Jason X (2001) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

Jason X (2001) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Yup Jason X is bad.  But its bad in a knowing, fun and silly kind of way that the franchise had been seriously lacking up to this point.  Just the idea of taking Jason and putting him on a space ship is insane BUT even with piss poor 90’s CGI, a near total lack of nudity and gore and acting that is at best dubious the film is just such damn fun. From VR deaths, 80’s Friday The 13th homages to a Cyborg Jason this film just knows what it is and delivers on that, never trying to be anymore or less.  And I kinda salute it for that… oh and did I mention CYBORG JASON?????? Barking mad.

Best Bit:Face, Liquid Nitrogen, Desk.

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Freddy Vs Jason, Friday the 13th (2009), Friday the 13th

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Halloween 3: Season Of The Witch (1982) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

Halloween 3: Season Of The Witch (1982) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Halloween 3: Season Of The Witch is so incredibly underrated.  It’s honestly terrifying – from robots to Witchcraft, face mashing and head ripping…. it’s a brutal film, made worse (better) by its incredibly downbeat ending. Yup time hasn’t been kind with the films fashions and technology but beyond that it’s a film that leaves you incredibly unsettled.  It works on every level you’d want a horror to work on.  Yup it didn’t have Michael Myers and yup it tried (and failed commercially at least) to take the franchise in a new direction but for me this is probably the real stand out of the Halloween sequels.   Brave, bold and scary AF.  Well worth a rewatch!

Best Bit: THAT ending

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream (if you can find it)

If You Liked this Try: Halloween (2018), Halloween, Halloween (2007)

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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IT: Chapter 2 (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

IT: Chapter 2 (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Two years after the highly regarded IT blew away cinematic records, IT: Chapter 2 arrives in cinema.  So was IT worth the wait? Well yes.. mostly.  Okay so IT isn’t as effective, scary or well paced at the 2017 film but you almost forgive all it’s issues due to the spot on cast who help bring the older characters to life so brilliantly.  Okay so there’s too many flashbacks, the CGI just doesn’t work, the story isn’t as engaging and the ending still has all the issues of the source material but IT: Chapter 2 still delivers plenty of jumps, scares and thrills.  Not essential but still a worthy watch.

Best Bit: Dinner

Cinema, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: IT (2017), IT: The Mini-Series, Stand By Me

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Jurassic World (2015) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

Jurassic World (2015) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
So the best film ever made? No.  Not even the best film made about CGI dinosaurs. In a summer of hyper, critical love and box office smashes, Jurassic World does what it needs to and returns all the same thrills in similar types of movies that you’ve seen in the last 20+ years since Spielberg delivered his Jurassic Park. But that’s kinda the problem.  Jurassic World does little new, little interesting or little standout.  The CGI is okay, the script at times poor and the actors exist only to move you to the next CGI set piece.  It feels at times like a computer game being played that you get to watch.  Hell whatever I say however, you’ll see it anyway but this could have been so much better.

Best Bit: T Rex vs Uber Dinosaur

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park 2, Jurassic Park 3

 

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Escape Plan 3: The Extractors – A Quick Capsule Review

Escape Plan 3: The Extractors – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Escape Plan didn’t need a sequel.  It certainly didn’t need TWO sequels.  That said I kinda didn’t hate Escape Plan 2 (most people did) and, for me at least, The Extractors (filmed back to back with Hades) was perfect train ride movie.   Literally – I watched it on a train journey!  It’s all bullshit machismo from start to end that you’ve seen a million times before and the story is so lean it could be vegan but Stallone delivers as always and the fights/action are just about up to scratch enough to enjoy.  Look most will hate it… for me it passed the time on a very boring day.  Make of that what you will….

Best Bit: Final assault

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Escape Plan, Escape Plan 2: Hades, The Expendables

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Far From Home shows that Marvel is in safe hands post Endgame.  A confident, funny and charming sequel, in many ways it’s a better film than Homecoming (and in some less so) and once again delivers one of Marvel’s better villains in Mysterio – charmingly played by the excellent Jake Gyllenhaal.  But for all the crash bang wallop of the film (and there is a lot), it’s the central relationships that make this film work so well.  Be it Ned & Betty or Spiderman & MJ… you can’t help but fall in love with these characters once again. Zendaya especially shines as the honest, twitchy MJ and gives us one of the most honest love stories the MCU has ever told.  Yup it suffers from TOO much CGI and the stakes, whilst making perfect sense, are set so high that it needed risk which just isn’t there.  It’s the small moments that shine in Far From Home. So despite its few faults and unobtainable stakes, the film and the cast delivers.  Three for three this year with the MCU.

Best Bit: THAT post credit scene

Cinema, Stream, Avoid: Cinema

If You Liked this Try: Spider-Man: Homecoming, Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man 2

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Toy Story 4 (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

Toy Story 4 (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Toy Story 4 was always going to be a major risk after the near perfect Toy Story trilogy.  So I’m happy to report that for the most part Toy Story 4 is a success – a charming, funny and sometimes surprising continuation (and probably end) to over 24 years of flawless storytelling.   As you’d expect the animation is superb, the script on point and the voice acting first class.  What’s less expected is that the film hits a level of emotion and pathos you’re not expecting and by the time the final credits roll around you heart strings have been firmly tugged on… especially for those who’ve been there since the start.   It has flaws but you almost don’t care. A great family film and one that adults will love as much as kids.

Best Bit: The Ending.

Cinema, Stream, Avoid: Cinema

If You Liked this Try: Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Toy Story 3 (2010) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

Toy Story 3 (2010) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
The Toys Are Back In Town to round up what is probably the greatest movie trilogy of all time (Yes Star Wars and Godfather take note). Mixing the usual Pixar magic with a heartwarming, emotional (yes I cried at the heart string pulling finally 10 minutes), funny and action packed story, the top notch voice cast (Michael Keaton as Ken! genius!) and a Randy Newman song or two it begs the question… can these guys make a bad film? As it stands I’d say no. Another 5 star Pixar Classic.

Best Bit: The Ending.

Cinema, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Toy Story, Toy Story 2,Up

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Iron Sky 2: The Coming Race (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

Iron Sky 2: The Coming Race (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review Uncategorized

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Iron Sky 2 is the slightly belated sequel to 2012’s bat shit mental Nazi lunar invasion film Iron Sky. The Finnish-German science fiction comedy mash up took a similar crowd funding route as its predecessor and, much like that film, manages to squeeze an incredible amount out of a very limited budget (it raised £500k USD).  Space ships, Aliens, Hidden Worlds, Hitler riding a T-Rex (I shit you not)… it has it all. Well other than a cohesive story of course.  But who cares… if you strap in and go along with the ride when Iron sky 2 get’s going it really delivers a wild, crazy, OTT ride unlike anything out there,

Best Bit: Sieg Heil Motherfuckers

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Iron Sky, Kung Fury, Sky Captain & The World Of Tomorrow

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Ralph Breaks The Internet (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

Ralph Breaks The Internet (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Ralph Breaks The Internet is a sequel that very much feels like more of the same – it’s well made, it looks pretty and has a few clever ideas but ultimately much like the original Wreck It Ralph it’s just not funny, charming or clever enough to hold my attention for it’s near two hour run time.  Okay yup The Star Wars stuff is fun, the Disney Princesses stuff clever but the rest is pretty Meh!  Both films just feel like lost opportunities and even my 8 year old daughter wasn’t that enamoured. One to skip.

Best Bit: Disney Princesses

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Avoid

If You Liked this Try: Wreck It Ralph, Zootopia, Big Hero 6

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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