There is no denying that “Iron Man 3” is a fun watch but it suffers from two fatal flaws that ruin it as an “Iron Man” movie. It ends up being about as good as the equally disappointing second film.

Set after the events of “Avengers Assemble”, we see America hit by a wave of terrorist attacks by a charismatic villain named Mandarin (Ben Kingsley “Hugo”, “Gandhi”) so superhero Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr. “U.S. Marshals”, “Chaplin”) goes to save the day. Unfortunately we seem to get far more of his alter ego Tony Stark (even during the action scenes) and that’s a real disappointment as for the villain… I’ll get into that in a minute.

Iron Man/Tony Stark isn’t quite as bland as he was in “Iron Man 2” but he lacks the correct type of lines that made him work so well in the first film. I really disliked how little we actually get of Iron Man. The villain has to be the biggest disappointment in the entire movie as Ben Kingsley plays him really well but because of a clever twist, which seems out of place in this kind of picture, we end up not seeing a great big battle with arguably Iron Man’s most famous enemy and instead we get lumped with a bland one named Killian (Guy Pearce “Memento”). I really liked the kid in it.

As flawed as the second film was we still got to see a lot of Iron Man so you can see how I’m disappointed and the Mandarin villain is just hugely annoying. I had some good laughs with this film and the action scenes are alright but the film is just murdered by the two things I keep mentioning. There is a scene where Iron Man rescues people falling out of a plane which is very silly as the people would never be able to hear what he’s saying. All-round it’s kind of fun but it just is frustrating.

I really did enjoy myself with the first “Iron Man” movie because it was smart, explosive and funny but the “Iron Man” series seems to have rusted in this sequel because I didn’t have the fun I got with the first movie.

“Iron Man 2” has Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr. “Iron Man”) under pressure by the new government when his super powered suit is seen as a possible weapon. He then finds a new enemy in the form of Whiplash (Mickey Rourke “The Wrestler”), who possess a weapon similar to that of Stark’s Iron Man suit. Stark’s best friend Rhodey (Don Cheadle “Crash”) then steals another one of his suits but then a bigger threat arrives and the two must partner up again to save the world from bad guys.

Tony Stark unfortunately becomes a bland character as he becomes a pathetic drunk in “Iron Man 2” as the script weakens his once interesting character. Mickey Rourke is reasonably fun to watch as the main villain Whiplash as he acts the part well and there’s something very, very funny about him. Samuel L. Jackson (“The 51st State”) is alright as Nick Fury, the head of S.H.I.E.L..

All-round I was disappointed in “Iron Man 2”. The action scenes were fun to watch and there are a few cute moments but the film is severely knocked down by its lacklustre characters and their dialog. Tony Stark becomes a pathetic drunk like I’ve mentioned and in one scene wets himself while in the suit and if you wanted to see that then maybe “Iron Man 2” will interest you but I don’t. Most of the cast are poor with the exception of Mickey Rourke as the villain Whiplash but maybe that’s due to the appalling script this movie has. “Iron Man 2” isn’t the fun time at the movies the first instalment was.

“Adaptation” is such an original film that it’s almost a non-film. I’ve never seen a movie with a structure quite as bizarre as this. You need to really do a little bit of background reading about the making of the film in order to really understand it because otherwise, you might just miss the point of it.

Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage “Face/Off”, “Leaving Las Vegas”) is the socially awkward screenwriter who had a big hit with “Being John Malkovich”. Now, he is tasked with adapting “The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep “Manhattan”, “Doubt”). Kaufman soon discovers that the book is not really ripe for being turned into a film and so tries to invent unique ways to create his screenplay while his brother Donald (also played by Cage) effortlessly succeeds in life.

Charlie Kaufman is the person that actually wrote “Adaptation”. Never have I seen somebody from the film crew insert themselves into the story in such a way. In anything, he is the story. Nicolas Cage does a really good job. The two Kaufman brothers are radically different from one another and Cage is able to make it so that you always know which one is which. Meryl Streep, Tilda Swinton (“Snowpiercer”), Chris Cooper (“American Beauty”), Brian Cox (“Manhunter”) and Judy Greer (“Jurassic World”) are all great too.

“Adaptation” is inventive and surreal. It’s not the most exciting or engaging picture and there are parts of it that did bore me a little but I was still ever so impressed by its design. Exactly how this movie got made is rather amazing because the real Kaufman did something so unconventional and got away with it. I’ve seen narratively creative films before such as “Memento” but “Adaptation” somehow manages to beat it in terms of creativity. Never could I have ever dreamed of a film like this.

“Iron Angel” is one of the most mediocre films ever made. The film is so generic in almost every single way that the only thing that makes it stand out are several totally irrelevant flashback scenes in which women dance and/or remove their clothes.

Set during the Korean War, “Iron Angel” tells the story of a small group of American soldiers that go out to destroy a North Korean mortar position into to save supply convoys. This incredibly low budget film features a significant lack of battle sequences and those that are featured are incredibly brief so it’s no wonder why the plot focuses on taken out just a mortar position.

The American army characters in “Iron Angel” are pretty much average. The North Korean soldiers get virtually no screen time, which is a little bit of a shame. The characters that steal the show are the women in the flashback sequences. They put in tons of energy as the swing their hips around and dance without ever uttering a word. Why were these women inserted into the film? They add nothing to the story and seem like a cheap way of making sure the film was long enough to be shown in theatres rather than on television in a single hour slot.

“Iron Angel” is pretty much harmless and you will no doubt forget about it very quickly. I’ve seen very few films that look as cheap and nasty as this film but in some ways, that’s why you have to kind-of respect the film because it could be substantially worse considering the budget constraints. If you’re absolutely desperate to see a film about the Korean War and the weather outside is bad then maybe “Iron Angel” is worth watching, otherwise I’d just let it remain in the realm of obscurity.

“Ip Man” is an excellent martial arts film that looks great, has a captivating story and has some truly spectacular fight sequences. The movie is especially interesting for fans of the martial arts genre considering that this bio-pic is centred around Ip Man, who trained martial arts movie legend Bruce Lee (“Enter The Dragon”).

Donnie Yen (“Hero”, “Blade II”) stars as Ip Man, a wealthy and skilled martial artist. When the Japanese invade China, he finds himself struggling to look after his family. As the situation grows more desperate, he’s forced into using his martial arts abilities to train fellow Chinese so that they can protect themselves and he even has to do battle with the Japanese military.

Donnie Yen may not quite have the same loveable personality as Jackie Chan (“Project A”) but he sure knows how to deliver the punches and the kicks. He demonstrates some amazing skills throughout the course of the film and helps to create some of the most exciting and brutal fight scenes of the genre. His acting is actually fairly good and that helps distinguish him from the guys in the genre that can just do the stunts. Ip Man certainly seems like an interesting character although many have claimed that the movie is filled with historical inaccuracies. Some of the other actors show off their great fighting skills too.

“Ip Man” is a masterful martial arts film that really engages you with a winning combination of terrific fight choreography, some real emotion and a little bit of humour. There is a wonderfully amusing scene in the first act where Ip Man’s young son interrupts a fight as he rides along on his little bike. Martial arts fans that have seen “Fist Of Legend”, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, “The Legend of the Drunken Master” and “Once Upon A Time In China” will absolutely adore “Ip Man” and I think the masses will enjoy it a lot too.

The third instalment in the “Ip Man” series is undoubtedly the weakest entry so far but it is still a good martial arts movie. The first “Ip Man” was a masterpiece and the second was also terrific but do not by any means overlook “Ip Man 3”.

Still living in Hong Kong, Ip Man (Donnie Yen “Shanghai Knights”, “Hero”) is forced into defending the local school when gangsters try to force the headteacher to sell the land to a crooked property developer (Mike Tyson “Rocky Balboa”). He also must defend his honour when his Wing Chun credentials are disputed by a rival (Jin Zhang “Pacific Rim: Uprising”).

Donnie Yen is great as always as Ip Man. While the fight scenes are arguably not as good as the ones in the earlier movies, they are still very impressive and Donnie Yen is clearly giving his all. Mike Tyson does not get a lot of screen time but I think he makes for a pretty good villain. A young Bruce Lee (Kwok-Kwan Chan “Kung Fu Hustle”) appears in a few scenes but we never get to see him fight and that is a real shame. Maybe they are saving him for a fourth movie but it feels somewhat frustrating because the ending of the second film teased that Bruce Lee was going to feature in the franchise.

The action sequences are really good with the fight with Mike Tyson being the highlight of the movie. The story this time around is a lot less compelling and that is a shame. A fourth movie is supposedly in the works so I am excited to see what happens next and I hope that Bruce Lee plays a more significant role. Martial arts fans that have seen the first two movie will want to check out “Ip Man 3”. If you are unfamiliar with the franchise, start with the first one.

The first “Ip Man” remains one of the greatest martial arts films ever made so I went into “Ip Man 2” with high expectations. I am pleased to report that this is a sequel delivers the goods. Whether it tops the original is something that will likely have to be debated by the fans.

Now living in Hong Kong, Ip Man (Donnie Yen “Hero”, “Iron Monkey”) tries to open up a martial arts school so that he can teach Wing Chun. He finds that teaching in Hong Kong is not an easy task as he must first win the respect of the local martial arts masters. After fighting for his livelihood, he will have to fight for Chinese culture against an aggressive British boxer (Darren Shahlavi “Alone In The Dark”).

Many may dislike the fact that the “Ip Man” films only very loosely follow the life of the real Ip Man. The historical inaccuracies even include there seeming to be no evidence that the real Ip Man fought any British boxer in Hong Kong but the films are nevertheless entertaining. Donnie Yen is really good and his fighting is extraordinary. Sammo Hung (“Dragons Forever”) is also really good as Hung Chun-Nam. The relationship between Ip Man and Hung Chun-Nam is also really interesting and their fight scene is spellbinding. The British boxer ‘Twister’ is a great villain. I also love the Bruce Lee scene at the end of the movie.

The fight scenes in the first “Ip Man” were quite realistic so some may not like the fact that the ones in this film feature more wirework. I think both techniques produce fantastic results and there is no denying that both films contain some of the best fight scenes ever put to film. The fight on a dining table between Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung had me completely engrossed in what was on the screen. If you enjoyed the first “Ip Man” film then you I imagine you will love this movie too and if you have not seen either, you really need to see both of them.

“Invictus” isn’t an incredible biography film or anything like that but it is a charmingly told inspirational story brought to life by good acting. Also, if you are not a fan of the sport of rugby then don’t let that be the thing to stop you from seeing “Invictus”.

“Invictus” showcases a lovely story from recent history. Shortly after being elected, President Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman “Se7en”, “The Dark Knight”) saw an opportunity and managed to help his rugby team achieve victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup so he could bring the rainbow nation of South Africa together in joy.

Matt Damon (“The Bourne Identity”, “Good Will Hunting”) is great as the captain of the rugby team Francois Pienaar. Nobody else could play Nelson Mandela than Morgan Freeman and even Mandela himself has said nobody else could. Morgan Freeman clearly tries hard to do justice and I’m happy to report he did a good job. I do have a complaint about the Mandela character in this movie though. It’s obvious he was passionate about this whole rugby thing but the movie does seem to make it look like he just spend an entire year focused on rugby without really trying to sort anything else out which I’m sure can’t be true.

“Invictus” is a special movie, not a brilliant one but nevertheless it is special. Brought to us by director Clint Eastwood (“Bird”, “Flags Of Our Fathers”) with a script by Freeman, it is a decent film. If you want to see a pleasant, feel-good picture then “Invictus” is a reasonable choice. The best bit about the whole film is that they show the real cell where Mandela spent 24 of his 27 years in prison because it shows how much they cared about making an authentic film. It’s definitely a powerful moment.

“Invasion of the Saucer Men” (or “Invasion of the Hell Creatures”) might seem like just another cheesy sci-fi film from the 1950s but it’s surprisingly better than movies such as “The Giant Claw” and “This Island Earth”.

In “Invasion of the Saucer Men”, some teenagers stumble upon a group of little green men. The aliens are hostile and the teenagers try to convince the local lawmen of what’s going on but they’re not buying it. It’s up to the teens to fight off the aliens themselves. The plot might seem overly simplistic but it’s a positive because it means the film doesn’t waste much time so there are plenty of scenes with the alien invaders.

The human characters in “Invasion of the Saucer Men” aren’t particularly interesting although they are better than ones in most 1950s sci-fi flicks. Watch out for Frank Gorshin, who would later go on to play the Riddler in the 1960s “Batman” tv series and “Batman: The Movie”. Even if you haven’t seen this picture, the aliens’ look will seem familiar as their design has been copied countless times in everything from “Futurama” to “Scooby-Doo”. The aliens look rather amusing and there is a terrific scene in which an alien gets into a fight with a bull. The aliens kill people by injecting them with alcohol, which is pretty unique.

Although films such as “The Thing from Another World” and the original “The Day Earth Stood Still” are probably better sci-fi outings, I still enjoyed “Invasion of the Saucer Men” because it was inventive for its era, it has gone on to inspire a lot imitators and it delivers a fun time. If you’re looking for a good old-fashioned sci-fi movie then this is worth seeing and if you’ve yet to get into the genre, this isn’t a bad place to start.

“Invasion Of Astro-Monster” (also known as “Godzilla vs. Monster Zero”) is the sixth instalment in the original “Godzilla” series. This one is very heavy on the sci-fi and feels like an episode of “Star Trek” at times but there is nothing wrong with that in my books. I’m not sure if many will agree with me but I think that this is one of the better “Godzilla” films.

Astronauts travel to a new planet known as ‘Planet X’ (I wonder if it is the same one from “The Man From Planet X”) where they encounter aliens. The aliens claim that their planet is terrorised by Monster Zero, who turns out to be Ghidrah (later renamed ‘King Ghidorah’), and they request the use of Godzilla and Rodan to help. However, things are not what they seem and the aliens soon use all three monsters to attack Earth.

The humans and the aliens are actually somewhat interesting in this one, which pretty unusual for one of these monster movies. The highlight though is still seeing the giant monsters. Godzilla and Rodan have to team up against probably my favourite Godzilla enemy. The monsters’ first battle ends in Godzilla doing a dance, which is one of the funniest things I’ve seen.

This is a good entry and it marks the first time Godzilla has had a fight anywhere besides Earth. Planet X actually looks pretty good and it reminded me of “Star Trek” and films such as “Forbidden Planet”. The battle scenes are very enjoyable and I enjoyed most of the sci-fi stuff in here. I think this “Godzilla” film often gets overlooked and that is a real shame. Giant monster movie fans are going to have a great time and casual moviegoers should be able to get some enjoyment out of this one too because it is very fun.