels, nothing can detract from the brilliance of the first Home Alone.  The film which shot Macaulay Culkin into the realms of child stardom has undeniably become an iconic Christmas movie.  When Kevin McCallister (Culkin) is accidentally left behind when his family go on holiday over Christmas, he takes on the responsibility of defending his home against two idiotic burglars Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern.)  Naturally hilarity ensues when the two grown men, Harry and Marv (the ‘Wet Bandits’) are continuously thwarted by a series of booby traps set by an eight year old child.  Ultimately Kevin defeats the Wet Bandits and is reunited with his mother on Christmas morning, learning that Christmas is only Christmas if you’ve got family to celebrate it with.  Its always fun seeing two good-for-nothing burglars get more than what they bargained for and it is for this reason that Home Alone is a Christmas comedy which can be enjoyed by young and old every Christmas.

4) Scrooged

Perhaps the funniest film on this list, Scrooged is essentially a modern retelling of A Christmas Carol.  The film centres around cynical, selfish and unkind TV executive Frank Cross (Bill Murray) who is visited by three ghosts before Christmas Day, who warn Frank that he must amend his wicked ways.  It is a testament to the film’s success that although the movie is now twenty-five years old, no other notable attempt has been made to bring a modern spin to the age old tale.  Bill Murray plays the mean-spirited character of Frank Cross so well that you’re actually almost disappointed when he realises the error of his ways, and looses his cynical nature as the film reaches it’s climax.  In truth, a lot of the jokes made in the film are fairly dated, but it’s general message and perfectly delivered one liners still make it an absolute joy to watch.  It may be because I’ve watched Scrooged every Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember, but I honestly think that Christmas isn’t Christmas unless I’ve watched this film at least once during the holiday season.  Side splitting dialogue and a positive general message makes Scrooged a Christmas classic for sure!

3) Love Actually

For years Richard Curtis has mastered the formula to concoct a successful romantic comedy.  A group of middle class, slightly quirky, stiff upper lip Brits, a couple of Americans (to hook in our cousins over the lake) and an unprecedented amount of cheese.  However his only Christmas film to date is arguably the best of them all! It seems that Curtis’ message that ‘love actually is all around’ is an extremely popular one.  Everyone who was anyone was involved in Love Actually and the public seemed to absolutely love it!  For a comedy, I don’t actually find it that funny but I think it has an endearing nature which I simply could not ignore when compiling this list.  The film’s message that love can be seen everywhere in modern society in all shapes and sizes is one that is relevant all year round, but it seems to have much more pertinence around Christmas time.  In short, having any Christmas film list without Love Actually featuring somewhere is like having a Christmas tree without tinsel.  It is idealised, superficial and cheesy, but if there is a time of year for cheesy films, Christmas is definitely it!

2) A Christmas Carol

Without a doubt one of the most iconic Christmas tales of all time, let alone one of the most iconic films!  There are so many different versions of A Christmas Carol that it is impossible to pinpoint just one to put on the list.  Stars as diverse as Michael Caine, Patrick Stewart and Kermit the Frog have starred in this festive treat, making it a story which is subject to constant cinematic interpretation.  The timeless tale of the bitterly selfish individual, Ebenezer Scrooge, who was visited by the ghosts of past, present and future on Christmas Eve night is one which will be told every Christmas for evermore.  A Christmas Carol is a wonderful story of redemption, and it’s message that a life of wickedness and cruelty can end with love and reconciliation is one which every film concerning the tale strives to deliver.  Film-makers will never tire of attempting to stamp their own individual take on to the age old story, and why should they?  A Christmas Carol is a film which can be watched over and over again, and although the story is old, it’s message is as fresh and new as ever.

1) It’s A Wonderful Life

If this list was a Christmas tree then Its A Wonderful Life would undoubtedly be the star at it’s summit.  This film is quite simply a masterpiece and it is a testament to the movie’s unparalleled quality that it’s popularity and message has endured since the film’s release in 1946.  James Stewart plays George Bailey (his most iconic screen role), a kind-hearted, struggling businessman who is strongly considering killing himself around Christmas time due to his financial woes.  An angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) appears to George, in an attempt to earn himself a pair of wings, and helps him by showing George what the world would be like if he had never existed.  I think the reason this film has accumulated so much success over the years is due to the fact that it taps into the idea that every human being is on this Earth for a reason.  I suspect that Its A Wonderful Life bought a lot of meaning to many people’s lives, and  it’s poignancy in covering an issue as important as suicide is the reason why it is considered to be the greatest Christmas film of all time by many… including myself.