“Romper Stomper” is a vicious movie about neo-Nazis. The movie stars Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”, “A Beautiful Mind”) before he became really famous. This picture is a lot like “American History X” as both show just how brutal these thugs can be.

Skinheads in Melbourne, Australia become increasingly enraged by the growing presence of Vietnamese in their neighbourhood. Hando (Crowe) and his cronies decide to engage in a savage campaign of violence to protect their country’s racial purity. They find their actions will not go unpunished as the immigrant community become tired of living in fear of attacks from the fascists.

Russell Crowe is great as Hando. You really believe this is a tough and aggressive man that wants to do serious harm to those that he considers to be impure. Hando is a devout neo-Nazi that reads “Mein Kampf” and his bedroom walls covered with Nazi memorabilia. The other neo-Nazis are also very disturbing. The Vietnamese characters don’t have much to do but I think that’s okay. This is a movie that focuses on the neo-Nazis and we get a good feel for what the Vietnamese perspective is on the situation without having to see all that much of them.

“Romper Stomper” was a controversial film when it came out in 90s Australia. It’s understandable why because it shows the reality of neo-Nazi violence and the tensions between white racists and the growing immigrant communities. This is a very violent film and I can see a lot of people being uncomfortable be subjecting to a lot of white nationalist imagery used throughout. However, this is a powerful and engaging movie that takes you into the dark world of white supremacists. It’s maybe not quite as amazing as “American History X” but it’s not far off and I really do recommend you check this movie out.

Jet Li (“Lethal Weapon 4”, “Cradle 2 The Grave”) stars in this action-packed martial arts film that also delivers some laughs. “Romeo Must Die” is good for those looking for light-hearted entertainment.

With the title and the premise of a black gang and a Chinese gang in the middle of the war, I thought this would become a twist on “Romeo And Juliet” but it really isn’t. After his brother is murdered (supposedly by the black gang), Han Sing (Li) escapes his Hong Kong prison so he can go to America to find who killed his brother. While he’s doing that, he makes friends with the black gang’s boss’ daughter Trish (Aaliyah) and the two then discover the real reason behind the feud.

Jet Li is incredible at martial arts, there is no denying that but sadly, some of his spectacular stunt work is ruined via the inclusion of a few pointless C.G.I. shots. Fortunately, he’s doing the work most of the time. This is unlike in movies such as “The Tuxedo”, which quite frankly hid Jackie Chan’s amazing abilities. Some laughs are generated by a character named Maurice (Anthony Anderson “Transformers”). The other characters are not anything special.

“Romeo Must Die” suffers from two big problems: 1. There are a few too many fatalities in the film, which lowers its generally light-hearted vibe. 2. The inclusion of the special effects doesn’t help the film in any way and will only turn some martial arts fans away from this film. The fight scenes are creative and there are some amusing moments on the positive side. The acting isn’t anything special and the plot is standard but I feel the movie has got it where it counts the most. If you like martial arts movies and you can get passed the few C.G.I. shots then you’ll be satisfied with “Romeo Must Die”.

This punk version of Shakespeare’s classic story “Romeo + Juliet” is a sad mixture of uneven concepts thrown together. It’s done in an exaggerated Quentin Tarantino style of the classic story by one of history’s most well-loved writers William Shakespeare.

The story, if you didn’t know, is about two rival families, the Capulets and the Montagues (think of them like the Autobots and the Decepticons in “Transformers” if you kids need a more modern reference). Romeo (Leonardo DiCaprio “Inception”) is a Montague but he falls desperately in love with the Capulet’s Juliet (Claire Danes “Stardust”) and so they try to find a way to keep their forbidden love. However, differences in their families force them to take desperate measures to ensure they’re together.

Leonardo DiCaprio is a great actor (although not in some of his films such as “Critters 3”) and I think he’s great as Romeo. Claire Danes, who I don’t normally like, is actually good as Juliet. John Leguizamo (“Spawn”, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”) is appalling as Tybalt. I don’t really like John Leguizamo as an actor. I find him obnoxious and irritatingly like a rash. To be honest, most of the cast weren’t too good. All the dialog is taken straight from the play so it looks really weird when you see people in more modern clothing saying all the old-fashioned lines.

“Romeo + Juliet” does have some good moments but it just feels plain weird. The dialog works better than I thought it would but it still looks incredibly out of place with what is onscreen. It just seems silly when things like when they use words such as ‘sword’, which originally meant sword, is used instead of ‘gun’. Also, if you aren’t familiar with the story, this’ll confuse you with its weird parts that use the same dialog but feel very different to other versions. Also, near the beginning, there is a segment that was almost like a trailer for the film and with lots of ridiculous editing. The film feels very overdone and that is its most significant flaw.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is the first live-action “Star Wars” spin-off movie to hit theatres. It’s a very entertaining sci-fi/adventure flick that finally answers some of the questions many fans have wanted to know since the original “Star Wars” film was released in 1977.

Set just prior to the events of the original “Star Wars” (now known as “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope”), this movie tells the tale of the Rebellion making a daring move to capture the design plans of the Empire’s Death Star in order to locate its weakness. The film of course leads straight into the original “Star Wars”.

The main protagonist of the film is Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones “Inferno”) and she’s not great but far more tolerable than Rey from “The Force Awakens”. There are some big names in this one including Forest Whitaker (“Phone Booth”), Mads Mikkelsen (“Casino Royale”) and Riz Ahmed (“Four Lions”) but easily my favourite is Donnie Yen (“Hero”), who plays a blind monk. James Earl Jones (“The Lion King”) returns to once again voice Darth Vader, which is of course fantastic. This film also contains digital reconstructions of the faces of Peter Cushing’s Governor Tarkin and a younger Carrie Fisher’s Prince Leia and while I think they’ve done an excellent job, the technology isn’t quite there yet and they look dead in the eyes.

“Rogue One” contains truly impressive action, I loved some of the answers we are given to questions raised by some of the other “Star Wars” movies and I enjoyed its expansion of the franchise’s universe. However, I can’t help feel that the movie that the movie suffers because it is trying to hold back a little. It’s trying not to have all the best characters and the best story because this isn’t the main series, this a spin-off and it doesn’t want to upstage the main films. The movie has lots of hidden references for fans (I spotted the blue milk) so “Star Wars” fans are going to be talking about all the little details for a while.

“Rodan” is a giant monster flick from Toho. The Rodan creature would later appear in several of the “Godzilla” films. His first appearance on the big screen was in his own film and I have to admit, it’s a little underwhelming. It is however notable for being the first Toho monster flick to be shot in colour.

A mining accident near a Japanese village unleashes giant insects and a giant flying reptile. The flying reptile, Rodan, terrorises Japan and neighbouring countries. The creature relentlessly attacks and causes mayhem everywhere it goes. Rodan must be stopped for the sake of the world.

The characters in this movie really are not memorable in the slightest. I even forgot about most of them whenever they were not on the screen. The giant insects and Rodan all look really good, the problem is that we do not get to see them all that often. For ages, all we see of Rodan are contrails with reports that a giant flying creature has been spotted. It reminded me a little of the first act of “The Giant Claw” (before the goofy giant bird is shown). In his later appearances in the “Godzilla” films, Rodan is seen more so it’s surprising that in his own movie, he barely features in it.

“Rodan” has some enjoyable action sequences and the crazy monsters are charming but a lot of the movie is just really dull. There is way too much talking and not enough of the monsters smashing into stuff. The characters are not remotely interesting so we need the monsters to be rampaging around Japan as much as possible. If you want to see Rodan at his best watch some of the “Godzilla” films such as “Godzilla: Final Wars”, “Invasion Of Astro-Monster” and even the American “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”.

I really enjoyed the first “Rocky”. “Rocky II” is a disappointment. It may not be horrible but it is a needless sequel. It feels as if it is nothing more than an attempt to make more money and that’s a shame.

“Rocky II” picks up where the last one left us after the big fight. It shows us how Rocky (Sylvester Stallone “Over The Top”, “First Blood”) is doing after tying with the heavyweight champion of the world Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers “Predator”). Things initially seem perfect for Rocky but predictably, things start going wrong for him. As the film goes on, we discover that Rocky will have to don his gloves again to take on Creed for money in a rematch. What will be the outcome? If you watch the rest of this film it isn’t too hard to guess.

Sylvester Stallone will never be a great actor in my eyes but something about his performance in the first “Rocky” felt right. However, it doesn’t work too well here. Most of the cast are reasonably bland and that is sadly a big problem that the movie has. Sure, the acting wasn’t perfection the first time around and there were bland moments but it’s substantially weaker here.

“Rocky II” has a weaker training montage, a weaker plot and weaker action than the original so why bother with this sequel? Did “Rocky” really need a sequel to begin with? Well, you could argue that he wasn’t world champion at the end of the first but still he’d made a name for himself and it was fitting ending to an intriguing picture. There is a scene in “Rocky II” where Rocky starts doing advertising and it is so awkward and uneven it’s a reminder why this film isn’t good. “Rocky II” is not very intriguing and it feels pointless. Although not the worst in the “Rocky” series, this is one you can do without.

“Cruella” is a very strange film. If you were expecting a predictable Disney movie that serves as a spin-off of “One Hundred And One Dalmatians”, you’re going to be in for a shock. This feels more like “A Clockwork Orange” and “Joker” than the 1961 Disney animated movie or even the 1996 live-action remake.

This film follows the early life of Cruella de Vil (Emma Stone “La La Land”, “Easy A”). After the death of her mother, she heads to London and begins a life of petty crime. Eventually, she pursues her dreams in the fashion industry where she works for The Baroness (Emma Thompson “Junior”), a fashion icon and socialite. However, the two have a greater connection than they could possibly have imagined.

Emma Stone is actually really good as Cruella. It’s clear she loves being in the role. At one point, we get a montage showing her stealing the spotlight with her whacky costumes at upmarket events and we get headlines about the police pursuing her. I had to laugh as apparently the police in this film don’t chase people for murder or drugs but for upstaging rich folks. Emma Thompson is enjoyable as The Baroness. Mark Strong (“Green Lantern”) is good. Sadly, Kayvan Novak (“Four Lions”) gets very little to do. The other characters are okay.

The film has an aesthetic that reminded me a lot of “A Clockwork Orange” and I never thought I’d say that about a Disney film marketed towards kids. In fact, I think most kids will be bored by this movie. For adults, there’s a lot to like here though. This is a bizarre and stupid movie at times yet it has a great energy and a lot of creativity. It drags you into its crazy world of 60s and 70s fashion with an effective soundtrack and a spectacular use of colour.

While its fair to say that the Wayans brothers have made a lot of bad films over the years, they have managed to make us laugh a fair amount too. While a lot of their best material was on tv’s “In Living Colour”, here is my personal ranking of the best films to feature members of the family in major roles.

5. I’m Gonna Git You Sucka

A spoof of the blaxploitation genre. It stars Keenen Ivory Wayans but features appearances from Damon, Shawn and Marlon. If you’ve seen films such as “Shaft” and other 70s action films with black stars, you’ll get a lot of the gags.

4. The Great White Hype

A great satire of the corruption and the corporatisation of boxing. Damon Wayans plays a black boxing champ but viewing figures are down so his manager (Samuel L. Jackson “Pulp Fiction”) is out to find a white man for him to fight.

3. Major Payne

A great vehicle for Damon Wayans as he chews the scenery. We see him as Maj. Payne, a man that only knows war and the military. He’s forced to train a bunch of cadets at a private school and it’s going to be his toughest assignment yet. There is a lot of laughs throughout.

2. Requiem For A Dream

Marlon Wayans is here in a rather serious role as a drug user. It’s a very different movie from the others on this list but Wayans does a really good job here. Just a warning though that this is a very disturbing film about drug addiction so don’t expect to be laughing at any part of it.

1. The Last Boy Scout

Damon Wayans stars alongside Bruce Willis (“Die Hard”) in this fantastic action movie from director Tony Scott (“Top Gun”). Wayans plays an American football player that joins forces with Willis’ unruly cop to bring down a bunch of bad guys.

Honourable mentions:
Senseless

Damon Wayans (“The Last Boy Scout”, “Celtic Pride”) stars in the titular role in “Major Payne”, a comedy movie that combines “Full Metal Jacket” with “Kindergarten Cop”. Wayans made it big on tv’s “In Living Colour” with his brothers but some of his movies such as “Blankman” and “Mo’ Money” were underwhelming. “Major Payne” thankfully gives him enough good material to work with.

War and killing is all Maj. Payne knows. When there is nobody left to kill, he’s discharged but struggles to adapt to civilian life. He gets work training cadets at a private school. For a man used to hostile territory, he’s going to find this his toughest challenge yet.

Wayans puts on a fairly ridiculous voice as Maj. Payne. The character clearly borrows a lot from R. Lee Ermey’s Sgt. Hartman in “Full Metal Jacket”. Seeing Payne treat the kids the same way that he would treat men training in a combat unit. His obsession with violence is often hilarious. Wayans is a talented comedic performer and here, he has a good script. Karyn Parsons from tv’s “Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air” is good as Emily Walburn, a kind teacher at the school that tries to teach Payne some humanity. Most of the kids are okay but one of them is clearly not being played by a kid and it gets a little distracting. One of the kids is played by Damon’s nephew, Damien Dante Wayans

“Major Payne” won’t be winning any awards but it is a funny movie. I think it will make both kids and adults laugh. Kids will probably enjoy many of the more immature jokes while adults will enjoy spotting the ways in which Wayans spoofs Sgt. Hartman from “Full Metal Jacket”. This is easily one of the best comedy movies any of the Wayans family members have done and it’s worth checking out.

“M.O.D.O.K.” is an animated comedy about a Marvel supervillain and it’s clearly trying to capture the success of DC’s “Harley Quinn” series. I was hoping for something that was going to be funny and creative but it ends up feeling a lot like a single “Robot Chicken” sketch stretched out for a series.

M.O.D.O.K. (Patton Oswalt “Ratatouille”) is out to do the usual supervillain stuff such as take control of the world. Unfortunately, he has to deal with real-life problems like his family and managing his business. I guess being a supervillain just isn’t as cool and as exciting as you would think it would be.

The M.O.D.O.K. character is painfully dull. He has a large head and hovers around but it’s what he says that is so dull. Like “Robot Chicken”, the humour comes from having a character from a respected property talking about everything from modern pop culture to sex to problems with their kids. Unfortunately, it’s just not very funny and it gets old so quickly. The way everybody babbles on in this is just nauseating at times. The stop-motion animation is impressive in terms of the movements but the designs for a lot of the characters are just awful.

“M.O.D.O.K.” is almost unbearable at times and it’s a shame because I think there is real potential here for a show about a struggling supervillain. It needs to focus more on M.O.D.O.K.’s schemes and him battling superheroes and less on making him into some relatable chap. I just didn’t care for this show at all. I think only those that absolutely love both Marvel and “Robot Chicken” are going to get any form of enjoyment from this. The irony is that while Marvel continues to dominate the big screen, they really are losing to DC on the small screen.