Film Reviews by JG

A dire sequel of cardboard cut-out characters, tenuous storyline and clichéd acting.

I switched off early on, during the scene set in the cinema, for no other reason than being bored rigid.

Crikey, I loved The Shining.

I couldn't finish the first disc and cancelled disc two. Beautifully rendered, like an oil painting, but the acting was appalling and structure disjointed. It made me laugh though.

Some lovely moments of interplay and 'banter', but it felt disjointed and paint-by-numbers cliched/ 'angsty'. I was hoping to like it, but found myself bored and couldn't finish it. I didn't feel invested in the characters.

The main actors felt too old to play senior school children, they didn't quite get away with it i.e. at the time of release Ronan (22-23), Feldstein (23-24), Hedges (20-21) etc.

Difficult subject matter of child abduction and torture, leads to the systematic torture of a suspect. Akin to the Jackson/Sheen/Moss starrer, "Unthinkable", in its challenging of morals and humanity.

Claustrophobic and urgent; menacing and dark.

...I was brought up on musicals and Hammer House!

Not sure why it won so many Oscars, but my daughter and I enjoyed a lovely Sunday afternoon, full of cold and with a cuppa. A charming balance to our usual choice of film.

Beautiful colour saturation; simple story; simply told, sweetly.

Full on choreographed fight and action sequences, with a mystical "the firm" code overtone.

Throwaway thrills. Loved it.

Very claustrophobic; Autopsy of Jane Doe could be a play. The actors gave everything to material.

In parts overblown, but I was genuinely scared in some scenes, as they increased in intensity.

I'm 51 now and loved Hammer House, James Herbert, Stephen King et al, so being transported back to behind-the-sofa days was novel.

We watched the film on a rainy afternoon, perfect.

Laden with clichés and cut-out characters. Glossy and "Notting Hill-ed" for Hollywood no doubt.

Yet, if you park your expectations, it is a simple tale of a raw-edged hiding to nowhere who came good.

We all need happy endings now and then and this film wormed its way into our hearts.