Five Star Films

The films I deem are five stars; earned through sentimental connections, awe inspiring technical craft, favourite characters and emotional connection. This is not therefore a list of my all time favourites, but rather the films I just cannot fault. Nor is it a list of the best films I have ever seen.

Mr Smith Goes to Washington (Capra, 1939)

The Third Man (Reed, 1949)
Ikiru (Kurosawa, 1952)
Seven Samurai (Kurosawa, 1954)

The Bridge on the River Kwai (Lean, 1957)
Lawrence of Arabia (Lean, 1962)
Goldfinger (Hamilton, 1964)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Leone, 1966) 
2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968)
Once Upon a Time in the West (Leone, 1968)
The Italian Job (Collinson, 1969)

The Godfather (Coppola, 1972)

Chinatown (Polanski, 1974)
The Outlaw Josey Wales (Eastwood, 1976)
Star Wars (Lucas, 1977)

Alien (Scott, 1979)

Apocalypse Now (Coppola, 1979)
The Empire Strikes Back (Kershner, 1980)
Ran (Kurosawa, 1985)
Big (Marshall, 1988)
Home Alone (Columbus, 1990)

Unforgiven (Eastwood, 1992)
Heat (Mann, 1995)

Toy Story (Lasseter, 1995)
L.A. Confidential (Hanson, 1997)

Toy Story 2 (Lasseter, 1999)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Jackson, 2001)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Jackson, 2002)
Finding Nemo (Stanton, 2003)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Verbinski, 2003)
The Last Samurai (Zwick, 2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Jackson, 2003)
The Incredibles (Bird, 2004)
The Departed (Scorsese, 2006)

3:10 to Yuma (Mangold, 2007)
The Dark Knight (Nolan, 2008)

How to Train Your Dragon (Sanders, 2010)
Inception (Nolan, 2010)

Toy Story 3 (Unkrich, 2010)

The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan, 2012)

Prisoners (Villeneuve, 2013)
Interstellar (Nolan, 2014)
Inside Out (Doctor, 2015)
Mad Max: Fury Road (Miller, 2015)
The Revenant (Innaritu, 2015)
La La Land (Chazelle, 2016)
The Hunt for the Wilderpeople (Waititi, 2016)
Blade Runner 2049 (Villeneuve, 2017)

Top Gun: Maverick (Kosinski, 2022)

The Return of the King Review

Peter Jackson completes his career defining project in spectacular fashion with this commercial and Oscar sweeping success of a film. Return of the King once again takes place merely days after 'Towers'. Whilst the opening scene is set 500 years ago with an un-corrupted Sméagol, the rest continues where the last film finished. As Frodo, Sam and the plotting Gollum make their way towards a secret way into Mordor, Aragorn, Gandalf and co. are reunited with Merry and Pippin. However, Sauron is preparing for his biggest assault on the realm of Gondor. Once again the story is split into three main stories (as well as the host of subplots); Gandalf and Pippin arriving in Gondor's capital of Minas Tirith and organising the defence of the city; Aragorn and Théoden rallying their own armies for the war and Frodo's journey which is increasingly taking its toll on the poor hobbit. However these stories manage to intercut seamlessly and characters are reunited. The most I entertaining section is the build up to the colossal Battle of the Pelennor Fields: a vast slaughter of a battle where Gondorians, Rohirrim, Orcs, Nâzgul, ghosts and giant elephants (Mûmakil) constantly turn the tide in a brutal siege-turned-melée on the plains before Minas Tirith. The battle scene is on par with Helm's Deep with greater numbers resulting in more epic scenes. The almighty cavalry charge of the Rohirrim is captured perfectly by long cameras and close ups whilst the subsequent arrival of the Mûmakil is even better filmed as the camera moves in closer and closer to the giant beasts, moving at the same speed as the surrounding horsemen. What makes 'Return' so spectacular is that each set piece improves on the last. The astonishing lighting of the beacons is a beautiful display of New Zealand and Howard Shore's soaring score but this is upped again by the aforementioned cavalry charge before this is upstaged by Aragorn's passionate and motivating speech before the walls of Mordor and his alone sprint into the Orc army before his comrades run in after him. Viggo Mortenson shines as Aragorn and his character arc comes to a close as he becomes a leader of men instead of a grim ranger and his speech is leadership personified- men will and do follow him into death. Sean Astin and Elijah Wood as Sam and Frodo are equally great. Whilst Frodo is always tired and slow moving, the destruction of the One Ring takes this weight off Frodo and you also feel this weight being taken off, thanks to Wood's performance and the music. Sean Astin also gets numerous hero moments here and he may carry Frodo, but he arguably carries the film his character is so tearfully acted. Sam stating who he would've married is deeply heartbreaking and it is a shame Astin didn't continue making more films. Andy Serkis continues his gonzo performance as Gollum as he prowls around Frodo and Sam and drives a huge wedge between their beloved friendship which people have adored since 'Fellowship'. Another tragic moment comes from Pippin (who, in a nice change of his character, swears fealty to the father of Boromir and Lord of Gondor, Denethor) who is asked to sing whilst the camera alternates between Denethor horribly eating tomatoes whilst his son, Faramir, is leading a suicidal charge to please his father. The slow motion, tension and the juxtaposing image of tomato juice dripping down Denethor's chin as his son and his men get pelted by arrows is haunting, especially with actor Billy Boyd's soft singing voice. In fact, 'Return' has more character drama than any other blockbuster this side of the millennium. As I have previously mentioned, Peter Jackson's use of practical effects over CGI is wonderful. Of course for a film like this, CGI is required for many things but it is never overpowering or obvious, it is used more like a background to allow the characters to be the most interesting thing on camera. By not overplaying computer work, the film just looks better. There is a lesson to be learned here: if blockbuster directors took a leaf out of Jackson's book, then these huge films would be consistently good instead of having fake explosions and action being the most important thing on screen. Then there's the endings. If there is one complaint about this film the public has is that it takes fifteen minutes to end. I believe a two hour film should have around five minutes of ending as soon as the action and drama has finished. This allows time for the resolution of characters and plot threads. If you are like me and view LOTR as one film split into three parts (like Back to the Future), then you would be with me in saying an eleven hour film needs around fifteen minutes of closure, especially when there are so many plot threads and characters that need to be signed off. 'Return' ends with five different endings and each one is perfect: the Fellowship reuniting, Aragorn's coronation, Sam's wedding and the hobbits returning to the Shire and welcoming the peace and quiet of their home that they have all sorely missed. It is hard not to get emotional as the film's credits come up, not just because Frodo and Gandalf have left their friends but because you will never see these beloved characters again. This trilogy has left such a profound impact on its audience that it really is one of the three greatest films ever made. Return of the King is a suitably fitting final chapter to The Lord of the Rings trilogy where everything has been increased: running time, battles, characters... But the film has the ability to keep you watching for over three hours and twenty minutes because of how well it is acted, scored and how unconventionally emotional a fantasy film it is.

The Two Towers Review

The Two Towers is the middle chapter of the LOTR trilogy and whilst this may make it the least best as it isn't the beginning or climax, 'Towers' is still a staggeringly monumental picture. Once again directed by Peter Jackson, 'Towers' increases the ensemble cast with great additions such as Bernard Hill, Mirando Otto, David Wenham and a motion captured Andy Serkis. The film is a direct follow on to 'Fellowship'; the second part of this eleven hour film (as it appears to a lot of people, myself included). In it, Frodo (Elijah Wood) continues his mission to Mordor with his loyal friend Sam (Sean Astin) but are joined by the creature Gollum (Andy Serkis), who acts as their guide. Meanwhile, Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) are in the hands of the Uruk-hai whilst Aragorn (Viggo Mortenson), Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys Davis) are in hot pursuit, a pursuit which leads them to Rohan, a land led by King Théoden (Bernard Hill). These three principle story lines could be seen by some as too much but each character gets their own focus amongst the impressive runtime. Primary characters continue their developments; Aragorn takes a more leader like position, Merry and Pippin shows signs of maturing and Frodo's inner conflict with the One Ring is affecting his being as his behaviour moves outside of the ordinary. New characters are well established such as Faramir (David Wenham), Boromir's brother and a man who's main objective in life is trying to please his constantly ungrateful father, whilst Théoden is strongly portrayed as an elderly king whose leadership abilities have lessened over the years. But the scene stealer is Gollum. A film is lucky to have one great, memorable character that will be long remembered. The Lord of the Rings trilogy has three: Gandalf, Aragorn and Gollum. Beautifully designed by the motion-capture technique (of which 'Towers' was a breakthrough in), Gollum is an insanely watchable character. He may be a cruel, mentally deranged creature, but he is a beloved character. Andy Serkis delivers an exceptional performance, with his best scene coming from a moment where Gollum is arguing with his other half of his personality, Smeagol, about killing. It is funny, dark and well shot and Serkis' change in tone and movement is sublime. 'Towers' has probably the least amount of action throughout the run time but this is because it is building up to one of cinema's greatest climaxes: The Battle of Helm's Deep. 'Fellowship' teased us with a short but large scale battle scene but the jaw dropping finale between ten thousand bloodthirsty Uruk-hai and several hundred men and elves is above any expectations. In the book, the battle (the first of many in The War of the Ring) is merely glimpsed at and lasts half of a chapter. But with film comes the opportunity to up the stakes and add emotional heft and gritty action to an otherwise bland portrayal. Peter Jackson helmed this scene with decisive decisions to use practical effects over CGI and excessive amounts of extras as soldiers. As Aragorn and Théoden lead their respective troops in a last stand, an utterly epic cavalry charge occurs to finish the battle and it is so well filmed and scored it sends goosebumps down your body. Whilst this battle rages, two other battles are occurring. One is led by Merry, Pippin and an army of Ents (moving trees), and the other a combination of combat and an inner battle within Frodo who is brought back to sanity by a heartwarming monologue from Sam who reminds his friend what they are fighting for. It is so touching even Gollum looks sad and remorseful. Once again it is scenes like this that give the trilogy an emotional weight to the narrative. If there is a slight negative about this film is that the Ent storyline is integrated often at the wrong time- tense action scenes cut to slow scenes of trees talking. Whilst the scenes don't lack quality they are just edited in at wrong moments and a viewer may wish to be back in the danger rather than the less engaging scenes. However that is the only gripe in this perfect continuation that channels The Empire Strikes Back as it darkens both mood and character, upping the stakes and content (although Empire is better than A New Hope whilst 'Fellowship' is slightly better than 'Towers') and also having its own beginning-middle-end way of story telling instead of just being the middle chapter. Another achievement for the industry.

The Fellowship of the Ring Review

Fellowship of the Ring is without a doubt my favourite movie of all time, and with good reason. The first installment of the renowned LOTR trilogy, 'Fellowship' is arguably the first, true great fantasy film that has paved the way for the genre. Directed by Peter Jackson, 'Fellowship' tells the first third of the story about a hobbit, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), who is tasked with destroying the One Ring and thus destroy its creator, the eponymous Dark Lord Sauron. Aiding Frodo on his quest is the Fellowship itself: the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen); the ranger Aragorn (Viggo Mortenson); Legolas the elf (Orlando Bloom); Gimli the dwarf (John Rhys Davis); human soldier Boromir (Sean Bean); and three other hobbits: Sam (Sean Astin), Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and the childish Pippin (Billy Boyd). The three hour runtime of this first entry focuses on the formation of this Fellowship and the beginning of their journey as they are plagued by the terrifying Nâzgul and varieties of Orcs.
The film is perfectly paced; the voiceover narration at the start gives way to a brief, but no less epic, battle between elves, men and Orcs and then the mood changes as the scene shifts to the Shire: a beautiful, lucious area where hobbits live. As Frodo's uncle, Bilbo, celebrates his 111th birthday, fireworks and dancing dominate the screen. However this innocent, friendly tone darkens with the One Ring ending up in Frodo's hands. After a good hour of being pursued by dark forces, Frodo and his companions arrive in Rivendell before leaving again to their destination. The third and final acts of this film is laden with spectacle and danger but Peter Jackson never drowns out characters with CGI, which is why this film works so well.
In fact, minimal CGI is used. The superbly designed sets of the Shire and Rivendell, along with the gorgeous landscapes of New Zealand, are terrific backdrops to the quest; adding a layer of realism to the fictional setting. This allows Middle-earth to look as utterly convincing as the characters, who are all so well played the actors seem to live their roles.
Ian McKellen is a perfect Gandalf: wise, benevolent and occasionally snappy and his Oscar nomination was spot on. Viggo Mortenson is also a stand-out as rugged and mysterious ranger Aragorn who is a caring person underneath his at first sinister appeal. These two are probably the most memorable characters for their epic and badass antics they achieve throughout action scenes. Sean Bean is a perfect Boromir: a man with the burden of defending a nation whilst staying true to the Fellowship, adding a more 3D feel to the character. The casting for this franchise was well chosen as there is not an actor 'out of tune', so to speak. Whilst there is less action than the follow-ons, there are some true fighting gems to be found. The first half is more thriller based with an intense horseback chase and a constant fear of the Nâzgul (cloaked wraiths that seem unkillable), but the rest moves from exciting action scene to action scene. However each action scene is different in its own way: each one has a different theme such as desperation or sacrifice which makes them not mindless Orc slaughter after Orc slaughter. The final skirmish between the Fellowship and a band of Uruk-hai is especially of note. Set in a wooded area, the entire scene is practical. No CGI is used, instead make-up, prosthetics and sword fighting comes seamlessly together to create a masterful climax which sees the Fellowship desperately fighting to get to each other and help. One character's death is quite possibly the best cinematic death as it not only is it well directed and acted; but the emotional resonance of this scene is incredible and touching- although a lot of the emotion in this film stems from composer Howard Shore's exquisite score that is the best written score for a film ever; a swirling mixture of hummable, heroic themes which are counteracted with simple and peaceful moments like the much loved Shire theme. Most blockbusters these days are CGI driven pictures that often have basic, clichéd characters. What makes 'Fellowship', or LOTR in general really, different is that it is anchored by a heart, an emotional click these films have with the audience which allows viewers to connect to these characters and understand what they are going through despite the fictional location. One of the many great lines of this film (which is beautifully adapted on screen from Tolkien's iconic novels) exemplifies this. In an exchange between Frodo and Gandalf, Frodo states he wishes none of this had happened to which Gandalf replies, "so do all who see such times. But that is not for us to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time given to us". This has such a profound impact on not just Frodo (who remembers these words in a beautiful closing scene) but the audience. It is a motivating line not commonly found in everyday blockbusters. Quite simply, 'Fellowship' is a powerhouse, a cinematic masterpiece that is breathlessly paced with dazzling imagery and spectacular cinematography, as well as a well rounded cast and heavy emotional resonance. Peter Jackson upped the game for moviemaking tenfold with this first entry to cinema's greatest trilogy.