Movie Review - The Sheep Detectives

Director: Kyle Balda
Genre: Mystery/ Adventure/ Comedy
Runtime: 109 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Patrick Stewart, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Derry, Regina Hall, Bella Ramsey, Nicholas Galitzine, Brett Goldstein, Rhys Darby, Conleth Hill
 
Description: Every night shepherd George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) reads aloud a murder mystery, pretending his sheep can understand. When he is found dead, the sheep realize at once that it was a murder and think they know everything about how to go about solving it.
 
Review: “The Sheep Detectives” is a surprisingly charming and inventive film that cleverly combines the classic whodunnit with humor and charm. The film is a must-see for fans of quirky mysteries and feel-good cinema. In short: it’s a whodunnit with sheep as the amateur sleuths, which sounds ridiculous but is absolutely fantastic.

When the beloved shepherd George Hardy dies under mysterious circumstances, his flock of sheep is left devastated. Every evening, George would read detective stories to his sheep. What he didn’t know was that the animals understood everything. Since the local police are completely off the mark, the sheep decide to take matters into their own hands. They set out to fins clues, interrogate the humans suspects in their own unique way, and prove themselves to be brilliant detectives.

Hugh Jackman shines in his simplicity. He appears mainly in flashbacks, but his warm and sympathetic performance serves as the film’s emotional anchor. The sincere bond between him and his flock gives the story and unexpected emotional depth.

The talking sheep steal the show. With voices provided by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston and many others, each sheep is given a unique personality. The humor shifts effortlessly from visual slapstick for younger viewers to sharp, witty dialogue for adults.

The film has a cozy, countryside vibe, that perfectly complements the charming mystery. It feels like a so-called cozy mystery. But for the seasoned amateur sleuths, the resolution of the murder case could be a bit predictable.

“The Sheep Detectives” is one of the most surprising films of the year. It’s a lovingly crafted feel-good movie that will entertain both young and old. Anyone in the mood for an original atmospheric comedy with a touch of mystery absolutely shouldn’t miss this one.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - TMNT

Director: Kevin Munroe
Genre: Action/ Animation/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 87 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Chris Evans, Mako, Kevin Smith, Patrick Stewart, Laurence Fishburne, Ziyi Zhang, Mitchell Whitfield, James Arnold Taylor, Mikey Kelley, Nolan North, John DiMaggio, Paula Mattiolo, Kevin Michael Richardson, Fred Tatasciore

Description: When the world is threatened by an ancient evil, the four adolescent turtles must reunite and overcome their faults in order to stand against it.  

Review: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first came to life in 1984, as a comic book. They were a parody of comic book heroes. It became a television series and gained popularity all over the world. They had a bunch of live-action movies in the early 90s, which were fun and in the 10s there were two more live-action movies that were entertaining, but mostly that. In between that, there was “TMNT”. A fully animated movie about the shelled heroes.
In the original cartoons, the turtles are two-dimensional, so it always takes some getting used to seeing them worked in in 3D. This is mostly visible with the people like April O’Neil and Casey Jones. But the turtles look really good and so these the scenery and environment.
The story is god enough, mainly because of the well-developed characters and their relationships. The story development could have been better, but it’s still alright. The story focuses mostly on Leonardo and Raphael. The other two turtles, Donatello and Michelangelo, feel more like side characters here. When they are actually my two favorites of the foursome.  
If you are a fan of the original cartoon series, you will probably like them. At least more than the live-action movies that came out later.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Kid That Would Be King

Director: Joe Cornish
Genre: Family/ Adventure/ Action
Runtime: 120 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Denise Gough, Dean Chaumoo, Tom Taylor, Rhianna Doris, Patrick Stewart, Rebecca Ferguson, Angus Imrie

Description: A group of kids embark on an epic quest to thwart a medieval menace.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 1: A FANTASY MOVIE

Review: “The Kid Who Would Be King” is a family fantasy film filled with adventure, written and directed by Joe Cornish.
The film is set in the modern world and a young Merlin has to find king Arthur in this world, to remind him who he really is. Arthur is trapped in the body of the young student Alex, without him knowing that this is his destiny. When Alex accidentally finds the magical sword Excalibur, he is vaguely reminded of it. Alex has to convince his friends and foes who they really are. And this all before evil sorceress Morgana attacks and jeopardizes the future.
The story of King Arthur has been told so many times, but this version is very different and targeted at a young audience. Young kids can relate to this film, because most actors are also young kids.
To find a strong young cast is really hard to do, but for the most part this film succeeds. Especially Louis Ashbourne Serkis (the son of Andy Serkis) is very strong, who stars in his first movie. Also Angus Imrie, who plays the young Merlin, is noteworthy. Patrick Stewart takes on the role of the older Merlin and is only in a few scenes. The villains in the films are a bit one-dimensional and don’t really get a lot of attention. Rebecca Ferguson is such a fantastic actress, so the role of the villain could have given her so much more. But the film doesn’t pay enough attention this and make the villains a bit bland.
Targeted at children, make it a fun family film. But overall it’s a pretty forgettable film.

Rating: 3 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 34: Logan

Director: James Mangold
Genre: Drama/ Action/ Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 137 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant

Description: In the near future, a weary Logan (Hugh Jackman) cares for an ailing Professor X (Patrick Stewart) in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.

Review: There aren’t a lot of Hollywood stars that stayed so true to their break through roles as Hugh Jackman. For “Logan” he portrays the role of Wolverine for the ninth time. For about seventeen years he carried this role, starting with “X-Men”. “Logan” takes the super out of superhero. Jackman plays Wolverine for the last time, and he was never better.
It’s 2029 and the world is not doing well. Logan is a broken man: he drinks, curses and doesn’t care about the world. He works as a limo driver and also takes care of Charles Xavier, who is old and ill. Logan himself isn’t in the best physical shape either. He doesn’t heal as quickly as he did before. They are the only mutants left, until they find a girl named Laura.
Wolverine has always been the rougher character in the X-Men series, but in “Logan” he is rougher than ever. Jackman gives his all here, it looks like he had to hold back in all the other films he played Wolverine in. The film is rated R. It’s explicit, raw, bloody and very violent. And it all looks fantastic. The choreography of the fight scenes is amazing.
Director James Mangold clearly doesn’t like the stereotypical superhero. In the previous film “The Wolverine” he showed that he had more affinity with the human side of Logan than his powers. In “Logan” that’s also the focus.
When Laura comes into Logan’s life, you expect it to be emotional. But the connection between the two never gets too sentimental. I loved “Logan”, it’s a fantastic film. My favorite X-Men film and a worthy good bye to Hugh Jackman as this iconic character.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 106: Green Room

Director: Jeremy Saulnier
Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Horror
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Patrick Stewart, Mark Webber

Description: A punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar.

Review: A punk rock band accidentally witnesses a murder in a neo-Nazi skinhead bar. From that moment on, the group of musicians has to fight for survival.
I heard many things about this movie before seeing it, it made me curious. The setting is interesting and the movie is fast paced. There isn’t a lot of build up, although the story starts calmly. Director Jeremy Saulnier know what story he wants to tell, even before the characters say a word you know a lot. And there is no scene that feels it doesn’t belong there.
“Green Room” is not your typical horror. It’s more a thriller with horror elements. The violence in this movie is always sudden, shocking and confronting.
Patrick Stewart plays a strong role, but his talent is underused. Anton Yelchin, unfortunately no longer with us, is the highlight of the film. His performance is so intense and realistic.
“Green Room” is not a movie for the weak stomach. It’s pretty raw and graphic. But I think it’s a fantastic film, sadly it didn’t really get any attention in my country. A hidden gem.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 156: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Director: Bryan Singer

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy/ Science Fiction

Runtime: 132 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Nicholas Hoult, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, Shawn Ashmore

Description: The X-Men send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.

Review: In “X-Men: Days of Future Past”, Wolverine is send back in time to stop mutants from going under. The X-Men are threatened by Sentinels, robots who have to exterminate mutants. Many mutants have lost the battle against them and all hope is set on Wolverine. His goal is to stop the inventor from going through with his plans. Wolverine gets help from a young Professor Xavier and Magneto.

Bryan Singer returns as a director, he also directed “X-Men” and “X2”. He doesn’t stay close to the original source material, which could bother fans. Yet “X-Men: Days of Future Past” was very well received by the audience and is so far the highest rated movie in the series.

Again the movie is filled with beautiful special effects, but I did miss the more emotional and personal touch that “X-Men: First Class” had. The focus is on Wolverine, but also on Charles Xavier and Magneto. The connection between Hank McCoy aka Beasy and Mystique, that was a storyline in the previous film, is never spoken of. Actors Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender do work well together and it’s a joy to watch them together.

Although I enjoyed watching “X-Men: Days of Future Past”, it didn’t live up to my expectations. It’s a good looking movie, but it lacked depth.

Rating: 3/ 5