Star Wars - Last Jedi; I finally got around to it on Saturday night and I'm somewhere between Cronus and Jack. All the new ones feel like remakes of various old ones, with less engaging characters, but better effects. The exposition and dialogue is still awful - but the saving grace of the originals was stories that fair rattled along - a benefit the new versions don't have.

In a seemingly vast universe full of possibilities, I'm confused as to how modern filmmakers can't find something new to say and do - it's almost like the owners of these vastly profitable properties are too scared to deviate from the established formula, for fear of killing the golden goose.

Watchable, but entirely predictable, with nothing new to say; a passable 5/10

The shape of water,

Well worth its Oscar the other night, love story between woman and fish creature made believable by a stunning turn from Sally Hawkins as the mute cleaning lady, to say nowt and carry a film asks a lot but she's great in its is Michael Shannon another fine actor well worth a look at in any role.

Paddington 2 was a fantastic film. It would take an incredbly cynical and cold hearted person to not like it.

Ready player one - 6 stars out of 5. I’m not Barry Norman, I’m Lebron James so I don’t watch a film to watch out for all the things a film critic does like, how was the acting? What is the production like? Character progression? If you want a cinematic experience with a killer soundtrack and like me, you grew up in the 80s and have been around video games your entire life you will absolutely love it. Not since Avatar have I come out of the cinema wanting to go straight back into watch it again It’s worth watching purely for the scene about the shining film

Regards

King James

I will echo that LJ - I read the book ages ago and I would have deemed it unfilmable; but Spielberg has done a brilliant job of getting to the essence of it - it's not deep or particularly meaningful, and the kids predictably win the day as they always do in Spielberg films, but it's a fantastic sci-fi adventure romp, with plenty of easter eggs thrown in for video game and 80's movie aficionados. Lovely stuff - recommended!

Wonder - 5 out of 5. I’m a sucker for a predictable uplifting film about triumph over adversity! Mrs James and the 3 little James all cried. It does things differently in that it doesn’t just focus on the boy, but also how it effects his friends and family. If you like this kind of film you will love it

Regards

King James

Avengers - Infinity War

Wow! Action packed and with an ending that is somehow going to need "undoing" in upcoming Marvel films.

The Dark Tower - never managed this at the cinema, and given that I consider it to be Stephen King's finest work, *and* the dreadful track record of turning his books into movies, I wasn't especially hopeful - which turned out to be a useful attitude. The series is epic and full of weird and detailed mythology from lots of different worlds, which weaves in elements of all the big plotlines from many of his stories; the film attempts none of that scale or grandeur, apart from a few clumsy easter eggs, and just opts to take dollops of plot from the various books and mash them all into one insipid and boring stew. It's awful - really awful - and I'm just glad I didn't spend 20 quid to see it at the cinema.

I saw the new Avengers today. It was enjoyably, and a better than the last one. Although, I'm just going to throw this out there, but Peter Dinklage is a terrible actor. 7.5/10

Saw Avengers last night - and really enjoyed it; it's a completely bonkers ride across various planets and timelines, and although all the Avengers don't fight together at once, it's still got loads of really good action scenes.

I am the type of sad sack who stays for the post credit scene - and avoiding spoilers, it pretty much confirms that the next character to enter the fray will be Captain Marvel.