The “Jurassic Park” franchise is one of the most famous film series going. I loved the original and I liked the second one too but I found the third to be underwhelming. “Jurassic World” changes a few things but is essentially the same kind-of dinosaur carnage we’ve come to know so well and is a reasonably enjoyable movie.

Years after the disastrous events in the previous films, “Jurassic World” shows the dinosaur theme park is brimming with tourists. Now the scientists have cooked up a dinosaur made up of a whole bunch of other dinosaurs’ DNA to please the market. The problem is that this new dinosaur breaks out and suddenly, it’s mayhem. Only a dinosaur wrangler (Chris Pratt “Guardians of the Galaxy”) can save the day.

Chris Pratt is the star and he’s pretty forgettable. He reminds so much of the shark wrangler played by Thomas Jane in “Deep Blue Sea”. Bryce Dallas Howard (“The Village”) plays the ditsy girl in it. The kids are dull beyond belief. The people have never been the franchise’s strongpoint. The dinosaurs look great; I like the underwater one even though it isn’t actually a dinosaur if you look up the species on the net. It’s fun to watch the dinosaurs scrap even if the sense of wonder from the earlier films is less present here.

“Jurassic World” is all about the dinosaur carnage and in that respect it delivers. It isn’t as imaginative as some of the earlier ones directed by Steven Spielberg but I think the film is good enough for me. So where will the dinosaurs go next? I’m assuming that they’ll have to go into outer space soon (“Hellraiser”, “Critters” and “James Bond” have already done it) but until then we can sit and we can watch dinosaurs tear up the park one more time in “Jurassic World”.

“Ju-On: The Grudge” is the sinister Japanese horror film that found itself remade for Western audiences with “The Grudge” and I have to say that I think the remake is slightly better. Don’t get me wrong, this original version is entertaining but I think the American remake handles the suspense and the visuals a little better.

In “Ju-On: The Grudge”, various unfortunate Japanese people find themselves victims of a bunch of creepy ghost creatures. Like the remake, the film goes back and forth in time but I think this original is a little easier to follow at times with clear separations between the different segments. However, you could probably watch the segments in almost any order and it wouldn’t make a huge difference.

The characters are alright but the vast majority of them are just there to be attacked by the creatures. Most, if not all of them, do a good job screaming as they’re being devoured by the creatures. The creatures are very good and this original version actually features several creatures that aren’t present in the remake so that’s a good reason to check this version out if you liked the American one. The creatures like to make strange noises and sometimes crawl along the floor towards you as they stare with a blank expression; I like them a lot.

I think the American remake handles the lighting and the filming slightly better than the Japanese original and that therefore makes it more intense but I don’t think this Japanese one is poor by any standards. If you didn’t like the American film will you like this one? Unless you’re from Japan, I very much doubt it. Overall, I think if you like intense horror pictures (it also helps to really like Japanese culture) then maybe you should sit through both “Ju-On: The Grudge” and “The Grudge” as a double-bill.

Arnold Schwarzenegger might be famous for blowing up bad guys in movies like “The Terminator” and “Predator” but he seems to catch just as much attention when he does something bizarre including some of his more family friendly flicks. One of his more well-known ones has to be “Junior”.

Schwarzenegger and DeVito partner up, like they did in “Twins” back in 1988, for another comedy film. Dr. Alex Hesse (Schwarzenegger) becomes pregnant as part of a fertility research project with the help of his esteemed colleague Dr. Larry Arbogast (DeVito). Also in the midst of all this are the clumsy but friendly Dr. Diana Reddin (Emma Thompson “Nanny McPhee”) and the moneygrubbing Noah Banes (Frank Langella).

Although Schwarzenegger seems out of place at times he also seems like there would be no one else fit for the part. At his side his Danny DeVito. I normally like DeVito but in this case, he seems totally miscast. The duo unlike in the classic “Twins”, seem to have virtually no chemistry making them very dull to watch whenever they’re onscreen. Emma Thompson is okay as Dr. Reddin. She’s a mediocre character so I guess the mediocre performance is all you can get. Frank Langella is one of my favourite actors but he’s unfortunately only in a small part as the non-humanitarian Noah Banes. It’s a shame because this seems like the most compelling character in the entire film.

What can I say about “Junior”? The premise of Schwarzenegger giving birth is extremely amusing but the lacklustre comedy doesn’t aid it in anyway and only hinders what could possibly be an interesting and funny picture. The movie is ‘unable’ in the sense it has no idea how to address its audience with its severely poor script. Despite the films many flaws it will make you chuckle a good few times.

“Jumper” is a science-fiction movie with an interesting core concept. Unfortunately, it really does not do all that much with it and it ends up feeling like little more than an excuse to show off some impressive locations around the world.

David Rice (Hayden Christensen “Shattered Glass”, “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones”) is a young man with the ability to teleport across the world at any time. He is living the good life but finds himself targeted by a mysterious ancient order out to destroy him and those like him. As he becomes involved in the conflict, he tries to keep his dream girl (Rachel Bilson) safe.

Hayden Christensen really irritated me with his performance in the “Star Wars” prequels and he is not much better here. His whiny portrayal of the protagonist really does not help this movie at all. Samuel L. Jackson (“Pulp Fiction”, “Jurassic Park”) is pretty good as the villain. Jamie Bell (“King Kong”) is awful as Griffin, another ‘jumper’ like David. The interactions between David and Griffin are cringeworthy. Rachel Bilson is tolerable as Millie. I did not care for the performance from Michael Rooker (“Slither”). I really wish we got to see more of Diane Lane (“Judge Dredd”) in this movie as David’s estranged mother.

“Jumper” had the potential to be an exciting sci-fi/action flick but it just gets worse the longer it goes on. Some of the action scenes are creative and I liked the variety of the locations as we get to see predictable places such as London, Rome and New York as well as some surprising ones including Chechnya. The special effects here are also quite good but there is nothing visually amazing in here. In conclusion, while some of the ideas and action sequences are good, the poor performance and questionable script prevent “Jumper” from succeeding.

Just when you hoped that the “Saw” franchise was truly dead and buried, it gets revived with a rather mundane reboot. “Jigsaw” is pretty much just more of the same. It’s more graphic violence and another needlessly complex story that is not remotely engaging.

A group of strangers are trapped inside a farmhouse with sinister traps. With bodies turning up around the city, it appears the sadistic Jigsaw (Tobin Bell “Saw”, “Mississippi Burning”) is back but he’s been dead for over a decade. Time is running out as the authorities try to find out if the notorious killer has somehow returned or if this is just the work of a copycat.

The characters in this movie are just awful. Everybody is really unlikeable and just annoying. There are so many twists and turns thrown in just for the sake of it that by the end, you don’t believe anything about any of them as another big revelation could be hiding right around the corner. I did not care about any of them in the slightest so I didn’t care when they were being gruesomely killed. The mystery of Jigsaw was extinguished along time ago and it’s just getting duller and duller to see more and more revealed about him.

If you are not a fan of gore then you will despise this film. People are sliced by saws, stabbed by knives, shot in the face, burned by acid and cut into pieces with lasers. There are also plenty of lengthy sequences with dead bodies. These scenes are incredibly graphic so do be warned that this is a seriously ugly movie to look at it. It’s just as violent if not more so than “Se7en” and “Silence of the Lambs”. If you are somehow that liked the other “Saw” films and you find the crazy stories compelling then I’m sure you will be satisfied by “Jigsaw” but everybody else should stay far away from this flick.

“Judge Dredd” is an over the top comic-book, sci-fi littered with countless clichés. “Judge Dredd” isn’t technically a good movie but it is done a way that it is at least fun to sit through as it is amusing (but for the wrong reasons).

In the future, there is no need for courts, instead we just have judges. They are the judge, the jury and the executioner. Sylvester Stallone (“Rocky”, “Rambo: First Blood Part II”) stars as the most feared judge named Judge Dredd. Dredd is framed for murder by an evil individual. Dredd must escape from ‘Cursed Earth’ and stop the villainous Rico (Amand Assante “Striptease”) from destroying Mega City 1.

Sylvester Stallone is usually quite amusing in his films with his badly tuned voice and this is no exception. Rob Schneider (“The Hot Chick”) is so annoying in this film as the comic relief. He’s not funny in the slightest. Armand Assante is weak as the villain Rico. He’s just too ridiculous and you can’t take him seriously despite the fact he’s trying to intimidate. Most of the cast disappointed me but I must say I enjoyed the performance by Max von Sydow (“Minority Report”, “The Seventh Seal”) as Chief Justice.

The action is standard, the special effects are reasonably good but the jokes are poor. I said this movie is funny but I also said for the wrong reasons, that’s because the movie has a generally goofy nature to it and it just comes off as pretty hilarious, but I don’t really know if that’s a good thing. The movie never decides whether it is a gritty, sci-fi action film or a silly one and instead just chucks both ideas at us simultaneously and the movie is a bit messy because of it. If you’re looking for a stupid action film then you have hit the jackpot but if you’re just an average moviegoer, this is one you’ll want to skip as nothing in it as too impressive.

“Jud Süß” is often credited as the single film most responsible for the Holocaust. This vile anti-Semitic propaganda picture helped to turn the German public against the Jews. Excluding its objectionable messages, the film is average at best yet it remains an important party of 20th century history. This picture was also a big success when it was released in Germany with tens of millions purchasing tickets.

In this film, we are given a rather historically inaccurate account of the life of Joseph Süß Oppenheimer (Ferdinand Marian “Uncle Kruger”), a Jewish man that becomes the treasurer for the Duke of Württemberg. Through manipulation, Oppenheimer tightens his hold over the corrupt leader. This rather despicable picture depicts the Jews exploiting the goyim for financial gain as they erode the lives of those around them.

Ferdinand Marian apparently declined the role of Oppenheimer at first but was later threatened by the Nazis. Oppenheimer is portrayed as a scheming man out to secure a profit for himself. This ugly representation of Jews is not dissimilar from the versions seen in propaganda from more recent fascist, socialist and Islamic extremists. Many of the other characters are presented here as patriotic Germans out to protect their constitutional rights from the Jews.

Like “The Triumph of the Will”, it’s very clear to me that the Nazis were masters of propaganda and they knew the power of images. However, while “The Triumph of the Will” was incredible from a technical point of view, “Jud Süß” does not appear to be anywhere near as well made. Perhaps no film has ever served the forces of evil with as much success as “Jud Süß” and I doubt if another ever will. I think it is important for people to see it so that we cannot only understand the history of anti-Semitism but so that we may have a better view of the current poison being pumped out by extremists around the globe.

“Joysticks” is a goofy sex comedy from the same era that brought us “Animal House”, “Lemon Popsicle” and “Porky’s”. It combines the raunchy teen antics with arcade gaming so maybe it was trying to cash-in on the success of “Tron” and “WarGames”.

A town’s arcade is apparently the only place to be if you are a youngster as the teens spend all their time and money playing games such as “Pac-Man”. A local businessman (Joe Don Baker “Fletch”, “GoldenEye”) sets his sights on getting the arcade closed for good. Jefferson (Scott McGinnis “Star Trek III: The Search For Spock”), McDorfus and Eugene will stop at nothing to save their arcade so the businessman enlists the help of King Vidiot, the local punk.

The acting in “Joysticks” is downright abysmal. I particularly hated the McDorfus character, who is clearly a rip-off of John Belushi’s Blutarsky from “Animal House”. The Eugene character is the same type of nerd that we have seen in countless movies such as “Meatballs” and “American Graffiti”. The King Vidiot character is pretty dull. Most of the movie is just the teens stood around in the arcade. Poor Joe Don Baker is the only decent actor in this movie.

“Joysticks” is basically just an excuse to show a lot of topless girls and advertise arcade games. The big showdown at the end where Jefferson battles King Vidiot on “Super Pac-Man” is not captivating at all. Most of the gags fall completely flat. If you want a superior movie about playing videogames, I would state that “Tron” is infinitely better. There are also plenty of better teen comedies out there including “Animal House” so do not waste your time with “Joysticks”. The only positive thing that I can really say about this movie is that its not as desperate in its attempts to advertise videogames as “The Wizard”.

This movie is a prime example of how rubbish comic book adaptations can be. Instead of getting an old-fashioned, gritty Western we get a sadly boring mixture of concepts from both “Ghost Rider” and “The Wild Wild West”, which certainly isn’t a good thing.

In “Jonah Hex”, we meet the scarred bounty hunter himself Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin “The Goonies”). Jonah Hex is a rough and tough cowboy, who can also talk to the dead. Hex is then found by the U.S military, who have a price on his head, so that they can make a deal so that for his freedom Hex must take a vicious terrorist named Turbull (John Malkovich “Con Air”) as well as have the chance to settle a personal score. Along with an ex-prostitute (Megan Fox “Transformers”) Hex must stop Turbull from unleashing hell.

None of the characters are interesting. Jonah Hex isn’t a particularly nice character so you don’t really see him as much of a hero. Megan Fox is bland as I feel she always is and the character isn’t interesting anyway. Malkovich is put to poor use as the villain in “Jonah Hex”. The rest of the characters are rubbish too.

I don’t care if you’ve got a big budget but if you can’t put it to good use nobody cares and that’s what happened with “Jonah Hex”. From its lacklustre action sequences to its boring plot to its idiotic concepts “Jonah Hex” is easily one of the worst comic book movies I’ve seen, which is a real shame because I can see real potential in his character. What “Jonah Hex” needs to do is leave behind some of its concepts and become like a real Western movie becomes I’ve seen other interpretations of the character that use that basis and are far better than this horrid piece of rubbish.

The Joker remains Batman’s most famous foe and one of the most famous villains in fiction. For the first time ever, we get to see a big screen version of the character without the focus being on Batman. This is a standalone film that may have its roots in comic books but is really more like “Taxi Driver” and “The King Of Comedy”.

Set in Gotham City during the 1980s, the mentally disturbed Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix “Gladiator”, “Signs”) is feeling crushed by society. As the city continues to go through a troublesome period, Arthur descends into unadulterated madness and violence with his actions having an impact on a larger scale than he could have ever imagined.

Joaquin Phoenix is absolutely superb as Arthur Fleck/Joker. I maybe prefer Jack Nicholson in the 1989 “Batman” and Mark Hamill in “Batman: The Animated Series” but for a standalone film, this is just fantastic. Fleck has more in common with Travis Bickle than any comic book movie villain. He’s a sad and desperate loser with no idea about how to interact with other people. Robert De Niro (“Goodfellas”) interestingly gets to play a tv presenter that is basically a reversal of the role he played in “The King Of Comedy”. The other characters are entertaining but Phoenix completely dominates this movie.

“Joker” is a violent and disturbing movie that feels like a mix of “Taxi Driver”, “King Of Comedy”, “The Dark Knight”, “The Crow” and “Death Wish”. Many feared that this film could inspire violence but I don’t think it is any more likely to than any of the other movies I have just mentioned. The soundtrack is brilliant throughout. Also, I loved the scene showing a Charlie Chaplin picture and the “Zorro: The Gay Blade” reference was hilarious. This is a movie that might not perfectly capture the Joker for me but what it does offer is a unique and uncut vision.