“Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix” is the feature length finale of the original “Ben 10” series. I really liked the original series so I had fairly high hopes but I was left disappointed by this. It raises the stakes yet never feels like it.

Ben Tennyson has been spending his time saving the world with the power of the Omnitrix watch, which allows him to turn into different aliens. However, a fight with Dr. Animo causes damage to the watch and now the Omnitrix is in self-destruct mode. This not only threatens the life of Ben but the whole universe. Ben must journey into space to find the creator of the Omnitrix and battle the evil Vilgax.

I always liked the Ben Tennyson character. He’s like if Bart Simpson could be a superhero. He’s got some depth to him. Depth that was eliminated in some of the later incarnations of the tv series. Of course, the highlight is always seeing him turn into different aliens. However, this film cheats us a little. Ben must use the Omnitrix’s power sparingly here as he will accelerate the timer on the self-destruct sequence. None of the other characters get all that much to do. The animation looks as sharp as it does on the show. Nothing very exciting but I’ve always liked the visual style.

“Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix” gives us a plot where the fate of the entire universe at risk but it never really feels like it. There’s a relatively relaxed feel to it all and it makes it hard to get properly invested in what is transpiring. It’s a shame because I like the show and I like the characters. The movie is not bad by any means but it lacks the energy it needed to make it work.

“Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip” is a tv movie based on the hit “Dexter’s Laboratory” cartoon series. I have some reasonably fond memories of the show but I now wonder if maybe that’s just me getting all nostalgic as this film is not very entertaining.

Boy genius Dexter battles robots from the future that have to come destroy him for being humanity’s hero. He decides to travel through time to find out how he becomes so important. However, he finds that the future world has been taken over by his adversary, Mandark. Now, Dexter will have to unite with other versions of himself from different periods of his life if he is to end Mandark’s reign of terror.

One of the main problems is that the characters just are not very funny. The different versions of Dexter are so wildly different from one another that it would make more sense if they were versions him from different universes, not the same timeline. Dexter’s ditsy sister, Dee Dee, barely makes an appearance. She was a major part of the series but she has probably only a minute onscreen here. Mandark has a somewhat amusing voice but in terms of what he does, he generates no laughs. The animation on the characters is of the same quality as in the earlier seasons of the show.

“Ego Trip” just isn’t all that enjoyable to watch. There’s nothing particularly visually captivating, the story is barebones and the humour is lacking. Maybe big fans of the series will like it but I think it’s a real disappointment. Also, some of the imagery in the film is surprising dark and disturbing. One sequence depicts a future version of Dexter being repeatedly hit by a laser whip and it looks painful. This film is one trip that’s not worth taking.

“2-Headed Shark Attack” is your typical goofy, low-budget shark movie. These films get churned out by the dozen with as little effort as possible. “2-Headed Shark Attack” certainly delivers on its premise and gives you one of the funniest monsters ever seen in a film.

A group of students doing a semester at sea find the vessel damaged and they take refuge on a nearby island. However, getting off the island is going to be a problem as a two-headed shark is lurking in the water. They cannot simply wait it out though as the whole island appears to be unstable and could collapse at any minute.

You know this is a bad movie when it stars Carmen Electra (“Scary Movie”, “Meet The Spartans”). She is of course absolutely awful here but she’s not the only one. All the actors and actresses give pathetic performances. You know exactly which of the students are going to survive. There are plenty of voluptuous bimbos and muscular boneheads for the shark to munch on. Of course, you are here to see the two-headed shark. It looks absolutely hilarious. The special effects on it are abysmal but that just makes it even funnier. You want the shark to eat up every last one of the annoying humans.

“2-Headed Shark Attack” has spawned some sequels, starting with “3-Headed Shark Attack”. Basically, if you enjoy seeing killer sharks with multiple heads, you have a whole franchise to look forward to. This is a really bad movie but it’s pretty much exactly what I expected it to be. If you want anything even remotely classy then you are looking in the wrong place. Unsurprisingly, this is from production company The Asylum. It seems that when they’re not making rip-offs of the latest blockbusters, they’re pumping out low-budget shark movies.

“Fast Five” is the fifth entry in “The Fast and the Furious” franchise and this one helped boost the franchise to new levels of popularity. To me, I just thought it was more of the same with choppy editing on the action sequences and boring characters.

In “Fast Five”, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel “xXx”, “Pitch Black”) and his crew are in Rio de Janeiro. They have picked a fight with a dangerous Brazilian crime boss while a ruthless federal agent (Dwayne Johnson “The Scorpion King”) pursues them. It all leads to a daring heist with a massive vault being dragged across the city’s sun-soaked streets by fast cars.

I didn’t care for Vin Diesel or Paul Walker (“Running Scared”) in the previous instalments and I certainly don’t care for them here. Other performers from the different entries include Tyrese Gibson (“Death Race”), Gal Gadot (“Wonder Woman”) and Sung Kang (“Bullet To The Head”) also appear. Dwayne Johnson is mildly entertaining as Hobbs. These films all have themes of friendship and loyalty but there is just no chemistry between any of the characters. There’s certainly no romantic chemistry so it’s just unbelievable when we see Kang’s Han go off with Gadot’s Gisele. I know that acting is less important in a big action movie but some of the performances here are painful to watch.

I won’t deny that some of the car chases and other action sequences are entertaining and there are also some great shots of Brazil. However, I just found the rest of the movie very dull. I cannot get invested in the characters and I don’t care about the plot. Yes, the most important thing in an action movie is the action but even that has its problems. The editing is so fast that it’s hard to know what’s even going on most of the time. If you like fast cars and the previous movies then I’m sure you’ll love it; it’s just not my thing.

After his absence in the fifth entry, Jason Voorhees is back in “Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives”. This movie has a few moderately enjoyable moments but for the most part, it’s the same old, tired formula. About the most inventive thing you will see here is a spoof of the gun barrel sequences from the “James Bond” films.

Tommy Jarvis (Thom Matthews “The Return of the Living Dead”) goes to destroy Jason’s corpse but he accidentally ends up resurrecting the killer. Now, Jason is on his way back to Camp Crystal Lake where a bunch of new campers and counsellors have just arrived. However, nobody will believe Tommy that Jason has returned from the grave and is out for blood.

I’m sure devout fans will be delighted to see Jason return after not featuring in the fifth one. I didn’t really care either way because we still got a guy in a hockey mask. He kills a ton of people in this movie and a couple of the kills are mildly creative. One of the minor characters actually knows to avoid Jason because she’s seen enough horror movies to know to get away from a creepy guy in a mask. Finally, a horror film character that isn’t a complete idiot. Still, most of them are as dumb as can be. The Tommy character is not remotely likeable.

“Jason Lives” is not the best nor the worst entry in the rather mundane “Friday The 13th” franchise. If you like these movies then you will like this one. However, I just find them all so bland. The bad acting, the pointless story, the lack of true suspense and the awful dialog are all just staples of an oversaturated slasher market. Really, the only thing anybody remembers about these films is a big guy in a hockey mask.

The “Friday The 13th” franchise is one the most repetitive and least inventive franchises out there. “A New Chapter” is the fifth instalment and it does little to impress. This is probably the worst one in the series I’ve seen so far.

Tommy Jarvis (John Shepherd) survived his last encounter with Jason Voorhees back when he was a child. Now he is a young man that still suffers from nightmares about the masked killer. He goes to stay at rural home for people with mental difficulties. When bodies start to pile up, it is feared Jason Voorhees is back in some form. Is Tommy connected to the murders?

The characters in this movie are all just so unpleasant and uninteresting. The acting from just about everybody is painfully bad. I think we have way too many characters in here. New people get introduced and then get murdered within minutes. I didn’t care about Tommy and I was not invested in his mental struggle to fight the demons that haunt him. A lot of the characters just seem to be weird and awkward for no real reason. I get that some of them are meant to be suffering with mental issues but almost all of them are stupid and creepy.

There are a few twists and turns thrown in here but they are handled so badly that you won’t care. The kills are also really disappointing. If you are expecting to see anything remotely creative or some good special effects then I’m afraid you are going to be very disappointed. The ending is absolutely atrocious and reminded me of several other slasher movies. The film is not remotely scary at all, it’s just odd and boring most of the time. Even a lot of fans of the franchise seem to dislike this entry in particular and I’m not surprised due to reasons that I won’t spoil.

“Dangerous Money” is another entry in the “Charlie Chan” series. These movies were considered fun detective flicks back in the day but are now often deemed to be politically incorrect. I found this film to be reasonably enjoyable with some amusing moments here and there.

Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler “Charlie Chan In Panama”, “Murder Over New York”) is on a cruise ship across the Pacific Ocean where he meets a treasury agent. The agent is on the trail of counterfeit money and it seems somebody wants him dead. Charlie Chan must uncover the identity of the villains aboard and help expose the counterfeit money operation.

Several actors have played Charlie Chan over the years. I have seen Warner Oland (“Charlie Chan’s Secret”) and I think I prefer him to Sidney Toler. At least Oland attempts the Chinese accent. Still, he’s not bad and enjoy the character regardless. Victor Sen Yung (“Across The Pacific”) is relatively funny as Charlie’s bumbling son, Jimmy. He’s easily the best character besides Charlie in the whole movie. The other characters are okay but none of them are exactly great. It’s not exactly an issue though as the focus as always, is on Charlie Chan as he tirelessly carries out his investigation.

“Dangerous Money” is a charming picture. I guess I have a soft spot for these old detective films. This one has some rather pleasant Pacific island music playing throughout. The mystery was relatively captivating and the Charlie Chan character is very entertaining to watch. Maybe they could have made better use of the cruise ship setting but that’s a minor complaint. If you want something with a fast pace or you think you are likely to be offended by the bad Asian make-up on Sidney Toler then I’m afraid you will have to look elsewhere.

This is my first exposure to the “Charlie Chan” franchise. It’s still considered to be one of the longest running franchises in film history with over forty instalments. Although often dismissed nowadays as politically incorrect, there’s something endearing about these films. This appears to be one of the more popular entries in the series.

Charlie Chan (Warner Oland “The Black Camel”, “Charlie Chan In Shanghai”) is called to investigate when an heir to a fortune is presumed dead. Things get strange when a séance is held at a mansion and the body of the missing man appears. Only Charlie Chan has the wits to help solve this most puzzling case.

Warner Oland does a really good job as Charlie Chan. Of course, the make-up gives him a slight Asian appearance and he puts on a rather dodgy Chinese accent. However, the character is still fun to watch. Just think of him more as a Chinese Poirot. No matter how crafty the villains may be, Charlie Chan is always on their trail and he always outfoxes them. The other characters are okay and some of them managed to put a smile on my face. Of course, the focus really is on the titular character.

“Charlie Chans’ Secret” is certainly not a great film. A lot of people may find it to be far too slow and rather uneventful. However, there is something undeniably charming about it. The mystery is moderately complex and takes some interesting twists and turns. The Charlie Chan characters himself is likeable and it is a shame we don’t see more of him and other characters that once dominated the big screen (Zorro is another that springs to mind). This is a relatively short film that lasts little over an hour and it made me happy so I’m recommending it.

“Justice League Dark” might confuse some people as it not really about the Justice League. The Justice League do appear in it but it instead focuses on a group of other superheroes with more supernatural powers. This film that starts off with real promise but it ends up being a real disappointment.

Around the world, people are carrying out horrific crimes as they fear that they are surrounded by demons and monsters. Batman goes to investigate and must join forces with other heroes such as Constantine, Etrigan and Zatanna. They must uncover the supernatural entity that is behind this global phenomenon.

I think a big problem with this movie is the characters. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are all great characters but here, we are forced to spend most of the time with Constantine, Etrigan and other lesser known characters. I was really disappointed with Constantine here as I liked the live-action “Constantine” movie with Keanu Reeves. I was also frustrated with Swamp Thing as I also really liked the live-action “Swamp Thing” film. The final villain is not remotely memorable and again, that’s a big problem. Superheroes are usually at their best when they up against a great foe. The animation on the characters is rather stylish at times.

The action sequences in “Justice League Dark” are reasonably entertaining, I also liked the atmospheric music and the animation. However, the plot is a mess with way too many twists and turns that I didn’t care about. Even worse, the characters are just rubbish. Constantine and Swamp Thing are so unlikeable while Etrigan and Zatanna are boring. Some of the other animated DC movies have been significantly more entertaining. Also, I recommend checking out both the “Constantine” and “Swamp Thing” live-action films. I’m sure there is potential for an exciting film with all these characters together but the writing needs to be a lot tighter.

“Birds Of Prey” (also known as “Birds Of Prey: And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn”) represents one of the worst decisions in film marketing history. I’d never heard of the Birds of Prey comic book characters and then you find out that they are not even the focus of the movie. It’s total lunacy and it’s reflected by the film itself. This is a mess with no real structure. It’s got a lot of energy and interesting visuals but no substance (much like “Tank Girl”).

There is no real story. A lot of it focuses on Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie “Suicide Squad”, “I, Tonya”) after she breaks up with the Joker. She interacts with cop Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez “Untamed Heart”), assassin Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead “10 Cloverfield Lane”) and mobster Roman ‘Black Mask’ Sionis (Ewan McGregor “The Island”). There’s something about some diamond with bank accounts details or something in it but I can’t really remember.

Margot Robbie does a really good job and she puts a lot of effort in as Harley Quinn. The Huntress character was okay and so was the little girl (Ella Jay Basco). I didn’t care for the Montoya character, I thought she was dull. Ewan McGregor is awful as the villain. He’s having a blast but the character just comes across as weird and uncomfortable. Also, if he’s Black Mask, why does he barely wear the mask? It’s like they are afraid to have comic book characters wear their outfits in some movies.

“Birds Of Prey” has some satisfying action sequences, some funny moments and the movie looks terrific at times. However, it just has no idea what is wants to be and it doesn’t really seem to care. Is it about Haryley Quinn, the Birds of Prey or is it just a sort of “Pulp Fiction” style flick? It’s moderately enjoyable but I just did not get anywhere near as invested as I should have been.