The Journey of Natty Gann (1985)

The Journey of Natty Gann (Dir: Jeremy Kagan, 1985)

Dating from an era when Walt Disney Pictures were pursuing edgier family entertainment, The Journey of Natty Gann is a road movie drama set during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

In her movie debut Meredith Salenger stars as the titular Natty. Separated from her father (Ray Wise), she travels the length of Chicago to Washington to find him, accompanied by an unusual travelling companion in the shape of a wolf. She also strikes up a friendship cum chaste romance with a young drifter (John Cusack). 

On the surface The Journey of Natty Gann appears to be a female spin on the staple 'boy and dog' theme of earlier Disney movies Old Yeller (Robert Stevenson,1957) and The Biscuit Eater (Vincent McEveety, 1972). In truth, it is a somewhat different beast. 

Director Jeremy Kagan delivers a thoughtful, intelligent movie with considerably more grit than those earlier films. It pulls no punches in its believable and affecting account of the hardships caused by poverty and mass unemployment. It also touches, albeit lightly, on subjects such as union activism and police brutality. Unusual themes for a family movie, not least one from a studio whose release schedule had, until recently, been dominated by a seemingly endless stream of lightweight, formulaic comedies such as The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (Vincent McEveety, 1979) and Herbie Goes Bananas (Vincent McEveety, 1980).

The movie treats its subject matter seriously, yet the tone is never too sombre and its uplifting moments offset the gentle melancholic mood which runs through it. Certainly, it is sentimental but it is never sticky and the sentimentality never seems false, while its female lead gives it a feminist slant not usually found in family films of the era.

While the performances are uniformly excellent, the standout is undoubtedly Salenger. Age just 14 during filming, her performance is both moving and charismatic. How she did not become a massive star is anybody's guess. John Cusack also impresses in an early role as Natty's drifter friend Harry. He, of course, did go on to make a name for himself in Hollywood. The movie is beautifully shot by cinematographer Dick Bush, capturing the crisp Canadian wilderness (standing in for the US) and the grimy back alleys with a cinematic grace rare in 80s Hollywood. This is indeed a film better suited to widescreen HD than 1980s issue pan and scan VHS.

Although The Journey of Natty Gann won admiration from critics it was not, initially, a hit with audiences. In a year when families were flocking to glossy blockbusters Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985) and The Goonies (Richard Donner, 1985) it is perhaps not difficult to understand why; a downbeat Depression set drama was probably a hard sell to the Spielberg generation. Its qualities were rewarded with the prestigious Gold Prize at the Moscow International Film Festival and it would eventually find a more appreciative audience on the burgeoning home video market. Still, the movie seems vastly underrated today. An unusual family picture marking the end of era when Disney were trying to inject a little more grit into their movies. It is among the studio's best live action releases and one of the most artful major Hollywood releases of the 1980s.

The Dark Crystal (1982)

The Dark Crystal (Jim Henson & Frank Oz, 1982). 

Coming to Netflix on 30th August 2019 is The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance the prequel to Muppets creator Jim Henson’s original fantasy epic The Dark Crystal. My inner 8 year old can barely contain his wee wee at the thought of this so, in anticipation, I revisited the original. 

Believing he is the last of his elf-like Gelfling race, Jen sets out to fulfill a prophecy which foretells that a Gelfling will one day defeat the malevolent Skeksis who rule his homeland of Thra. Jen must locate and replace a missing shard from the mystical crystal from which the Skeksis draw their powers. Learning of the quest, the Skeksis will stop at nothing to deter Jen, having already murdered his kind for their own evil gains.

Co-directed by fellow Muppeteer Frank Oz, The Dark Crystal was seen as a major departure for Jim Henson. Along with conceptual artist Brian Froud, they created a beautiful, intricately detailed alien world populated solely by their elaborate puppet creations. The puppets, or Muppets, are exquisite creations, grotesquely beautiful and believably brought to life by the talented Muppet performers.

The overall tone of the movie is decidedly darker than that of The Muppet Show. However, I think its reputation as nightmare fuel is unwarranted. There is a lot of light to offset the dark and ultimately this is a positive tale with a uplifting message. There is also much humor; granted, it's not the knockabout humour of the Muppets, but the movie does have a lightness of touch that helps make the more sombre moments much more palatable for the young. I first saw The Dark Crystal at age 8 and survived. I would have no qualms about showing it to children of a similar age. 

Perhaps the only slight criticism I have of The Dark Crystal is its less than original story; a basic fantasy quest plot with similarities to the daddy of all fantasy films The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming, 1939). However, this is a criticism that could also be levelled at Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977), and any other number of fantasy films and wasn't new when author L Frank Baum's first Oz book was originally published in 1900. In any case, the world Henson has created is so immersive and the story so well told that over familiarity is not an issue.    

While by no means a flop, The Dark Crystal was something of a disappointment at the box office. Perhaps it got a little lost in the plethora of fantasy movies released in the early 1980s; Clash of the Titans (Desmond Davis, 1981), Dragonslayer (Matthew Robbins, 1981) and the animated The Last Unicorn (Arthur Rankin & Jules Bass, 1982) had all hit cinema screens previously. It also found itself vying for family audiences with the behemoth ET The Extra Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg, 1982), number 1 at the box office 6 months after release. Eventually finding its audience on the growing home video market, the movie is now rightly regarded as a classic.

Mr Henson's tragic early death, in 1990 aged 53, robbed the world of a true visionary. His work has been embraced by generations of children and adults alike and the characters he created are as popular and relevant now as they were during his lifetime. In a career of so many highs it is difficult to single out any particular work, but even by his own venerable standards, The Dark Crystal is a masterpiece. 

For those who have never seen this magical movie I wholeheartedly recommend it. The eagerly anticipated prequel will, apparently, not require you to be familiar with the original, but I would suggest you give it a watch anyway, simply because it is a fantastic piece of fantasy filmmaking. 

The Meg (2018)

The Meg (Dir: Jon Turteltaub, 2018). 

Bigger isn’t always better, as this mega Jaws clone proves. 

Jason Statham stars as Jonas Taylor, a washed up, alcoholic rescue diver held responsible for the death of two submarine crew in a botched rescue attempt. Called upon once again to rescue the crew of a stranded submersible, Taylor finds himself up against the Megalodon, a 75 foot shark thought to be extinct and soon heading for the coast of China! Is he up to the task? Will he end up as a Megalodon's dinner? Does anybody really care?

For those who have dreamed of a movie where Jason Statham battles a prehistoric beast, your wishes have come true. There is little more to The Meg than Statham vs Shark, although for some that will be enough. 

Director Turteltaub’s movies rarely take themselves too seriously and The Meg benefits from his light touch. Once it gets going, the action barely sags and it never gets bogged down by the sort of fist clenching emoting that these movies have a tendency to. However, the flipside of this is that The Meg is populated by a few too many underwritten, cardboard cut-out characters and relies a little heavily on concepts and situations familiar from many other, much better, movies. 

There are some positive aspects to the movie, but most of these are technical. The computer generated special effects are impressive and while the audience has little investment in the characters to care one way or another if they end up as sharkbait, it is fun to see them get chomped on, one by one, by the massive Megalodon.

Statham, once again giving the impression that he is a bit of a better actor than the role allows, acquits himself well as the remorseful action hero. Stand out among a less than stellar supporting cast is Li Bingbing as mission supervisor and potential love interest Suyin. 

If it’s thrills you want, there are plenty, but it’s a shame that filmmakers tend to forget that movies like this don’t necessarily have to be the empty-headed entertainments they so often are. The original Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975) is testament to that. It's not a bad film by any means and is entertaining while it lasts. But the formulaic, cookie cutter approach to filmmaking fails to lift it above any other number of forgettable action flicks. 

Still, if rampaging monster movies are your thing it is certainly worth a look. If, like me, you have a soft spot for Jaws 3 (Joe Alves, 1983), you might enjoy this equally silly shark saga.

The Leftovers (1986)

The Leftovers (Dir: Paul Schneider, 1986).

If there is a more 1980's way to open your movie than with Howard Jones' New Song, than I do not know what it is. I am also unsure as to who this lightweight comedy will resonate with, other than 1980's kids.

The Leftovers stars singer turned actor John Denver as Max Sinclair, director of The Middleburg Orphanage and surrogate father to the ragtag bunch of kids who live there. Cindy Williams is the live in help. Together they fend off plans to redevelop the home by underhanded means, while the kids do all they can to keep from being adopted.

Originally aired on television as part of ABC's The Disney Sunday Movie weekly series in November 1986. It's not hard to imagine that a decade earlier The Leftovers would have been released to cinemas, with Dean Jones and Sandy Duncan as possible leads. It is old fashioned, inoffensive but not without charm.

It may be a generational thing, but I did enjoy this movie. It is nothing spectacular but the leads are likeable and while the plot has a few too many contrivances and conveniences for its own good, most of its laughs are genuine.

However, it is low-key in the extreme and although I had seen this movie at around the age of 12 or 13, only one scene stuck in my head and that was the opening, probably because my tweenage self was a big fan of Howard Jones!

I am sure I enjoyed The Leftovers as a kid because I lapped up anything Disney. Revisiting it as an adult I am aware that it is no classic, even by 80's Disney TV movie standards. But it is an entertaining 90 odd minutes; if you are in the mood for some gentle 1980's nostalgia you might find it hits the spot. Just don't expect to remember much about it afterwards!

A Study in Terror (1965)

A Study in Terror (Dir: James Hill, 1965). 

Fact and fiction collide as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s literary detective Sherlock Holmes pits his wits against infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper. 

A mysterious medical kit with a distinct crest sets Holmes on the case of the notorious killer and of the prominent aristocratic family he suspects are involved. Taking in the back alleys of 1888 Victorian London and mixing with the lowlifes there in. 

A Study in Terror presents us with a highly sanitised version of 1880s Whitechapel; the Ripper’s victims all beautiful with their 1960s coiffures. The movie does, on the surface, appear to be a bit of a romp and was misleadingly advertised as a Batman-esq spoof by US distributor Columbia Pictures. In actual fact the movie is, at times, a pretty grizzly affair.

Screenwriters Derek Ford and Donald Ford have crafted a tense, twisty thriller with moments of horror and plenty of jumps. Director James Hill’s innovative use of point-of-view shots give the murders an extra viscerality while keeping the identity of the killer a mystery. The movie does have a somewhat misogynistic tone, which is perhaps inevitable considering its subject. 

John Neville has just the right austerity as Holmes while Donald Houston is an amiably bluff Watson. A fantastic supporting cast includes Brit acting legends Anthony Quayle, Robert Morley and Judi Dench. Best of all is Barbara Windsor as Ripper victim Annie Chapman. Slightly stepping outside of her Carry On... persona, she gives us an all too rare glimpse of her acting ability beyond the giggly, busty blonde stereotype. 

With its misogyny and grim use of fictionalised real life murders, you can safely wave goodbye to good taste. Yet, in spite of my misgivings over content, I thoroughly enjoyed A Study in Terror. What, on the surface, threatens to be an exploitative, sensationalist shocker is actually a well produced thriller with a fine cast. Recommended especially to Holmes aficionados and fans of 1960s British cinema.

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning (2008)

The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning (Dir: Peggy Holmes, 2008). 

The third and to date final movie of Disney’s animated Little Mermaid franchise. As its title would suggest Ariel’s Beginning is a prequel to the original The Little Mermaid (Ron Clements & John Musker, 1989). 

Following the death of his wife Queen Athena, King Triton bans all music from Atlantica. Ariel and pals set about showing him the error of his ways and returning music and happiness to the kingdom. Yes, the plot really is that silly. 

The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning was to be the last of  Disney's animated made for video sequels, a line of movies that began 14 years earlier with Aladdin follow-up The Return of Jafar (Toby Shelton, Tad Stones & Alan Zaslove, 1994). Yet while these movies brought in the big bucks, their lower quality animation and storytelling had a detrimental effect on the public perception of Disney animation, possibly contributing to the disappointing box office returns of the studio’s product in the early 2000s. 

Considering its made for video origins, Ariel’s Beginning is a visually pleasing film. The superior animation in these later DisneyToon Studios productions is generally believed to be due to the hiring of Walt Disney Animation Studios staff, laid off when that studio dropped traditional animation in favour of CGI. Unfortunately the quality does not to extend to the storytelling which is decidedly puerile. Aimed squarely at the youngest of mermaid obsessives with misplaced references to movies such as The Great Escape (John Sturges, 1963) and The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont, 1994) that will sail over little ones heads. The movie also suffers, as do many prequels, from the fact that we know the story’s outcome before it has begun. 

Returning as the voice of Ariel is Jodi Benson. While her performance is undoubtedly the movie’s highlight it is a shame that no-one thought to write her any decent new songs. The movie as a whole suffers from an overall lack of original tunes, ironic considering its subject. The few that are included are instantly forgettable and the feature’s most prominent musical number, a version of Harry Belafonte’s Jump in the Line, is seemingly included solely for audience recognition, at the expense of new material. 

With its impressive visuals and its abysmal storytelling The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning showcases the best and worst of DisneyToon Studios output simultaneously. I personally found it a chore to watch. The most undemanding of very young mermaid fans may disagree. 

The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000)

The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (Dir: Jim Kammerud, 2000). 

Released 11 years after the original, The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea is the first of two sequels to Walt Disney Pictures The Little Mermaid (Ron Clements & John Musker, 1989). 

Flipping the events of the first movie, The Little Mermaid II is the story of Melody, the tweenage human daughter of Ariel and Prince Eric. Knowing nothing of her mother’s past and longing to explore the forbidden ocean, Melody strikes a deal with Morgana, the equally villainous sister of sea witch Ursula. With the safety of Melody and the merfolk kingdom of Atlantica at risk, Ariel must ‘return to the Sea’ in a bid to save them. 

What drives me to watch a movie like The Little Mermaid II? Let’s say morbid curiosity. Plus the fact that Disney is no longer churning out these straight-to-video cash-ins means I am not supporting their production. 

Is it any good? Well, considering its made for the home market origins, this is not a bad looking movie. Produced by Walt Disney Television Animation (latterly DisneyToon Studios), it’s not up to the high standards of a Walt Disney Animation Studios production but it is a step up from usual television fare. Also in its favour is the return of much of the original vocal cast including Jodi Benson as Ariel and Pat Carroll as Morgana. 

The returning cast members and the above average visuals suggest that Disney was wary of damaging a popular franchise. However, whatever qualities the movie has are scuppered by some doggedly pedestrian storytelling. 

To be fair, I found The Little Mermaid II to be passable entertainment and better than many Disney sequels. Very young viewers, especially those with a penchant for mermaids, should enjoy it. Older children and adults, meanwhile, would do better to stick with the superior original. 

From Russia with Love (1963)

From Russia with Love (Terence Young, 1963).

Sean Connery returns as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in this second movie in the series, From Russia with Love. Produced, once again, by ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and Harry Saltzman’s Eon Productions. 

Here some double agent dupery sees Bond smuggling a Soviet Lektor decrypting device from East to West via the Orient Express. Pulling the strings are terrorist organisation SPECTRE, seeking to avenge the death of an agent who Bond bumped off previously. 

Confusingly, this second movie is based upon Fleming’s fifth Bond novel, which was reportedly a favourite of John F Kennedy. Following Dr No, we are still in fairly stripped down Bond territory here: the outlandish gadgets, elaborate action set-pieces and sometimes laboured comedy would come later. While I prefer this lean mean Bond of the early series entries, I will admit the misogynistic tone of From Russia with Love leaves a bad taste. The sight of Bond slapping a woman about, even if she is a Russian agent, fills me with unease. 

That aspect aside, the movie ranks as one of the series’ best. Dr No director Terence Young returns to deliver another tight, action packed yet well paced thriller. Highlights include a showdown between Bond and a helicopter (lifted from Hitchcock’s North By Northwest (1959)) and a fight in a train carriage made all the more exciting by its scrappy realism. 

Many latter staples of the series are introduced here. SPECTRE head honcho Blofeld makes his first appearance, although his face is unseen and no performer is credited with the role - a ? appearing in place of the actor’s name in the end titles. It is our first sighting of gadget man Q, a role Desmond Llewelyn would be associated with until his death in 1999. From Russia with Love also introduced the pre-title sequence and Lionel Bart provided the first Bond theme. Heard as an instrumental against the nudie ladies silhouette titles (another first - although here she is a belly dancer, nudieness would follow in later movies), Matt Monro’s beautiful vocal version is heard first over a transistor radio and later in the end credits. 

Connery, once again, is fantastic. Equal parts flirty and fighty, cool yet sophisticated. A top quality supporting cast sees regulars Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell return as M and Miss Moneypenny respectively; an amiable Pedro Armendáriz as Bond’s Istanbul M16 ally; Robert Shaw makes an impressive baddie and Daniela Bianchi gets to look lovely in a series of nighties as ambiguous Bond girl Tatiana. Best of all is the fabulous Lotte Lenya as SPECTRE agent and possessor of lethal footwear Rosa Klebb. 

This and the following movie Goldfinger (Guy Hamilton, 1964) set the template for all the Bonds that followed. They also set the standard. In my opinion these early movies were never bettered. From Russia with Love, in particular, holds up as one of the series’ best and has stood the test of time as an exciting action adventure in its own right. 

If you enjoyed this review check out my previous review of Dr No. James Bond will return in my review of Goldfinger... 

The Little Mermaid (1989)

The Little Mermaid (Dir: Ron Clements & John Musker, 1989). 

Based upon Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale, The Little Mermaid was Walt Disney Animation’s first fairytale adaptation in three decades. It was their biggest critical and commercial success in years and is credited with starting a renaissance in Disney feature animation. 

As I am sure you know, The Little Mermaid is the story of Ariel, the teenage mermaid who trades her voice for a man. Not the most feminist of plots but I don’t think it raised eyebrows back in 1989. Be thankful we are more enlightened now and don’t let it spoil your entertainment. Because The Little Mermaid is very entertaining. 

The most cinematic Disney animation to date, thanks to inventive use of ‘camera’ angles. There are a few occasions when the animation looks a little flat and characters go slightly off model, possibly due to cost cutting measures following the costly failure of the ambitious The Black Cauldron (Ted Berman & Richard Rich, 1985). However, most of the animation looks great and much of it looks spectacular, with standout scenes including a dramatic shipwreck, the Under The Sea musical number and a remarkable final confrontation with sea witch Ursula. 

If, at times, The Little Mermaid is a little less visually spectacular than mega-flop The Black Cauldron, it does have a far tighter grip on narrative. While a huge admirer of ...Cauldron, I have to admit that ...Mermaid is a far more satisfying piece of filmmaking. Directors Ron Clements and John Musker and the talented Disney artists created a movie which felt simultaneously contemporary and classic Disney. Clichéd as it may sound, there is a sense of magic in The Little Mermaid that had been absent from Disney movies for some time. 

A fine vocal cast was assembled for the film. As the voice of Ariel, Jodi Benson has the right amount of naive wonder and youthful determination. She also has a beautiful singing voice. Pat Carroll’s lends her husky tones to Ursula, one of Disney’s most hissable villains, while comic relief is supplied by Samuel E Wright as Ariel’s crustacean custodian Sebastian, bringing a Caribbean vibe to musical numbers Under the Sea and Kiss the Girl.

The Little Mermaid was Disney’s first full animated musical since Robin Hood (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1973) and their best since The Jungle Book (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1967). Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s musical score is, arguably, what elevates The Little Mermaid from a good movie to a great one and in the modern Disney era has only ever been matched for greatness by Ashman and Menken’s Beauty and the Beast (Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise, 1991). Howard’s tragic early death, in 1991 aged 40, undoubtedly robbed the world of much beautiful music. 

It is unfortunate that in subsequent years the Disney Company chose to market this movie, and the ‘princess’ movies in general, almost exclusively to little girls. The appeal of great filmmaking should extend beyond age or gender and The Little Mermaid undoubtedly does; its status as a classic is entirely justified. 

Fighting with My Family (2019)

Fighting with My Family (Stephen Merchant, 2019).

The world of WWE is pretty alien to me. As, indeed, is the word of sport in general. As a movie fan, as opposed to a sports fan, I spend a lot more time sitting on my butt than I do taking part in any physical activity whatsoever. (NOTE: This is not a lifestyle I recommend. After reading my blog go do something active. After reading my blog.) 

Fighting with My Family is the true story of professional wrestler Paige. Following her journey from competing as an amateur in her Norwich hometown to being signed by the WWE and becoming the youngest Divas Champions winner in the competition's history. 

Watching this as a non-wrestling fan I was surprised at how much I genuinely enjoyed this movie. Partly financed by WWE Studios and co-produced by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, it is not the glossy, sanitised bio-pic that such official sanctioning might suggest. Brit director and writer Stephen Merchant doesn't shy from depicting the sometimes grim world of amateur wrestling or the negative effect Paige's career path has on her family, particularly her brother Zac who was unsuccessful in his WWE audition. Yet Merchant also delivers a movie of great warmth and humour with plenty of laugh out loud moments. Sentimental old fools like me should also watch out for the odd lump in the throat moment.

Standouts among the cast are Florence Pugh as Paige and Jack Lowden as Zac; impressive in both their acting and physical performance, convincing to these novice eyes as wrestlers proper. Nick Frost and Lena Headey are well cast as Paige's parents. Vince Vaughn has his best role in years as Paige's coach. Dwayne Johnson always seems an amiable chap and does here playing himself, rounding out a very appealing cast.

There is little of anything negative I can say about Fighting with My Family. It's not going to change the world, but it is solidly entertaining and wholly likeable. It is inspiring, uplifting, feelgood and any other cliche you wish to throw it at. It might also make you want to take up wrestling.

The Richest Cat in the World (1986)

The Richest Cat in the World (Greg Beeman, 1986). 

By 1986 Walt Disney branded feature films had all but died out, the studio finding greater success with movies released through its adult oriented Touchstone Pictures division. Conversely the opposite was true on television where the success of the fledgling Disney Channel (launched in 1983) and the re-invigorated Disney anthology TV series had created a demand for new made-for-television feature content. One such feature was The Richest Cat in the World. 

Palmer the cat stars as Leo, a pampered puss left $5 million in the will of his deceased owner Oscar (Ramon Bieri). When Oscar’s nephew learns of this he and his wife set out to kidnap and dispose of Leo, thereby inheriting the cash themselves. Leo confides his ability to speak (!) to an employee’s children who determine to protect the cat and stop the catnappers from stealing his fortune. 

Recalling previous Disney theatrical feline features That Darn Cat (Robert Stevenson, 1965) and The Cat from Outer Space (Norman Tokar, 1978), it would be fair to suggest that a decade earlier The Richest Cat in the World would too have been considered for cinema exhibition. But in a year where the only Disney live action release in cinemas was Flight of the Navigator (Randall Kleiser) it was, instead, destined for television; debuting on the newly re-titled The Disney Sunday Movie on the ABC network.

In truth, TV is where this modest comedy-thriller belongs. Greg Beeman directs with a smooth efficiency but cannot disguise the movie's TV origins. The teleplay by Marshall Efron and Alfa-Betty Olsen is satisfactory enough, but with marked similarities to Disney's animated The Aristocats (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1970) is not particularly original. To describe the slapstick humour of The Richest Cat in the World as broad would be an understatement. To be fair, there are some laughs to be had, not just ironically; there is something inherently funny about a cat using a touchpad telephone to order a pizza! 

The Richest Cat in the World is just silly enough to appeal to young audiences and nostalgic enough to appeal to adults who enjoyed it when they were young. It is wholly innocent and appealing in a ramshackle kind of way, especially if you like cute cats. It is the kind of movie where you can predict the ending in the first five minutes but, if you are in the right mood, it should raise the odd chuckle and honestly, I can think of worse ways to waste 90 minutes. 

Captain Marvel (2019)

Captain Marvel (Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck, 2019). 

Brie Larson stars as Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel in the 21st instalment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

The initially confusing plot finds amnesia suffering Vers (Larson) crash landing in 1995 Los Angeles. Caught up in a war between alien nations the Skrulls and her own people the Kree, the Skrull are soon in pursuit of Vers. Attracting the attention of SHIELD agent Nick Fury, Fury enlists Vers in an attempt to stop an alien invasion. In the process she learns of her forgotten past, of her part in the Kree-Skrull conflict and determines to harness her superpowers and put an end to the war.  

This first Marvel movie to centre on a female superhero is a welcome, some would say overdue, edition to the MCU. As such, it was bound to draw comparisons to DC’s recent Wonder Woman (Patty Jenkins, 2017) but in truth, the two movies are quite dissimilar. Captain Marvel does not carry the weight of Wonder Woman, arguably the best of the DCEU series. Nor is it the game changer that MCU entries Black Panther (Ryan Coogler, 2018) and Avengers Endgame (Anthony Russo & Joe Russo, 2019) proved to be. Rather co-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, along with co-screenwriter Geneva Robertson-Dworet have fashioned a fun and thrilling sci-fi action, which is happy to acknowledge its comic book roots. This is one of the the lighter entries in the MCU, but is none the worse for it and features some genuinely funny moments (including some unexpected comedy hi-jinks with a cat!). 

Captain Marvel acts as an origins story for both Danvers and SHIELD head-honcho Nick Fury, seen here as a low-level SHIELD bureaucrat. There is a nice chemistry between Larson and Samuel L Jackson (returning as Fury) and the pair make an entertaining double act. Digitally de-aged 25 years, Jackson somewhat inhabits the uncanny valley. Although slightly distracting at first, midway through it was no longer noticeable and in no way detracts from his fine performance. MCU movies have previously attracted the biggest all-star casts since the 70s disaster movie epics and this series entry is no exception. Annette Bening, Djimon Hounsou and Jude Law all impressive in their respective roles, but the movie really belongs to Larson and the appealing sense of gutsy naivety she brings to the role. 

As always in the MCU, the hundreds of millions of dollars budget is right up there on screen to see. Aside from the minor quibble concerning Jackson’s de-aging process, the effects, costumes, art design are all top quality, with both otherworldly cityscapes and 1990s Los Angeles rendered with complete believability. 

The highest grossing movie of 2019 on its theatrical release, although since knocked into third place by Disney’s The Lion King (Jon Favreau) and MCU successor Avengers Endgame (the current all-time box office champ), it is safe to say we will see more of Ms Danvers on the big screen, both individually and as a key player in the next-gen Avengers movies. Captain Marvel’s connection to the Avengers ‘Infinity Saga’ is fairly loose and is only really touched upon in the closing credits. As such, the movie works as a stand-alone entry, your enjoyment of which should not be hampered by not having seen the other movies. 

While Captain Marvel isn’t necessarily among the very best Marvel origins stories, it is still much better than what the rest of mainstream Hollywood currently has on offer. With a much needed injection of feminism into the MCU franchise and a healthy dose of 90s nostalgia, it is an entertaining, intelligent popcorn blockbuster that bodes well for the future of the Avengers movies post-Endgame. 

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

Kind Hearts and Coronets (Dir: Robert Hamer, 1949)

1949 is the year that cemented the Ealing Studios' close association with comedy. This year saw the release of three bona fide classics:  Passport to Pimlico (Henry Cornelius), Whisky Galore (Alexander Mackendrick) and lastly Kind Hearts and Coronets. 

Dennis Price stars as Louis Mazzini, only son of a disinherited heir to the aristocratic D’Ascoyn family, dispossessed for marrying an Italian singer deemed below her status. On his mother’s death he vows to take revenge on the family and sets out to murder the eight D’Ascoyns who stand between him and dukedom.

Price delivers a career best performance as Mazzini, cool and callous, yet charming enough to elicit audience sympathy, as he dispenses with the various D'Ascoyns. Excellent support comes in the form of Valerie Hobson and Joan Greenwood as rival love interests and an astonishing performance by Alec Guinness as the eight D'Ascoyns on Mazzini's hit list. It is all the more remarkable considering that this is only Guinness third screen appearance, his first for Ealing and the first cinematic hint of his outstanding comedic talents. In spite of which, the excellent Price never lets Guinness steal the picture from him. The talented Robert Hamer directs with a light touch which never sees the movie descend into bad taste of farce.

Based upon the novel Israel Rank by Roy Horniman and taking it filmic title from Tennyson, Kind Hearts and Coronets is the most literate of Ealing comedies. The astute screenplay by Hamer and John Deighton is both darkly cynical and witty and 70 years after release it remains, arguably, the blackest of black comedy scripts to reach British cinema screens.

In this respect it is unique among the Ealing comedies. Characterised by their themes of individuals or small groups of people pitted against a more powerful foe, Kind Hearts... only partially fits this 'little guy against the system' mould. Certainly it conveys the social commentary of its stable mates but lacking the gentle morals of say Passport to Pimlico or The Man in the White Suit (Alexander Mackendrick, 1951) and their reflection on post-war mores. Rather, its period setting allows for a biting critique of an outdated class system and the notion of inherited privilege. 

Kind Hearts and Coronets also features perhaps the greatest of all ambiguous endings, originally soften for US audiences with a specially filmed coda to enable it to pass the strict production code. Its original ending, now more commonly seen is only really rivaled for greatness by the "Nobody's perfect!" climax of Some Like it Hot! (Billy Wilder, 1959). 

While initially dismissed by some critics as too dark, Kind Hearts and Coronets is now widely considered the greatest of the Ealing comedies. I personally favour the more representative of the genre The Man in the White Suit, but will happily agree that Kind Hearts... is one the greatest comedy movies of all time. It is difficult to think of any other movie so simultaneously dark yet delicate. Expertly performed and beautifully told; I would recommend this masterpiece of a movie to those with even the slightest interest in the cinema.