The Vengeance of She (1968)

None of the major stars from the first She film return for the sequel, but given that it's set in a more contemporary era it makes sense that they'd not be included. The plot, however, is almost the same but reversed, so it's now a male ego-maniac waiting for his female companion (i.e. Ayesha) to be reborn and return to the hidden city of Kuma. The unlucky lady in that scenario is Olinka Bérová. There's some guff about the astral plane, magic circles and robed mystics, none of which is much good, but it does at least allow Derek Godfrey (as Magi Men-Hari) to be somewhat Mocata-like; and extra credit to him for keeping a straight face during the ridiculous chanting scenes.

1½ guided steps out of 5

Mitsuko Delivers (2011)

Single, nine months pregnant and financially broke, Mitsuko (Riisa Naka) is running low on options. But she's strong-willed and has a personal philosophy that keeps her afloat when life seems determined to drag her down. To the people she meets, such as the unmotivated, the unlucky, and the hopeless, Mitsuko is an inspiration. When she moves into a rundown tenement, populated with a number of such folks, she has her work cut out for her.
It's a Japanese comedy drama from Dir. Yûya Ishii with just the right amount of heart and quirkiness to make it fun and warming. The flashbacks to fifteen years previous add welcome depth to the oddball characters.

3 fair winds out of 5

Joe Kidd (1972)

Written by author Elmore Leonard, it's the story of ex-bounty hunter Joe Kidd (Eastwood) and his dealings with a (not very) Mexican revolutionary (John Saxon) and the rich landowner (Robert Duvall) who wants the latter man dead. It essentially boils down to a manhunt, but the uneasy working relationship between the titular Joe and his employer gives it an additional tense edge.
Eastwood's cowboy persona is as captivating as many of his more famous versions of the same; he makes it seem effortless. Duvall is also great as the wealthy and pitiless land owner who wants to eradicate his opposition.
It's not the best revisionist western that I've ever seen, but nor do I feel that it's as bad as some critics claim. And there's a Lalo Schifrin score to consider.

3 poor judgements out of 5

The Jewel of the Nile (1985)

A sequel to Romancing the Stone (1984) that continues the story of Jack T. Colton (Michael Douglas) and romance author Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner).
Joan, suffering from writer's block and bored with travelling the world in Jack's boat, seeks adventure (and inspiration) further afield, but once there discovers that it's not the creative plain sailing she was hoping for.
Danny DeVito also returns as Ralph, the incompetent villain hoping to acquire the titular jewel for his own purposes; i.e. a quick and easy profit.
The location is changed but the blend of bickering lovers and adventuring that characterised the previous film is retained. For a while it seems like it'll tick the same boxes, but it's not quite as much fun the second time around.

2½ umbrella tricks out of 5

Revenge (1971)

aka Inn of the Frightened People / Terror From Under the House

Publicans Jim (James Booth) and Carol Radford (Joan Collins) are faced with the horrifying prospect that the man accused of killing Jim's young daughter Jenny will walk free. Overcome with emotion, Jim and two others take it upon themselves to get a confession from the suspected murderer.
Revenge's daring script earned it an X Certificate back in the day, but times change and modern audiences may consider much of it rather silly by comparison; what that says about modern movies/audiences as a whole is an interesting thought, but now's not the time or place. It sometimes feels like a British soap opera shot on film, but the tense music (effective, if occasionally too forced) and controversial subject matter give it an edge still.

2½ cellar dwellers out of 5

Highlander: The Search for Vengeance (2007)

An animated Highlander story that has Colin MacLeod (of the clan MacLeod) seeking vengeance on a fellow immortal over many, many years. The two primary eras are Roman Britain (125 AD) and a futuristic America (2187).
The differing goals of each man and how they impact upon their chosen lifestyle is the most interesting aspect of the story, but it takes a long time for the true weight of it to surface. In order to get to that stage we first have to suffer some bland pacing and some equally bland locations - although the latter does at least serve to further highlight the difference in lifestyles. Colin's ultimate goal coincides with someone else's more noble purpose, making him both hero of the people and agent of his own misery.

2½ other times out of 5

NOTE: review is of Dir's Cut (95 mins), not the edited US version (85 mins).

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)

aka 1984

Dir. Michael Radford's adaptation of George Orwell's groundbreaking novel of the same name is as much an exploration of state control as it is of one man's struggle to make sense of his role within the totalitarian regime, a leadership that strives to destroy individualism, even going so far as to remove from the language the means to express distrust in the ruling party.
Much of the colour is drained from it, effectively communicating the dreariness of protagonist Winston Smith's existence; the carefully placed scenes of full colour add a contrast that runs deeper than just aesthetics.
The principals (John Hurt, Suzanna Hamilton, Richard Burton) are excellent, keeping what's necessary firmly understated but relevant at all times.

4 dictionary revisions out of 5

Shady (2012)

Japanese schoolgirls Izumi (Izumi Okamura) and Misa (Mimpi*β) are being bullied by the same aggressive classmate; the former girl because she's perceived as being too pretty, and the latter for being perceived as not pretty enough. Even though they're placed at opposite ends of a (subjective) scale, the common ground is enough for a strong friendship to develop.
At first it resembles a sweet coming-of-age drama and if it had continued on that path it would've been a better than average example of such, but closeness can sometimes have a less desirable side to it – a darker side that an emotionally damaged teenager may find a strange and misplaced kind of solace in. Dir. Watanabe's Shady explores that side of a relationship, too.

4 pressure points out of 5

Ronin (1998)

The tense opening is arguably the best part of Ronin, with the remainder of the film attempting to match it, but overall it's an enjoyable crime drama with some solid acting from its primary cast members. It's the not very original 'group of men who don't know each other hired to commit a robbery' scenario with the usual stock types (i.e. anonymous employer; loose cannon; overly-cautious planner; the quiet and amiable teammate, etc) but the sense of foreboding is well-implemented and likely strong enough to keep fans of this kind of thing intrigued. But I suspect what a lot of people will remember most is the bitchin' car chases through the tight and narrow roads of Nice.

3 boost multipliers out of 5

Reign of Assassins (2010)

An impressive Wuxia movie that borrows heavily from Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) but pleasingly tips its hat even more to the successful genre stylings of the 1980-90s. Likewise, alas, that same era's uneven pacing and hurried scripting also feature. The result is a work that's both graceful and frantic, although not always at the same time.
At the centre of the conflict is the mummified corpse of a Buddhist monk, an unusual treasure that a small group of assassins desperately seek. The aggressors' martial arts skills are given a thorough workout. The combat scenes are of a high standard, but the emotional side is no slouch either, with a deep soulful love and an earthy, tender love each playing a part.

3½ secret skills out of 5

She (1965)

Addressing the maxims that you should never touch an Englishman's hat without permission and that you should be wary of trusting a beautiful lady completely, Dir. Robert Day's version of the H. Rider Haggard novel She: A History of Adventure (1887) moves the setting decades forward to Palestine, 1918. Three Brits, Peter Cushing, Bernard Cribbins and John Richardson hunt for a fabled lost city wherein the titular high priestess She, a dubbed-over Ursula Andress in her nightie, holds dominion over the entire population.
The arduous traipse across the desert feels too brief, but it leaves more time for events within the exotic locale and the actors keep it mildly interesting.
She's showy royal garb is fantastic, making her look like an ancestor of the Sorceress from He-Man, but the film itself is less memorable.

2½ burning desires out of 5

Renaissance (2006)

aka Paris 2054: Renaissance

Dir. Christian Volckman's only feature to date is a stylised mystery/thriller set in a futuristic Paris, the majority of which is rendered in stark B+W, with occasional grey colour values. Backgrounds are computer generated, but characters are animated mo-cap, which sounds like a disaster, but the result is really quite striking - like Frank Miller's Sin City comic brought to life (better than the actual SC films managed it). Given the difficulty some folks will have with the presentation, you'd think the film-makers would've gone for a more accessible noir script, but that too is somewhat alienating, with the threads of scientific experimentation, corporate conspiracy and the hunt for a woman's missing sister only really peaking in the final third. Until then, it's an involved but slow crawl that may not be enough to hold a casual viewer's attention.

3 neck triangles out of 5

Wheel of Time (2003)

Nothing to do with author Robert Jordan's works, Dir. Herzog's documentary is a personal look at Tibetan Buddhism. Thanks to the internet and an inquisitive mind I'd a vague knowledge of the principles but not the practices associated with the belief system, and had no idea of the lengths some followers go to in service of their faith. In that respect, it was enlightening viewing (no pun intended). But overall its fly-on-the-wall nature meant it left more questions hanging than it answered; I don't know if that was intentional or not.
I came away with an immense respect for the dedication of the monks to the mandala, but very perturbed why the beautiful observation accompanying the release of birds wasn't extended to the monkey in servitude.

3½ pilgrim prostrations out of 5

Basic Instinct 2 (2006)

A belated sequel that once again stars Sharon Stone as crime writer Catherine Tramell, who uses her cougar-like womanly wiles to fuck with psychoanalyst Michael Glass (David Morrissey), a man whose professional instinct tells him to stay away, but whose cock tells him to go all in (literally). It's a tired scenario that had been explored and done much better many times before.
David Thewlis adds some meagre spice as an antagonistic Scotland Yard Detective, but the character's self-serving machinations are as unsuccessful as everything else - there's nothing and no one to care about in the script.

1½ tourist lighters out of 5

Operation Chromite (2016)

A mostly Korean but occasionally English language war movie 'inspired by' true events; i.e. the Korean War, a conflict in which the communist North, with the support of China and Russia, invaded the South, who were aided by the US.
The film follows a squad of soldiers from the South who undertake a covert operation in the North. The Korean actors are well-suited to their roles, whether that be as daring, selfless hero types or as stand-offish and overwhelmingly suspicious murderous types, but the Western actors are less successful, In fact, while I generally like Liam Neeson he's a piss-poor choice to play US military leader General MacArthur. It boggles the mind why an actor with a discernible N. Irish accent was considered good for the role.

2 intel efforts out of 5