Sian

JERSEY BOYS is one of those shows that’s always on my list of ‘must-sees’ when I’m in London…yet I somehow never get around to buying a ticket. Lucky for me Clint Eastwood has had a stab at a big screen adaptation. Based on the award-winning musical of the same name, JERSEY BOYS tells the story of four young men from the wrong side of the tracks whose unique sound leads them to form one of the 60’...

You know you’re getting old when the king of comedy from your childhood starts playing roles where he has teenage kids…bit depressing! But at least there’s enough chuckles in this flick to soften the blow. There’s no denying, Adam Sandler has fallen from his comedic pedestal. Gone are the days of THE WEDDING SINGER and HAPPY GILMORE. But you gotta feel sorry for the guy: He cops a lot of fla...

When offered the HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON sequel, writer/director Dean DeBlois agreed upon one condition: That he be able to turn it into a trilogy.  Thus HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 and 3 were born! In preparation for HTTYD 2, DeBlois turned to films of his youth for inspiration, with STAR WARS: EPISODE V – THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK taking pivotal place.  “What I loved about EMPIRE is that it expand...

The Muppets are together again (again) in their latest cinematic outing: THE MUPPETS MOST WANTED. While I’ve never laid eyes on an episode of The Muppets TV show, I grew up repeatedly watching their old movies, and laughing my butt off at the pre-flick shorts often featured on VHS rentals (the runaway spaghetti got me every time). Starting right where the last movie left off, THE MUPPETS MOST WANT...

Wes Anderson’s last feature, MOONRISE KINGDOM, was one of my favourite films of 2012. So how does his latest offering, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, hold up? There’s something about Wes Anderson.  His storybook-like visuals, understated (yet over the top) comedy and quirky characters all seem familiar…they remind me of my childhood dreams – though I don’t flatter myself to presume my dreams were...

Talk about adaptable! LEGO is like the McDonalds of the toy industry; it knows how to stay in business. Over 80+ years, LEGO has evolved from wooden toys, to plastic bricks, adding movie/sport-themed lines, creating theme parks, and now…making movies! I sucked at LEGO as a child (no Master Builder gene in this body!), and it hurt like a mother b*tch when I unexpectedly trod on a rogue piece hiding...

While Disney dominates the children’s movie market, every now and then a flick comes close to matching their genius. Talking animals have never been ‘my bag’, and the idea of a dog raising a human added extra confusion. Thus, upon receiving my invite to MR. PEABODY AND SHERMAN, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself in to. The flick follows the adventures of genius canine Mr Peabody and his...

It’s safe to say my expectations for I, FRANKENSTEIN were lower than the limbo pole at an ant’s birthday party. While I usually avoid all media surrounding any film I’m set to critique, a momentary lapse exposed a rash of rather scathing reviews prior to our screening. It was enough to put me right off…. But then again, since when did film critics actually get it right?! (hehe!) After a tumultuous...

Nominated for nine Oscars, and having already won Best Picture at the Golden Globes, you could say there is just a little bit of ‘buzz’ surrounding 12 YEARS A SLAVE … Based on the memoir of the same name, 12 YEARS A SLAVE tells the horrific true story of Solomon Northup, a free man from New York who is lured to Washington, kidnapped and sold into slavery. It’s a harrowing ordeal lasting (you guess...

The title packs some serious punch: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG… Hell yeah! But does the second installment in the (perhaps unnecessarily) elongated Hobbit trilogy live up to it’s fiery name? Bilbo and company complete the last leg of their journey to reclaim The Lonely Mountain and face off with “Smaug the Stupendous”. Meanwhile, Gandalf’s focus turns to the growing darkness creeping upon Middle Eart...

There are some men in Hollywood we just love to underestimate. Ben Stiller is one of them. For many he’ll always just be the mainstream comedy actor from MEET THE FOCKERS. It is easy to forget he is also a director and producer. In THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, he’s all three at once…and very successfully too. THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY follows daydreamer Walter Mitty (Stiller) who habitua...

With Harry Potter long behind him, Daniel Radcliffe takes on a rather different literary figure in KILL YOUR DARLINGS. Typical. You can never get the story straight when it comes to the exciting life of eccentric writers.  They may be talented at penning someone else’s yarn, but their own stories are so often a mystery… Set in 1944, the biopic KILL YOUR DARLINGS stars Daniel Radcliffe as Beat Gene...