Reviews by Scott Macdonald

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  Wah-Wah (2005)

  Review preview for Wah-Wah

  Shot almost entirely on location, Wah-Wah looks positively delicious.

  A boy grows up in a broken family as the winds of change blow through Swaziland.
• 
  Fourteen Sucks (2004)

  Review preview for Fourteen Sucks

  Fourteen Sucks may be a provocative title, but it's a solid and promising debut.

  A teenage rites-of-passage that does not flinch at sexual violation.
• The Perfect Catch (2005)

  Review preview for The Perfect Catch

  Hornby's novel is a master class in relationships and rich human interaction and the Farellys have done it reasonable justice, however diluted by its screenwriters.

  The Farrelly Brothers do Nick Hornby in an Americanisation of Fever Pitch.
• Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)

  Review preview for Herbie: Fully Loaded

  Blandly inoffensive childrens entertainment that lacks creativity.

  The Love Bug VW Beetle is saved from the scrapyard by high school heartthrob Lindsay Lohan.
• Sky Blue (2003)

  Review preview for Sky Blue

  What does Sky Blue have to offer? Visual mastery.

  Post apocalyptic sci-fi anime from South Korea.
• 
  The Last Mitterand (2005)

  Review preview for The Last Mitterand

  Michel Bouquet delivers a revelatory, award-worthy performance.

  A French President at the end of his life struggles to find meaning and clarity.
• 
  The Skeleton Key (2005)

  Review preview for The Skeleton Key

  A deeply lacklustre bag of bones.

  Spooky goings on in an old house with old people (and Kate Hudson) in Louisiana.
• 
  Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005)

  Review preview for Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

  It's often imaginative, but the choppy and pedestrian delivery strongly stunts the acidic flavour.

  Extravagant remake of the Roald Dahl story about a boy who wins a Golden Ticket visit to an eccentric millionaire's sweet factory.
• 
  Fantastic Four (2005)

  Review preview for Fantastic Four

  It makes for a movie content to be horribly dull, in spite of the eye-candy.

  Cosmic rays unleash four new super heroes on the box office.
• 
  Sin City (2005)

  Review preview for Sin City

  The lurid and sensational delivery by Rodriguez propels his movie forward into feeling anything but as recycled as it really is.

  Stylised graphic novel adaptation shows three men on a mission.
• 
  Batman Begins (2005)

  Review preview for Batman Begins

  The birth of a legend.

  The evolution of mixed up rich kid Bruce Wayne into the Dark Knight of Gotham City.
• 
  The Descent (2005)

  Review preview for The Descent

  Effective and brilliantly crafted...

  Six girls on a caving expedition find they are not alone in the dark.
• 
  The League Of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005)

  Review preview for The League Of Gentlemen's Apocalypse

  The character-based comedy mostly works as well as it does on the show, but the laboured and frequently infantile storylines make the film fall flat on its face when it's not half way up its own arse.

  Convoluted comedy from TV-based series that questions the meaning of reality.
• 
  Star Wars: Episode 3 - Revenge Of The Sith (2005)

  Review preview for Star Wars: Episode 3 - Revenge Of The Sith

  Revenge Of The Sith is a reminder of what made the original trilogy so good; character driven stories, along with a pot-boiling plot keeping things in check.

  Anakin's personal struggle against the Dark Side becomes more difficult as rebellious robots and an enemy within threaten to topple the Republic.
• 
  A Good Woman (2004)

  Review preview for A Good Woman

  A cheerful, well-produced film that overstays its welcome.

  Film adaptation of Lady Windemere's Fan.
• 
  Pleasantville (1998)

  Review preview for Pleasantville

  The film springboards into carefully balanced comedy, and surprising social commentary.

  A couple of Californian teens are transported into a Fifties televisual adventure.
• 
  Capturing The Friedmans (2002)

  Review preview for Capturing The Friedmans

  the story remains fascinating and elusive

  A documentary charting the implosion of a family after a child sex scandal.
• 
  E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

  Review preview for E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial

  It showcases Spielberg's gifts for light comedy, spectacle, and fairy tale celuloid sorcery.

  Spielberg's beloved classic about a stranded and lonely alien.
• 
  The Passion Of The Christ (2004)

  Review preview for The Passion Of The Christ

  One of the most fascinating and empathetically painful films I've ever had to watch.

  A stunning, emotionally gruelling telling of the Passion.
• 
  The Return (2003)

  Review preview for The Return

  Emotionally draining, and full of menace.

  Absent Russian father returns to take sons on mysterious journey to an isolated island.
• 
  Downfall (2004)

  Review preview for Downfall

  Oliver Hirschbiegel creates a film which refuses to play fast and loose with history, and allows it to take as long as it has to.

  German dramatisation of the last days of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich.
• 
  Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (1999)

  Review preview for Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace

  Lucas takes a pleasingly lengthy time to explore his worlds and well-sketched and realised characters.

  Lucas's Star Wars origins story returns to the big screen in 3D.
• 
  Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack Of The Clones (2002)

  Review preview for Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack Of The Clones

  Narrative seeds are sown for future Episodes, but at a cost of entertainment.

  Obi-Wan and Anakin are put in charge of protecting the Naboo senatoress after an attempt on her life.
• 
  Star Wars: Episode 5 - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

  Review preview for Star Wars: Episode 5 - The Empire Strikes Back

  It is a spectacular, brilliantly realised piece of moviemaking

  Superior sequel, to Lucas's space hit.
• 
  Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope (1977)

  Review preview for Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope

  Few can deny the great storytelling of Lucas' true first episode of his space-opera.

  Cult space opera.
• 
  Star Wars: Episode 6 - Return Of The Jedi (1983)

  Review preview for Star Wars: Episode 6 - Return Of The Jedi

  The best-looking and orchestrated space battle ever committed to film.

  Finale to the space saga.
• 
  Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)

  Review preview for Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

  No other director could have pulled this off, such a humane fusion of communication and technology.

  Spielberg's sci-fi extravaganza about first contact with aliens.
• 
  Melinda And Melinda (2004)

  Review preview for Melinda And Melinda

  Woody Allen's best picture of the decade.

  Two interwoven stories about one woman's life.
• 
  Spider-Man 2 (2004)

  Review preview for Spider-Man 2

  It is a glorious bull's-eye of creative direction.

  Spidey reluctantly returns to save New York from a mad scientist.
• 
  Million Dollar Baby (2004)

  Review preview for Million Dollar Baby

  A shattering masterpiece.

  A young female boxer persuades an old-timer to train her as a contender.
• 
  The Incredibles (2004)

  Review preview for The Incredibles

  The best film of 2004 - and the best superhero movie ever!

  The family life of superheroes, living incognito in the 'burbs, while saving the city from destruction.
• 
  Taxi (2004)

  Review preview for Taxi

  There is not a single shred of a reason for anyone to pay money to see this movie. Save your cab fare and walk on by.

  American remake of French action comedy about a racing cab driver and a silly cop.
• 
  Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)

  Review preview for Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban

  It's such a pleasure to see a real children's film by a real filmmaker.

  Harry returns to Hogwarts to find he is being pursued by the escaped murderer Sirius Black.
• Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)

  Review preview for Exorcist: The Beginning

  'The best view of God is from Hell.' The best view of Exorcist: The Beginning is not at all.

  Prequel to The Exorcist, in which Father Merrin discovers the demon Pazuzu.
• 
  That Peter Kay Thing (2000)

  Review preview for That Peter Kay Thing

  Solid entertainment.

  Series of mockumentaries from the stand-up comedian.
• 
  Alien Vs Predator (2004)

  Review preview for Alien Vs Predator

  Whichever species wins... we lose.

  Alien vs Predator, with man in the middle.
• 
  Five Children And It (2004)

  Review preview for Five Children And It

  An embarrassingly underwhelming British children's fairytale.

  Cranky sand creature whisks kids off on adventure.
• 
  Bubba Ho-tep (2002)

  Review preview for Bubba Ho-tep

  It's gleefully performed and directed, with enviable zest and energy

  Elvis and JFK survive an undead mummy attack in a Texas retirement home.
• 
  Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow (2004)

  Review preview for Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow

  Essentially, distilled B-movie joy, given limitless imagination.

  Giant robots on the wing in fantastic story of mad scientist, intrepid reporter and fighter pilot.
• 
  My Summer Of Love (2004)

  Review preview for My Summer Of Love

  It's a straightforward enough tale, given life and zest by the performances.

  Sad, lonely girl finds happy, lovely girl and has a cuddly, kissy time.
• 
  Cellular (2004)

  Review preview for Cellular

  The central premise takes a little swallowing, but... Cellular is a lovely modern B-movie, with hi-tech gimmickry.

  Abducted teacher makes contact with outside world through radio waves.
• 
  Purple Butterfly (2003)

  Review preview for Purple Butterfly

  Ye Lou's visual style is that of a photographer's romantic vision, yet without flair.

  Secret loves and violent action of resistance fighters in Shanghai during the Japanese occupation.
• 
  Look At Me (2004)

  Review preview for Look At Me

  The performances are delightful.

  A young woman finds herself torn between idolising her father and hating him for his indifferent attitude towards her.
• 
  The Machinist (2004)

  Review preview for The Machinist

  Unique, with a startling vision.

  Christian Bale lives in the subconscious of a mentally frail insomniac.
• 
  The Gift (2003)

  Review preview for The Gift

  The ambiguity of the characters's motives makes for annoying false mystery in a soup of suburban corruption.

  The old man, the prostitute and the dog that dies.
• 
  Skinned Deep (2003)

  Review preview for Skinned Deep

  Fails to deliver anything beyond the prodigious letting of blood.

  Middle American freaks kill passing strangers in disgusting and bloody ways.
• 
  The Purifiers (2004)

  Review preview for The Purifiers

  The design of the film is straightforward and yet cleverly skewed.

  Futuristic gang war chopsocky Scottish vigilante action packer.
• 
  Los Muertos (2004)

  Review preview for Los Muertos

  Los Muertos has a certain cold beauty.

  An ex-convict's journey up river in deepest Argentina.
• 
  The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

  Review preview for The Motorcycle Diaries

  There's an awful lot to recommend.

  Coming of age drama based on the writings of a young Che Guevara.
• Thunderbirds (2004)

  Review preview for Thunderbirds

  A complete waste of time.

  Live action kids adventure, based on the long running UK puppet TV show.