“Next” is a cheesy sci-fi movie but it’s done with enough creativity to make it fun. The film is based on the work of Philip K. Dick, whose work also inspired other movies including “Blade Runner” and “Minority Report” and while “Next” certainly isn’t as good as those films, I think it is unfairly overlooked.

Nicolas Cage (“Ghost Rider”, “Face/Off”) plays a Las Vegas magician by the name of Cris Johnson. Johnson has the ability to see two minutes into his own future so a government agent (Julianne Moore “Hannibal”) thinks he can help stop a group of international terrorists that have smuggled a nuclear weapon into the United States.

Nicolas Cage gives an enjoyable performance as the man blessed/cursed with the ability to see into his very near future. It’s great when he’s able to dodge bullets and narrowly avoid being hit by a speeding train. Jessica Biel (“Stealth”, “Hitchcock”) plays Liz Cooper and does a good job. For some unknown reason, Cris can see far into this woman’s future compared to the two minutes of his own future that he can see. The two have some decent onscreen chemistry. Julianne Moore is okay as the agent trying to capture Johnson. The bad guys aren’t remotely memorable.

The worst aspect of “Next” is the special effects because they really aren’t impressive and it’s a shame because there are a few sequences when the movie could’ve been helped by some better effects. I think this a good sci-fi movie and I actually think the ending is alright but I can see many people finding it very unsatisfying. If you don’t like movies with lots of chase scenes then you probably not going to like this movie but I think most people should give “Next” a chance because this a fun and exciting movie.

“Newsies” is a cheery musical and I was really surprised how much I liked it. The film was initially a flop both financially and critically but has since gone on to develop a large following, eventually leading to it being adapted into a Broadway play.

“Newsies” tells the story of the children selling newspapers on the streets of New York City in 1899. Newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer (Robert Duvall “The Godfather”) decides to increase the prices of papers for the children, forcing the young Jack Kelly (Christian Bale “Empire of the Sun”, “The Machinist”) to lead the children to stage a strike.

Christian Bale and many of the other child actors give some very impressive performances. They all sing and dance very well and are able to nail the New York accents. The singing and dancing are so important in musicals and here we see the children engage in lots of fast and creative dance routines. Robert Duvall is pretty good as the movie’s villain but I wish we saw a little more of him. Bill Pullman (“Lake Placid”) plays a journalist that covers the story of the children’s strike and while the performance isn’t bad, Pullman’s singing leaves a lot to be desired.

Some of the songs aren’t that great and some may find the premise a little boring but “Newsies” won me over. This is a splendid little movie that can put a smile on your face with some fun singing and dancing but it also helps shed a little light on a part of history I never knew about. If you really don’t care for musicals then I doubt you’ll like this but I think most people will enjoy it. The fact that the movie has found an audience in the years since its release show that “Newsies” is worth checking out.

“New York Minute” is a comedic masterpiece shrouded in glitzy, girly glamour that totally distracts from a work of genius. As I’ll explain in a minute, there is a character in this film who is perfect and the film should have focused on him but instead, it focuses on the two most boring people in its universe.

In “New York Minute”, Eugene Levy (“The Man”) plays a truancy officer, who behaves like his job of catching kids skipping school is a matter of national concern. He’s wonderful but he’s robbed of screen time in favour of giving the Olsen twins, from tv’s “Full House”, the star treatment as they run round New York doing spoilt rich girl things.

Eugene Levy is hilarious here; every minute he’s on screen, I felt I was seeing something grand. The Olsen twins are truly boring and fail to create even the smallest of smiles on my face. They’re not cute, likeable, funny, interesting or anything else. They represent a sense of ugliness in young girls as they unintelligently make it through the day, spending a lot of time pampering themselves with cosmetics. I feel sorry for Eugene Levy as his performance is totally overshadowed by the Olsen twins, who receive so much of the attention.

How did nobody spot this marvellous film about an over-the-top truancy officer? How come we had to endure the Olsen twins just to get little snippets of magic? A funny film is a funny film; you don’t need a marketing hook like the Olsen twins, especially when it means the funny film you had gets ruined in the process. “New York Minute” is the type of film that sadly appeals to lots of young girls. It probably shouldn’t as it encourages them to act like the two pathetic specimens that headline this movie.

My personal ranking of the most disturbing non-horror films.

10. A Beautiful Mind

A discouraging yet also inspiring film about a talented mathematician (Russell Crowe “Gladiator”) as he battles overwhelming psychological problems. It is truly moving as we see the love for his wife become his greatest asset in the fight for his mind.

9. The Green Mile

A very distressing film about the death penalty and the failings of the justice system. Contains a very realistic and very graphic depiction of a botched execution.

8. Shutter Island

One of the most creative mystery films with some seriously profound statements about human psychology. Throughout, it sprinkles a few terrific hints to the true reality.

7. V For Vendetta

A film that perfectly captures just how threatening both the state and the general public can be. It also shows how authoritarians and terrorists can justify each other’s existence.

6. American History X

A realistic and honest depiction of racism and neo-Nazi gangs as well as the grimness of prison life. It has a shocking yet powerful ending.

5. A Clockwork Orange

Although it’s a little cheesy in places, this film still superbly demonstrates how sometimes, the cure can be worse than the disease. Filled with beatings, rape and worst of all, scheming politicians looking to exploit people’s problems.

4. The Machinist

Like a nightmare but ironically about a man suffering with insomnia. Christian Bale (“The Prestige”) lost a lot of weight for this role and his freakish body is terrifying to see.

3. The Triumph of the Will

A Nazi propaganda documentary about the Nuremberg Rally. Shows the scale of the Nazi support, something that remains an unsettling fact about history.

2. Fire In The Sky

One of few films that presents the idea of alien abductions in a somewhat plausible manner. The experimentation sequence is truly nightmarish.

1. Eyes Wide Shut

Depicts the shadowy underworld of society’s elite as they engage in a cultish orgy. Truly a horrifying sight and sadly, somewhat plausible.

Get ready to mix martial arts with a surprisingly good buddy cop story as Jackie Chan (“Police Story”, “Mr. Nice Guy”) stars in “New Police Story”. This is a thrilling action movie that contains impressive stunts and a healthy dose of humour; this is Hong Kong’s answer to “Lethal Weapon”.

In “New Police Story”, the disgraced Inspector Chan (Chan) spends his days trying to drink himself to the grave for he cannot forgive himself after his team were brutally murdered by a gang of violent criminals. He is brought back in order to help catch the gang and finally redeem himself as he is paired with a rookie.

The first “Police Story” films came out in the 1980s and featured some spectacular stunts involving moving vehicles. Decades later, Chan can still deliver as we get some more great stunts the seem to pay homage to some of his earlier work. Chan once again masters combining fantastic stunts with creative fight choreography and comedy. The partner character is reasonably amusing. The thing that surprised me the most was the villains as they are actually fairly memorable. It’s such a shame that so many action movies forget to include memorable villains. The other actors do a good job as well.

I’d say that “New Police Story” is a really good entry in the series. If you are a fan of martial arts action movies or the police action movies then you really need to see this film. If you haven’t seen the other “Police Story” movies then it doesn’t really matter because this one doesn’t really have that much in connection with them. However, I do recommend seeing most of the other “Police Story” films as well as this one. If you’ve seen a lot of Jackie Chan movies and are looking out for another good one then I thoroughly have to recommend “New Police Story”.

“New Jack City” is a crime film with a lot of energy. It brings you into the harsh and violent world of America’s urban drug problem. Unfortunately, I just was not very captivated by what was on offer. This is a movie where effort has clearly been put it but it just does not do all that much for me.

Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes “Passenger 57”, “White Men Can’t Jump”) is a ruthless crime boss that tightens his grip on New York City, making himself rich at the expense of those suffering with drug addiction. A dedicated police officer (Ice-T “Tank Girl”, “Johnny Mnemonic”) is determined to bring an end to Brown’s reign of terror.

Wesley Snipes is really good as the head gangster. He steals the show and gives easily the best performance in the whole movie. I would have liked the whole movie to focus on him much like “Scarface” focuses on Pacino’s character. Brown even watches “Scarface” in one scene. Unfortunately, Ice-T is rather lacklustre as Scotty Appleton. I just did not care about this character and whether he succeeded or not. Judd Nelson (“Steel”, “The Breakfast Club”) is really boring as Scotty’s partner. Chris Rock (“Lethal Weapon 4”) is painfully annoying as a drug addict that decides to help Scotty bring down the bad guys. Aside from Snipes’ character, everybody else is just really dull.

“New Jack City” looks great at times with some stylish scenes depicting drug addiction and gangster violence. However, I just never engaged fully with what was going on. With better writing and better performances, this could have been a great movie. This is a film that has enough of the ingredients to work but it’s just missing something. There are better cop movies such as “Lethal Weapon” and “Heat” and there are better films about issues facing black Americans such as “Do The Right Thing”.

“New Fist Of Fury” serves as a very loose sequel to Bruce Lee’s “Fist Of Fury”. The film stars a rather young Jackie Chan (“Police Story”, “Armour Of God”) but unfortunately, this was at the time when the studio was pushing for him to Lee’s successor. It was not until films such as “Drunken Master” that Chan clearly established himself as different from Lee.

In this film, a young Taiwanese thief (Chan) is always committing acts of mischief. However, he summons the courage to learn martial arts so that he can oppose Taiwan’s Japanese occupiers. It all builds to a violent final showdown between the Chinese kung fu schools and the powerful Japanese kung fu school.

Jackie Chan does not actually appear in as much of this film as you might hope. A lot of the scenes focus on other characters and as a result, you might be a little disappointed by the low number of fight scenes involving Chan. His signature comedic action is not really present here. Pretty much everybody in this movie fights at some point and while some of their skills are impressive, it’s nothing that I have not seen in countless other martial arts flicks.

“New Fist Of Fury” is a pretty generic martial arts movie. The fight choreography is fine and there is no problem with the story as far as I’m concerned. There’s nothing particularly wrong with it but it just never excited me. If you want a Bruce Lee movie then go and watch a Bruce Lee film but if you want to see a Jackie Chan movie then watch one that features his trademark blend of action and comedy. There are plenty of other similar films from Chan from the same era such as “Drunken Master”, “Snake In The Eagle’s Shadow”, “Spiritual Kung Fu” and “Dragon Lord” that are all superior.

Eager to cash-in on the blockbuster “Overlord”, production company The Asylum rushed to release “Nazi Overlord”. “Overlord” is a very entertaining sci-fi/horror flick with a WWII setting while “Nazi Overlord” is a virtually unbearable knock-off. The Asylum loves to rush out so-called ‘mockbusters’ such as “Transmorphers” (rip-off of “Transformers”), “Atlantic Rim” (rip-off of “Pacific Rim”) and “I Am Omega” (rip-off of “I Am Legend”).

Shortly after D-Day, a small team of American soldiers are sent to Romania to help rescue a British scientist that was captured by the Nazis in Belgium. The Allies believe that her work on biological warfare could lead the Nazis to victory with a terrifying new weapon.

Tom Sizemore (“Saving Private Ryan”, “Heat”) is easily the most well-known actor here but he only has a few brief scenes. However, he should fire his agent for getting him involved in this mess at all. The other cast members are just awful. I was so bored watching the American soldiers in this movie that I nearly fell asleep. The Nazis are equally dull to watch. The worst character of all is the scientist, who unsurprisingly has switched sides. Normally, I would consider details such as that a spoiler and refrain from putting them in the review but I doubt anybody would be interested in what is going on here.

Watch “Overlord” by all means because it’s a really good movie, just make darn sure that you do not inadvertently sit through “Nazi Overlord” instead. The Asylum make their money by tricking unsuspecting moviegoers into seeing their shlock instead of the blockbusters. The acting, the action sequences, the special effects, the story and everything here is just so amateurish that it is unbelievable. This is easily one of the worst movies I have ever seen so I would recommend that you skip it at all costs.

I enjoyed “The Delta Force”, which was a cheesy action movie about specialist American forces wiping out Arab terrorists and “Navy Seals” is pretty much a rip-off of that film. “Navy Seals” is one of the most generic action movies that you will ever encounter; it goes through all the motions of an action movie but has no heart.

An elite group of Navy Seals, who are led by Lieutenant James Curran (Michael Biehn “The Rock”, “The Abyss”), are assigned to locate and destroy a stockpile of US missiles that have somehow fallen into the hands of Lebanese terrorists. It isn’t going to be easy as the team put their lives on the line to save the day.

The actors playing the Navy Seals include Michael Biehn, Charlie Sheen (“The Rookie”, “Hot Shots”) and Bill Paxton (“Twister”, “Apollo 13”) but none of them are particularly interesting. The scenes with them where they are having some recreational time feel really forced. The terrorist characters are given little to no screen time and are pretty much just there to be shot at. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer (“Willow”) plays a reporter, who the Navy Seals try to get information from and the character feels unnecessary.

There isn’t anything that’s bad about “Navy Seals” but it just feels really bland. There isn’t anything in this movie that you haven’t seen in “The Delta Force”, “Top Gun”, “Commando”, “Predator”, the “Rambo” films and all the others that came before it. The action sequences need to really grab your attention in a movie like this but they felt tedious and unimaginative. I got the sense that the filmmakers were lazy and hoping to cash-in on the popularity of other action flicks and I’m sorry but that just doesn’t cut it for me. I’ll end on a positive note by pointing out that the sets of war-torn Lebanon near the end of the picture are pretty good.

“Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” is another great animated film from Hayao Miyazaki (“Kiki’s Delivery Service”, “Howl’s Moving Castle”). “Nausicaä” is actually not a Studio Ghibli film but it was made by many of the same team and many fans consider it to be at the very least, spiritually part of the studio’s line-up of movies.

“Nausicaä” tells the story of young pacifist Princess Nausicaä, who embarks on a quest to stop warring nations from destroying themselves and what’s left of the planet. The movie is set after an apocalypse with a giant and growing poisonous jungle filled with massive bug creatures.

Princess Nausicaä is a great heroine as she desperately tries to find a peaceful solution to the conflicts that are going on and she wants to help save the planet. She flies around a big glider along with her pet, which is a cross between a fox and a squirrel… still not as inspired as the Catbus from “My Neighbour Totoro”. The giant bugs are fairly intriguing and their importance in the plot reminded me (among many aspects of the film) somewhat of “Dune” but “Nausicaä” makes far more sense than that film could’ve ever hoped to.

“Nausicaä” is a wonderful adventure film with some great battle sequences, some terrific animation and many other great aspects but I think most will agree that Miyazaki’s “Princess Mononoke”, which dealt with many of the same themes as this movie, is a little better. I think “Nausicaä” could’ve been improved by being a little longer so we could have immersed ourselves in its world a little more and we could’ve had a chance to hear some more about the interesting concepts in the movie. I think anime fans will no doubt adore “Nausicaä” and I think mainstream audiences will also enjoy it a lot.