Review: The Railway Children Return

Even though it has been a very long time since I have seen the 1970 original, I still remember how much of a joyous watch 'The Railway Children' is. It really is a British classic and I hope future generations discover it as well.

When I first heard they were doing a sequel, you naturally feel cautious. Especially since it has been a 52 year gap.

Director of the original Lionel Jeffries had a style that was unique and rare to match. But with Jenny Agutter returning to extend her legacy and the filming returning to West Yorkshire, I did have hope that at least some of that magic would return.

It goes at an expected gentle pace and there are some nice and wholesome moments that reminded me of kids films of old and those Sunday afternoon BBC family dramas.

But there was also an unexpectedly serious topic emerging within the plot that I'm not sure needed to be involved. However, their commitment to this plot strand won me over enough to accept and gave us some solidly executed themes that you hope will resonate well with the kids checking this out.

The cast all do a solid job. Beau Gadsdon is a great stand out. The strength in her performance showed to everyone she can carry this film. A great passing of the torch from Agutter being in the lead in the original. I felt she also helped the younger child actors that she partnered on-screen with. I really hoped this a breakthrough moment and we get to see more of her.

Agutter was a solid support. You know she has a strong passion for this story and her contribution was noticeable. As was Sheridan Smith. While she has become a bit typecast lately, she does those roles pretty well. Her screen presence is constantly welcoming and her smile is hard to ignore.

It was great seeing the old locations be used again. But with a more modern budget and updated filming technology, the overall imagery did not feel as grounded and magical. However, there is still a charm to it. The performances and sequences involved make for a fun time and there are some well executed call-backs to some memorable scenes from the original which will please the fans.

I think the choices made in what to be the main focus of the plot just instantly made it an uphill task to win the audience over.

But while the serious topics were covered in a way that was purely aimed at the younger viewers, it still ended up a pleasurable and charming watch. There are a lot of likable characters, the vibe it gives off is very positive and you can tell the people involved making it are fans of the original and understand it.

I can't see myself watching it again sadly. But it felt it was worth my time and I can see families enjoying this one. You don't often see kids films in this tone and setting these days and it would be great if these succeeded financially. 

Rating: 7/10

Review: Thor: Love And Thunder

It's a pretty impressive feat within this franchise to get a fourth film and that is what Thor has got.

It began with a solid introduction that certainly gained a lot of new fans that only really knew the character by name alone.

While it's sequels is universally seen as one of the weaker MCU films, it remains to be a perfectly fine watch. Then after a couple of appearances in 'The Avengers' films, director Taika Waititi came along to give the Thor films a new dimension. This saw the creation of the third installment 'Ragnarok', which is seen by virtually everyone as the best Thor film in the series. With its vintage Waititi tropes and Flash Gordon-esque vibes to it, this became a very enjoyable viewing experience for many.

Now with the Infinity Saga all sewn up, this current phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe may not be giving us a clear idea where we are heading next. But it is still introducing us to new and interesting characters as well as new worlds and civilisations whilst still developing some of the returning members.

This latest venture felt heavier on the comedy and almost like a parody of MCU films which I'm not sure totally worked.

It did begin with a lot of interesting content both with emotional heart and that vintage Waititi comedy style. However, some decisions made and the speed it was moving at felt confusing as to what the story is trying to say and what genre it's trying to be. But the longer the film went, the more coherent it was getting.

By the end, it is where the story as well as the visuals were at its strongest.

The cast are pretty good on the whole. Chris Hemsworth still does his thing as the titular character. His natural charisma and amazing physique is still great value and I liked some of the sub-plots he was given which I was not expecting.

Natalie Portman does a great job for the most part. I have always been a fan of hers and was pleased to see her cope with the physical duties her character needed to perform in this one. But I have still always struggled to see her as a comedic actor and it still didn't work for me in this one. Thankfully, her bad ass execution to the action sequences made up for it.

I liked what Christian Bale did as the main antagonist. He is known for method approach to his roles and so I was highly intrigued to see how he would do within this franchise and I liked what he did overall. He utilised the material and development he was given and gave us a villain with depth that we could sympathise with at the right times. I was grateful for his character as that is where we got the drama aspects of the story to somewhat balance out the comedy.

Apart from one sequence that was too dark to even see anything, the rest of the imagery was very pleasing and eye-catching.

The visual effects as usual are pretty impressive. It gives the film great spectacle and showcases some brand new worlds really well. There are more funky costume designs like we saw in Ragnarok to admire.

As mentioned before I did have issues. While I do appreciate Waititi's style of comedy, this one felt a bit too silly for its own good at times. It felt unsettling and sort of took over the main plot and themes.

It was almost as if they were trying to be too many things which effected the message of the film. If it disregarded a few aspects, I felt we would have cared more emotionally to the final act.

In the end, this was a decent watch. The action is cool, the comedy is silly but enough of it worked for me. The silliness and dumb tone of the comedy does get in the way of the story and makes the overall pacing and tonal shifts a bit messy and incoherent. But there remained plenty to enjoy and made this a solid entry within the franchise.

There is the usual mid and post credit scenes. The mid scene sets up for something potentially interesting, while the post scene gives a perfectly satisfying ending to one characters journey.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Top Gun: Maverick

For someone who wasn't that fussed on the 1986 original, I was surprisingly excited for this long-awaited sequel.

Long-awaited not only for its 38 year gap since the original, but the two year wait since its initial 2020 release.

If I was being brutally honest, I was more of a fan of the spoof version 'Hot Shots'.

However, the marketing surrounding this new release showcased enough content that proved that this needs to be seen on the big screen.

With its refreshing vintage 80's opening, constant feel-good vibe and absolutely fantastic action sequences, this was a must needed experience. 

There is the expected payment of homage to the original as well as linking in parts of the plot to its predecessor. This film also made me appreciate the faceless and nameless enemy of the original as it is purposely there to showcase the dangers our protagonists face. This was helped by the choices made to show the skill and risks in jet fighting. This aspect alone makes it a need to watch it on the biggest screen you can find.

By the end, you are soaked in positivity and even though you know exactly where the film is heading, you don't really care.

The cast all did a pretty good job. Tom Cruise continues to be the iconic Hollywood star that we all know. I'm not sure when he'll start bowing out. But I know we will all miss him when he stops. The charisma and energy he brings to this role is almost addictive.

Miles Teller was a standout for me. From extending the legacy of Anthony Edwards' character, to matching Cruise's energy made for a memorable supporting character.

It was great to see Glen Powell be part of this. I have always enjoyed his performances and this is another to add to the list. That confident screen-presence he always has was perfect for this role and it enhanced the whole viewing experience.

I have to also mention Jennifer Connelly. While her role does feel forced to bring in a love interest, her chemistry with Cruise provided some nice balance away from the action sequences.

I was aware that Val Kilmer would be involved which surprised me, given that he can barely speak anymore due to his health issues. But the efforts made by Cruise and the crew to make him part of this was incredible and gave us the films emotional high point.

As mentioned before, it is really well shot. Director Joseph Kosinski has always beautiful looking films and that is thanks to his regular cinematographer Claudio Miranda. While most people will remember how the flight sequences were filmed, the more poignant moments are also shot in a purposeful way.

The score is quite the mixture of composers in the form of Lorne Balfe, the returning Harold Falyermeyer, Hans Zimmer and randomly Lady Gaga.

So while I have mentioned that the story is pretty basic and predictable, the amount of fun and poignancy this has makes up for it and makes for a strong crowd-pleaser.

You can tell a lot of effort was made by the crew and Cruise to make this more than just a cash grab. This had a surprising amount of emotional impact and the rush of adrenaline you get when the camera is fixed inside of a pilot's cockpit is extremely satisfying.

I can see this film converting of a lot people from the 80's original. I'm certainly one of them. This has got me wanting to give the original a second look and I am glad I could see the appeal Top Gun has to the masses. What a nice surprise.

Rating: 7/10