Movie Review - The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Director: Guy Ritchie
Genre: Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 120 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Eiza Gonzalez, Cary Elwes, Henry Golding, Babs Olusanmokun, Til Schweiger, Rory Kinnear, Freddie Fox, Hero Fiennes Tiffin
 
Description: The British military recruits a small group of highly skilled soldiers to strike against German forces behind enemy lines during World War II.

Review: Gus March-Phillips is the man commissioned by Winston Churchill to assemble a team that will eventually take part in a dangerous mission off the West African coast. March-Phillips has one demand: his buddy Geoffrey Appleyard must lead the gang of unguided missiles. Small problem: Appleyard has been arrested by the Gestapo and is stuck on the Spanish Island of Palma. But March-Phillips and his team have little trouble taking out an entire battalion.

The first movie that comes to mind when watching “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” is Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds”. It has several similarities, but Guy Ritchie’s action film never reaches the same level. It’s a little more lighthearted and frivolous, but still very entertaining, apt, funny, action-packed, has some fun one-liners, a great movie score and a solid cast. And it has a clever, subtle nod to James Bond. I enjoyed it, but “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” is not the most memorable film. 

 
Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review - Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Thriller
Runtime: 163 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Esai Morales, Cary Elwes.
 
Description: Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.

Review: Master spy Ethan Hunt is back in “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”, already part seven within the franchise. And aside from the second film in this series, which is the odd one out, the Mission: Impossible franchise is very solid and I liked or loved every single one of these films. You can say it’s a fairly consistent series. “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” has so far been my favorite, and after seeing this seventh installment it still is. “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” does not reach the same level, but nevertheless remains a strong sequel, that will most definitely end up on my favorites list at the end of the year.

Tom Cruise wouldn’t be Tom Cruise if he didn’t, yet again, do some crazy stunts. Jumping off a cliff on a motorcycle is a cake walk for Cruise, but him risking his life like that gives the audience an authentic movie experience. “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” contains plenty of practically shot action. And the action is what these movies excel at. That aforementioned stunt is a one to look forward too, but an exciting car chase through the streets of Rome and a derailed train scene are gems as well. That last one was my favorite part.

The seventh film collects successful plot points and elements from previous volumes and merges them together. Every time I watch one of these movies, I feel like I want to be a spy too. Ethan Hunt has such a solid team behind him. But this time they have a smaller role than usual. Which was my only critique. We did get a new great addition though, in the form of Hayley Atwell. She is amazing in this film and I hope (and predict) she will be in the next film as well.

They cleverly added “Part One” to the film title, so people know this film might end on a cliffhanger and with several loose ends. I can’t wait for this story to continue, because all Mission: Impossible film deliver and excel in their action sequences and stunt work.

Rating: 4/ 5

90s Movie Review - Kiss the Girls

Director: Gary Fleder
Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Mystery/ Drama
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 1997
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Ashely Judd, Cary Elwes, Brian Cox, Bill Nunn, Richard T. Jones, Jeremy Piven, Tony Goldwyn

Description: Police hunting for a serial kidnapper are helped when a victim (Ashley Judd) manages to escape for the first time.

Review: Eight kidnapped women. All eight beautiful. All eight talented. All eight have fallen into the hands of the “collector” who calls himself Casanova. The hunt is on for him. With difficulties trying to trace him, they get the help from Alex Cross. When one of the girls, Kate McTiernan, manages to escape, she is determined to help Detective Cross in order to find Casanova and free the other girls.

I have always loved this movie and I have rewatched it many times. The story is strong, the character of Alex Cross is interesting and Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd work very well together. There is enough tension and the mystery is one to keep you on the edge of your seat. It has a vibe like “Se7en”, though not as good of course, but it has the same atmosphere at times.

Maybe the climax is a bit cliché and predictive, but overall “Kiss the Girls” is a really good mystery thriller.

Rating: 4/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Cat Returns

Director: Hiroyuki Morita
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Drama/ Fantasy
Runtime: 75 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Cary Elwes, Judy Greer, Kristen Bell, Peter Boyle, Elliot Gould, Tim Curry

Description: After helping a cat, the seventeen-year-old Haru (Anne Hathaway) finds herself involuntarily engaged to a cat Prince in a magical world where her only hope of freedom lies with a dapper cat statuette (Cary Elwes) coming to life.

Review: “The Cat Returns” is one of Studio Ghibli’s lesser known films, but it is on that the real cat lovers should not skip. And it contains a lot of magic.
Don’t you ever wonder where those cats wander off to, when to go out? Well, in “The Cat Returns” it’s a secret cat kingdom, hidden behind some narrow alleys. Studio Ghibli plays with this idea, very skillfully. Th concept was conceived by Hayao Miyazako himself, but directed by Hiroyuki Morita, who worked on several other anime and Studio Ghibli films as animator.
Haru’s life is not that different from any other teenage girl. She’s regularly late for school and has a crush on one of the classmates, who unfortunately already has a girlfriend. Haru would like her life to have a little more happiness, since everything seems to go well for others but not for her.
Everything changes after she saves a cat. The cat walks on two legs and talks to her, but of course no one believes her. As if that’s not strange enough, a cat parade appears in front of her door at night. The king of the cat kingdom has come in person to thank her for saving his son, the cat prince. The gift that the cat king has brough is also quite strange… she has to marry the prince!
“The Cat Returns” is a witty film which features The Baron, who we met in “Whisper of the Heart”. This character is the star of the film. It’s a fun, magical and adventurous story that will be perfect for the entire family. Visually is looks good and the soundtrack is atmospheric and fitting. It’s not one of Studio Ghibli’s best film, but certainly one to check out.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

90s Movie Review - Whisper of the Heart

Director: Yoshifumi Kondô
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Drama
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 1995
Starring: Brittany Snow, David Gallagher, Jean Smart, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Ashley Tisdale, Martin Spanjers, Cary Elwes, A.J. Buckley

Description: A love story between a girl who loves reading books (Brittany Snow), and a boy (David Gallagher) who has previously checked out all of the library books she chooses.

Review: “Whisper of the Heart” is about a young girl, Shizuku. If there is one thing Shizuku likes to do, it’s read. She works through all kinds of books at a very past pace and in the local library she can be found most of the time. When she borrows a large pile of books again, Shizuku notices that in each book there is a certain name of a young man who borrowed the book before her. A certain Seiji Amasawa. She wants to meet him and a great friendship develops between them. She doesn’t only get to know Seiji better, but also herself. In this way she finds out what she want to do in her life and starts writing her first story.
“Whisper of the Heart” is a very strong film. The whole coming-of-age setting, in which kids try to chase their dreams at an early age, really fits here. The film has some rally great moments, for example the moment where Shizuku and Seiji are performing the song Country Roads together and they are suddenly accompanied by Seiji’s grandfather and friends with instruments. And scenes like Shizuku following the cat, her finding the shop with the magic clock and Shizuku’s fantasy world are all straight from a picture book.
“Whisper of the Heart” was the first theatrically released Studio Ghibli film not to be directed by the master Hayao Miyazaki. Studio Ghibli always masterfully created these amazing looking animated family films, with a very mature feel to it. They never talk down to children and that’s what I love about them so much.

Rating: 4 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 67: The Princess Bride

Director: Rob Reiner
Genre: Comedy/ Adventure/ Romance/ Fantasy
Runtime: 98 minutes
Year: 1987
Starring: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chis Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Andre the Giant, Fred Savage, Peter Falk, Peter Cool, Mel Smith, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane

Description: While home sick in bed, a young boy's (Fred Savage) grandfather (Peter Falk) reads him a story called The Princess Bride.

Review: “The Princess Bride” is a story that is told by a grandfather to his sick grandson. It’s about a beautiful farmer’s daughter Buttercup, who is madly in love with farm boy Westley. When they admit their love for each other, Westley leaves to earn money for their wedding. On his journey Westley is ambushed by pirates and Buttercup knows her love died. Years later Buttercup is forced to marry Prince Humperdinck. Right before the wedding, she is captured by three men who plan on declaring war to another kingdom. But the trio is chased by a masked stranger.
“The Princess Bride” is highly praised, as a fantasy film, but also as a romance and for its comedy. It has something for everyone. The people who dislike this film, take it way to seriously. There is a parody feel to this film and it’s very aware of itself. I love the combination of fantasy, action, comedy and romance.
“The Princess Bride” had been on my watchlist for a long time. Now that I finally saw it, I will definitely rewatch it many times. I’m a fan of “The Princess Bride”.

Rating: 5/ 5