Steven Spielberg (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “War Horse”) directs the absolutely brilliant “Lincoln”, which features a smart script and is filmed just wonderfully. It certainly is one of the director’s finest pieces; that’s saying something.

Daniel Day-Lewis (“Gangs Of New York”, “The Last of the Mohicans”) stars as Abraham Lincoln, who wishes to free slaves across the whole country as the nation is being literally torn apart by the Civil War. Unfortunately, it isn’t going to be easy for the President to secure the votes to make this change to the United States Constitution. We see the President will do anything (even if it means breaking the rules) to make sure the thirteenth amendment is passed.

Daniel Day-Lewis is simply fascinating as Abraham Lincoln as he plays him both wonderfully from a visual point of view and he nails it from an audio angle. He made Lincoln human by adding a touch of humour. Tommy Lee Jones (“Space Cowboys”, “The Fugitive”) brilliantly portrays Thaddeus Stevens as he delivers some of the best speeches in the entire film and like Jones always is he is amusing at times. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Looper”) does a fine job as Robert Lincoln. I can’t say why but I wasn’t keen on Sally Field as Mrs. Lincoln.

“Lincoln” is a truly magnificent film that is fun to watch as well as intriguing to watch. I’d have to say that I’d probably enjoyed it a bit more had I been an American but there is so much great content here that giving it a lower mark would be wrong. Although I don’t know if it would improve it the film could have ended with Lincoln leaving the White House for the last time without the few extra scenes that follow. With great acting, a genius mixture of humour and emotion and just a general crisp quality to it all I feel Spielberg should be proud.

“Lilo & Stitch” is a delightful animated movie from the creators of such classics as “Cinderella”, “Bambi” and so many others Disney. The movie brings together the premise of a family movie with a thrilling sci-fi experience.

In “Lilo & Stitch”, Lilo (Daveigh Chase “S. Darko”) is a little girl who lives with her sister Nani (Tia Carrere “True Lies”) after their parents have died. The two are always arguing as they have a very strained relationship. Lilo gets to buy a dog but it turns out that her dog, Stitch (Chris Sanders), is actually an intergalactic alien experiment with superpowers.

The chemistry between Lilo and Stitch is just simply great. Despite the fact Stitch is destructive Lilo finds the better part of him and loves him like a brother. Lilo is a great character as she isn’t too prim and proper or anything like as she’s normal, which as much as that works in other films by Disney it wouldn’t have in this one. Nani is an okay character. Ving Rhames (“Pulp Fiction”) stars as Mr. Bubbles the social worker and ex-government agent (a bit like in “Men In Black”). The character is quite entertaining. The rest of the characters are okay.

“Lilo & Stitch” is almost certainly a good film as the humans feel realistic and the sci-fi action will no doubt entertain children. Although not one of Disney’s finest movies, it still offers a lot of fun and features lots of enjoyable moments. If you have a young child, who likes movies such as “Aladdin”, “Pinocchio” and “The Lion King”, what are you waiting for? Maybe you’re an adult who adored Disney as a kid and wants to fall in love with their work all over again then “Lilo & Stitch” will definitely suit you. Also I love the references to old monster movies including “Tarantula”.

I've been fascinated with motion pictures for as long as I can remember. I try to watch a wide variety of different films that span different genres and eras. I truly find something rewarding about being able to analyse a movie and compare it to other films out there.

Trivia About Me:

• Favourite Film – Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
• Least Favourite Film – Karen
• Favourite Film Villain – H.A.L. 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Favourite Film Hero – Indiana Jones from Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Favourite Director – Stanley Kubrick
• Favourite Actor – Clint Eastwood
• Favourite Actress – Vivien Leigh
• Favourite Action Star – Jackie Chan
• Favourite Comedy Star – Charlie Chaplin
• Favourite Foreign Language Film – Seven Samurai
• Favourite Black & White Film – Citizen Kane
• Favourite Silent Film – The Circus

“Life Stinks” is a comedy film directed by and starring Mel Brooks (“The Producers”, “Spaceballs”) and although it is a sweet and enjoyable film, it falls short as a comedy but to be fair it is quite hard to tackle this subject matter with Brooks’ usual larger than life characters.

In this film, Mel Brooks is Goddard Bolt, a ridiculous rich man in L.A., and he makes a bet that he can survive in a rough neighbourhood like a regular bum for a month in order to secure the land for building rights. The film shows how he struggles on the streets but unlike Brooks’ other work, you never really feel that this is a funny scenario. There are some very clever parts to the movie such as the scene in the hospital, the opening involving shots of feet and the part where Bolt keeps attacking someone claiming to be even richer than he is.

Brooks is definitely good here but the things he has himself do, just doesn’t make me laugh. His character here isn’t a memorable as Yoghurt from “Spaceballs” or the director from “Silent Movie”. Also the people around him aren’t as strange and as bizarre as they should be; just think about the weird souls in “The Producers”.

Brooks’ films have never struck me as being amazing but some of them have certainly succeeded at making me laugh and this is no way his worst film (need I remind you of “Dracula: Dead and Loving It”) but it is a movie masquerading as a comedy when it doesn’t have figure to match. Brooks has got the charm right, he just needs to get the laughs sorted out and then we’ll have a great film on our hands. If you want to see what is possibly the best Mel Brooks character/performance then check out “The Muppet Movie” instead.

“Life Of Pi” is a visual treat but sadly, I just didn’t feel it worked as a movie. It’s a real shame because with all the hype and rave reviews I was expecting a contender for best film of 2012.

“Life Of Pi” shows us an adult named Pi (Irrfan Khan “Slumdog Millionaire”) telling the story of when he was a teen (Suraj Sharma) to an author. We find out that Pi’s family owned a zoo and when they were moving halfway around the world a horrible storm hit the ship and Pi ended up being aboard a lifeboat with a tiger named Richard Parker.

The adult Pi is played really well but sadly we don’t get to see a lot of him. The teen Pi wasn’t my cup of tea and I would have much preferred to have seen the adult Pi for the majority of the film. The animals look fantastic and the tiger looks just as good as when you see a tiger on a nature programme so I was really impressed with how they brought the animals to life. The interaction between the humans and the animals looks very impressive as well so I was happy with special effects all-round.

The special effects may be great but like movies such as “Avatar” the rest of the film suffers because of this. “Life Of Pi” starts off great but when they spend too much time on the lifeboat for the film to have as much impact and the ending for me took away some of the magic. The film is a mixed bag in my opinion but I’m sure with its popularity it’ll be at least nominated for a few Oscars. Although like I say I was disappointed in the film maybe you should see and make up your own mind as this is an occasion where I think I’m probably wrong and I’m missing something.

Finally, it has arrived. I’ve been waiting a long time to see another good Robin Williams (“Flubber”, “Aladdin”) comedy because there aren’t many around. This is a film I had heard nothing positive about but it surprised me. “License To Wed” is an amusing film that utilises Robin Williams very well so I was very happy to see this.

In “License To Wed”, Ben (John Krasinski) and Sadie (Mandy Moore “Tangled”) are eager to marry but Reverend Frank (Williams) will only agree to conduct the ceremony if the couples pass a course. No sex and crazy communication tests are just some of the things the two must go through if they are to get the chance to say “I do”.

Robin Williams is terrific here playing an intrusive and slightly creepy reverend; he enjoys listening into couple’s private talks in the back of van using bug implanted in people’s houses. I have to say that I actually enjoyed the couple as most romantic comedy films give you boring and unlikeable couples to observe throughout the duration of the film but that is not the case here. I didn’t like the kid that helps Williams all that much and that’s a shame, he had potential.

“License To Wed” doesn’t revolutionise jokes or anything like that but it’s a genuinely funny movie and it’s sad that this isn’t something I can say about the majority of films starring Williams because I think he’s a highly talented guys whose talents often get misused. There’s too many dud romantic comedy out there whether there about peoples in their 20s or teens so it’s nice to see a good one like this. Forget the negative comments circulating the various reviews and judge it for yourself, I think you’ll like if you’ve sat through “Old Dogs” and “Man of the Year” with mere minor smile on your face.

“Leviathan” has received a lot of criticism for being too similar to both “The Abyss” and “Alien” but guess what? I thoroughly enjoyed those films and that’s why I enjoyed “Leviathan”. It takes the deep-sea setting of “The Abyss” but contains it with the more simplistic formula of “Alien” as characters are picked off by a strange creature.

The discovery of a sunken Soviet vessel leads to a group of underwater miners becoming exposed to a horrifying genetic experiment gone out of control. As some of the miners are infected, they begin to mutate into a terrifying monster and the other crew members must fight them off and try to be rescued. The film is very much done in the style of “Alien” and 1982’s “The Thing”.

Peter Weller (“RoboCop”, “Naked Lunch”) stars as a geologist named Steven Beck, who has the unfortunate responsibility of being in charge. He gives a really good performance and you have to love his goofy one-liner near the end. Richard Crenner (“First Blood”), Amanda Pays and Ernie Hudson (“Ghostbusters”) all do a good job. I didn’t particularly enjoy the performance from Daniel Stern (“Home Alone”). The creature may look a lot less impressive than the ones in “Alien” and “The Abyss” but I think it works well enough.

I loved the sets, I loved the performance from Weller and I loved the thrills this movie delivered. It may start and a little bit slow but once it gets going, this is very competent sci-fi/horror. It’s a very underrated picture much like the criminally overlooked “Event Horizon”, which was also accused of borrowing too much from films including “Alien”. If you want an interesting and exciting sci-fi flick then you should definitely watch “Leviathan” but if you’re going to complain because it’s similar to “Alien” and “The Abyss” then I suggest looking elsewhere.

“Letters From Iwo Jima” is the companion piece to “Flags Of Our Fathers”, directed by Clint Eastwood (“Unforgiven”, “Dirty Harry”) and produced by Steven Spielberg (“Jaws”). It’s a terrific piece that is just as good (perhaps even better) than “Flags Of Our Fathers”. It is a more conventional war film than its counterpart as it focuses more on the actual combat but in a way it makes it easier to follow.

This film tells the story of the WWII fight for Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective. We learn of the great General Kuribyashi (Ken Watanabe “Batman Begins”, “Inception”) and how he uses what little resources he has to put up the best possible fight against the Americans. It’s one of the most violent films I’ve seen (along with “Flags Of Our Fathers”) yet is so incredibly moving.

I like the fact this film was done in Japanese with Japanese actors. I dislike it when you see just Asians in the roles when they don’t actually meet the physical description to play the people of the country they’re meant to be from. General Kuribyashi comes across as a really smart guy and had he had more support from the mainland and from his soldiers on the island, I think the fight could have gone the other way.

“Letters From Iwo Jima” is shocking, terrifying and something that must be seen. Both of the films together work perfectly to give you the full experience; watching one and not the other simply will not do. The two films are so different yet so similar that I was tempted to do one review but seen as how they were released separately, I scrapped that concept. Had they made one film, jumping from both sides, I don’t think it would have worked as well because each film puts you in the mind-set of a side for a good couple of hours so you can appreciate the characters more.

“Lethal Weapon” is a fun and exciting buddy cop film brought to us by remarkable director Richard Donner (“Superman: The Movie”, “16 Blocks”).

Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover “Predator 2”, “The Colour Purple”) is an experienced and by the rules police officer, who has just celebrated his 50th birthday but now he’s being paired with the ‘lethal weapon’ Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome”, “Tequila Sunrise”), who has been suicidal since his wife was killed in a car accident. They may not like it but they’re going to have to work with each other if they’re going to stop a bunch of drug lords and save Murtaugh’s daughter all before Christmas.

Mel Gibson does a good job as Martin Riggs. I like how at times the scenes with Martin Riggs are really serious such as the one where he sticks a gun in his mouth as he attempts to blow his brains away. There is a hilarious scene where Riggs has to sort out a jumper, which reminded me of a similar sequence in “Dirty Harry”. Danny Glover is great as always as Roger Murtaugh. The two have a surprisingly great amount of chemistry and because they’re so different they offset each other perfectly. The bad guys aren’t particularly great but they’re helped out by a henchman named Joshua (Gary Busey “Under Siege”, “Point Break”), who adds to the chaos.

“Lethal Weapon” has some slow moments but it packs in enough explosiveness and enough humour to make it a satisfying action picture for those looking for a real thrill. Although “Lethal Weapon” isn’t one of the best action films I’ve ever seen it’s helped out a lot by the performances of the two stars. It’s fast, it’s furious, there are some good performances, the action scenes are explosive and there is enough humour to make the film worth the watch.

I’ve only seen the third one aside from this and I’m happy to report that this is better, much better. “Lethal Weapon 4” is a great mixture of action and comedy that really does shine.

In “Lethal Weapon 4”, L.A.P.D. officers Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson “Hamlet”, “Mad Max”) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover “Predator 2”) take on a gang of Chinese Triads led by a ruthless assassin Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li “Fearless”, “The Forbidden Kingdom”). Is age catching up to both of them? Why is a younger officer, named Lee Butters (Chris Rock “Grown Ups”) so interested in Murtaugh? And what will happen to a family of illegal immigrants that Murtaugh has in his house?

Mel Gibson is enjoyable as Martin Riggs. I like how he’s old in this one as well so it isn’t just Murtaugh who feels too old to be blowing away bad guys. Danny Glover is good as Murtaugh. The relationship between the two is amusing to watch. Jet Li is amazing as the bad guy. His martial arts skills are fantastic and this time it is just straight up fighting with no “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” style like in “Hero” or “Fearless”. Near the end he gets a piece of metal stabbed right through him and he gets dragged underwater but he stills kicks Riggs and Murtaugh’s backsides. Joe Pesci (“Home Alone”) is still annoying like in the previous ones.

“Lethal Weapon 4” contains some fantastic action scenes and some good humour. At the beginning we get a hilarious scene where Riggs and Murtaugh take on a guy armed with metal armour, a flamethrower and a machinegun so Riggs has Murtaugh strip down to his shorts and dance like a chicken in order to shoot the bad guy; this is why we come to watch movies like this because they’re ridiculous, fun and exciting. I recommend you see “Lethal Weapon 4”.