The Last Unicorn (1982)

Greatly perturbed that she may be the last of her species left alive in all the world, a sincere but naïve female unicorn leaves the safety of the enchanted forest that she calls home. Her search for others takes her into the world of man, a place fraught with danger, in which great loss and rapacity exist.
Far from the rainbow-saturated perception of unicorns that exists on the internet today, Rankin/Bass' version of Peter S. Beagle's 1968 book is an often sombre and bittersweet journey that explores some pretty heavy themes.
Voice work is great, particularity Mia Farrow as the lilac-eyed protagonist and, better still, Christopher Lee as a sullen monarch of a dreary kingdom.

3½ empty eyes out of 5

The Ray Harryhausen Collection

I'm not the kind of fan who feels that going out of my way (or even crossing a street) to meet someone famous is in any way a productive use of my time. I'd much rather sit at home and admire the person's work, because any true artist worth their salt would agree that it's the work that's important, not the individual. Even so, there are a small number of people who, if I was to cross paths with, I would take the opportunity to thank for choosing to share their art with the world. A simple but sincere "What you did mattered," is worth infinitely more than a thousand sycophantic or fawning fans screaming.
Ray Harryhausen is one such person. What he did mattered. His family and friends will have known his intimate side. The rest of us can know his artistic side, the side that he shared time and again through the films he worked on.

Summer Wars (2009)

Japanese high-school student Natsuki travels to the countryside to celebrate an elderly relative's 90th birthday. She drags mathematical genius Kenji with her, posing as her boyfriend; it's a role that Kenji would love to fill for real.
A high-tech online world (named OZ) features alongside a traditional and pastoral offline family-focussed world. The network of 4 million communities (1 billion users) is contrasted with the small network of family and friends that help and protect one another, highlighting how individual strengths and group strengths can support each other in times of crisis.
The virtual world's vibrant energy and explosion of colour is memorable, but I prefer the simplicity of Hosoda's previous work, TGWLTT (2006).

3 squeamish ossifrages out of 5

The Valley of Gwangi (1969)

A fantasy western that plays out like a cross between The Lost World (1912) novel and the King Kong (1933) film. Set in Mexico at the turn of the 20th Century it has a travelling Rodeo Show with a unique attraction, a semi-reprehensible leading man (James Franciscus) with an agenda, and a palaeontologist who's hungry for prestige. But best of all it has a 'forbidden valley' that has creatures not seen anywhere else for 50 million years.
I'm not automatically attracted to all things dinosaur, except when they're animated by Ray Harryhausen, like they are in Gwangi. He even succeeds in having us sympathise with the great beasts more than once.
It has some dodgy ADR in places, and characters in need of more depth, but visually it's a fun, fantastical adventure that speaks to the inner-child.

3 horse toes out of 5

The Viking Queen (1967)

Taking much of its inspiration from the folk hero Boudicca, Hammer Studio's story is set in Britain during the Roman occupation. The political sea change that's forced upon the country's native tribes results in an armed uprising led by Queen Salina, played by Finnish fashion model Carita Järvinen.
Amid the calls to war a romance blossoms, failing to add as much emotional conflict as it ought to have done. The blend of politics, religion, state, and family concerns is equally as underwhelming at times. I'm guessing the makers were aware of the failings, so added some side-boob to spice it up.
The exterior scenes feel authentic, whereas many of the interior scenes have the usual stage-like Hammer theatrics, the kind that I adore.

2½ blue bandits out of 5

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

High-school student Makoto isn't good at timekeeping. Prone to oversleeping, she's often in a rush to not be late for classes, which, coupled with her slightly clumsy nature, can have disastrous results. As summer approaches and the final push into maturity threatens to turn her world inside out, a hard-won realisation that you can't fix everything in life looms at every turn.
The lessons that accompany the coming-of-age concerns are woven into the story wonderfully, as are the relationships that define the school-friends.
A great film on first viewing, subsequent revisits have caused me to fall in love with it more. Although, I do feel that it has a few too many resolutions.

4 rollbacks out of 5

Kung Fu: The Movie (1986)

A belated continuation of the Kung Fu TV series (1972-75) set still in the American Old West, with Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine) the wandering Shaolin monk. It was Brandon Lee's first credited role, which, given his father's contested place in the original show's genesis, may be considered slightly ironic or something of a balance being properly adjusted.
Set in 1865 the story involves murder, opium and a shady cover-up. The usual memory/flashbacks to Master Po (Keye Luke) are in place, but there's an additional mystical slant that might have been a step too far.
Viewers unfamiliar with the series may not care about any of it, whereas those of us that followed the original TV journey may be upset that it often fails to meet its progenitor's standards. It's merely okay, at best.

2½ golden illusions out of 5

We Are Family (2010)

Aman (Arjun Rampal) has three children with Maya (Kajol), but the couple are divorced. He lives now with Shreya (Kareena Kapoor) and has the fool notion that he'd like his new partner to meet his children in his old partner's house during his youngest child's birthday party. Some guys just aren't too bright.
I'm in no way intending to trivialise the subject matter dealt with in the film, but the resultant story is pretty terrible, the sentimentality forcibly mawkish, and the situations feel much too engineered. If it was a painting it'd be palate knife painted, thick and amateurish. If it was a book it'd be from a first-time novelist. It hits its mark at the end, though, but that's true of many Bollywood films. I'll give it an additional half point, anyhow, because endings are hard.

2½ spaghetti fights out of 5

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)

The 20,000 Fathoms part of the title isn’t very relevant, but the Beast part certainly is. Stirred from slumber by scientists testing atomics somewhere in the Arctic, the creature causes havoc as it makes its way purposefully south. I don’t appreciate being rudely woken up, either, so I can kind of relate.
The script, 'suggested' by a short in Ray Bradbury's The Golden Apples of the Sun (1953) collection, toys with the psychology of witnessing the impossible, while exploring a more elaborate scientific reasoning with regards what's actually seen. But the best part of this particular creature-feature is the effects work by Ray Harryhausen. That's two Rays for the price of one.

3 differences of opinion out of 5

The Witches (1966)

In Joan Fontaine's last big screen (i.e. non-TV) role she plays a school teacher named Gwen Mayfield who, after a horrifying ordeal in Africa, dotters about a quaint English village trying to help the local kids achieve their full potential. But, with a few exceptions, when the community and the schoolteacher don't see eye to eye, Gwen begins to suspect there may be witchcraft afoot.
The film is neither sinister enough, nor the psychological strain threads intriguing enough, to keep the drama high and it soon gets tiresome.
The oddball finale, which is somewhere between pantomime and avant-garde theatre, is kind of ridiculous, but is nevertheless the most memorable part.

2 ill wills out of 5

The King and I (1956)

A gorgeous film version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical about a widowed British school teacher named Anna (Deborah Kerr) who travels with her young son to Siam (i.e. Thailand) to teach the King's many children.
The self-serving Hollywood need to have recognisable English-speaking actors in key Asian roles was as ridiculous in the 50s as it is now, but Russian-born Yul Brynner somehow makes the role his own, regardless.
The give and take story revolves around a clash of personalities, with the liberated school mistress butting heads with the egotistical monarch.
The theme of slavery is as daring as it gets, but, while it's simple stuff for the most part, it's also hugely entertaining, in the grand musical tradition.

4 etc, etc, etc, out of 5