Movie List and Reviews

This page is a list of my movie collection my favourites and my comments and thoughts on each movie, if I can be bothered to write about it.

I welcome comments or thoughts on any of the below reviews. Contact the page holder

Open the door to Neverland

As a child the door was invisable but open, as a teenager it is substanial and opens readily, but as an adult it takes effort and strength of desire to open.

Through the movie Finding Neverland you will find the door unlocked and freshly oiled, and what awaits you beyond it is limitless.

Finding Neverland portrays the life behind author J.M. Barrie and his involvement with a widow Sylvia Davies, and her family of four boys. It is this interaction that is the underlying source to the development of the classic stage play, Peter Pan.

In a stylised Edwardian setting John Depp plays the part of playwright J.M Barrie. Barrie's involvement with the Mrs Davies, Kate Winslet and her boys is a source of much concern and distress to his family and friends.

Having recently had a failure on the stage Barrie is under some pressure to produce a work to keep the stage busy and the actors employed. His interaction with the family in journeys of imagination serves as the source of inspiration for the his new play.

His ability to interact with the boys is seamless as it is obvious that he has still in touch with the boy within and his childhood. His behaviour is juxtaposed by that of Peter Davies, played by child actor Freddie Highmore. Peter's harsh grip on reality excludes the possibility of imagination and the world of Neverland and is a very much a stark contrast to Barrie. Barries attempts to re-introduce the wonder of imagination to Peter and return a little of his childhood, the resulting play is named for Peter. Barrie's play titters on the edge of a potential failure when faced with an Edwardian audience jaded through time and the realities of life. Here Barrie plays a trump card by scattering amongst the audience children from an orphenage. These children flow easily through the door to Neverland and lead the way for the adults to follow.

Finding Neverland is not so much a discovery but more a reawakening. But to find neverland you must be prepared to release your grip on reality and you'll find the journey enjoyable. In the end you wont want to leave but take heart for if you find Neverland you can take a piece of it with you wherever you go.

RATING5 Stars.

The Incredibles

Mr. Incredible has been living a super heroic life to the full. No task is too difficult or too mundane from rescuing a cat to stopping the bad guys in their tracks. Even this near perfect life comes with its niggling annoyances in the form his number one fan.

To top off this superb lifestyle is his forth coming marriage to fellow super hero Elastigirl. On his way to his wedding Mr. Incredible set in motion a force that he couldn’t overcome with all his superhuman strengthen, the American Legal system, for in a litigious society God forbid that you rescue someone who doesn’t want to be rescued.

An avalanche of litigation forced the halt of all super heroic acts and ended with the heroes integrated into society through the government's "Superhero relocation program".

For fifteen years, Mr. & Mrs. Incredible AKA Bob and Helen attempt to fit into society. With their super skills no longer valued Bob becomes a mild mannered insurance salesman complete with a middle aged spread. Helen (Elastigirl) tends their suburban home and the difficulties of raising three children, Violet, Dash and Jack Jack. The children have also inherited super talents which they must suppress in front of the general public which only intensifies the trials of adolescent Violet and the irrepressible boyishness of Dash, but to baby Jack Jack it is all just entertainment.

The everyday struggles of suburban life affect even a super family and in their struggles we see a little of ourselves to laugh at, throw in superpowers to this cocktail serves only to amplify the situation.

While Helen copes better with the adaptation to suburban normality Bob struggles with concealing his natural instincts this leads to a number of relocations under the superhero relocation program which only leads to further Bob’s frustrations and the family difficulties.

Bob is trapped in a job that he struggles with, the desire to do good is in conflict with the policies of corporate greed. Bobs only release is resurrecting the good old days with a fellow superhero with random heroic acts. But now they must hide their super identities as would the common criminal, lest they fall victim to Litigation.

Lost in the masses of humanity and trapped by mediocrity of his job Bob's control lapses for a moment and once again the suburban disguises are destroyed. Caught between the desire to tell the truth and the need to look after his family Bob is lured into performing secretive but well paid super-acts. Invigorated by his success, Bob regains some of his lost self esteem and works to regaining his former self, but naturally complications arise which draws all the family into a conflict not of their making.

The intermingling of adult topics within the animated screenplay has broadened the appeal of this movie and makes it a true piece of family entertainment.

4 stars out of 5.

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