F.R.I.E.N.D.S: The Complete Third Series

'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' is an excellent comedy, one of the very best television shows, and I'm sure many, many people will agree with me. I just cannot understand how anybody can bring themselves to deny its brilliance. Okay, the first season might only deserve 4/5, but every other series almost gaurantees a perfect five. The third season is a very memorable selection of scenes from 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S'.


'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' bears the same awesome strategy which Disney and Pixar are famous for: their likable characters. The characters in the show vary greatly from each other and the hilarity benefits from this factor. Ross is the over-obsessive, extremely-scientific paleantologist who's had a crush on Rachel for several years. Rachel is the under-experienced coffee waitress who became involved in the fashion industry and was a massive slut in high school. Monica was literally massive in high school, and although she has slimmed considerably, her past weakness is made fun of at various points of the programme. Joey is the idiotic Italian actor with no talent who has had sexual intercourse with nearly every woman in New York. When she was young, Phoebe's father abandoned her, her identical twin sister and her mother, with her mother subsequently committing suicide. Thus, Phoebe and Ursula were left living on the street, and the third season sees Phoebe take a very interesting step towards finding out about her family. Phoebe is not unintelligent as such, although she is drastically weird. Chandler's parents got divorced when he was nine, and since then he has used humour as a defence mechanism. His mother is seen as a very poor role model and his father is homosexual. Sometimes people think that Chandler is also gay.


Whilst on paper the characters might seem rather pointless, they're brilliance is constantly proven on screen. A vast majority of season three is spent looking at the relationships of Rachel and Ross, Monica and Richard and Monica and Pete. Joey builds up a crush for a fellow actress Kate and Chandler and Janice are also looked at. Phoebe is caught two-timing between a fireman and a teacher. Relationships may seem slightly generic, but the appearance of these relationships are significantly positive in the third series and help the characters 'mature'.

The script is amazingly amazing, with even the simplest of concepts made really funny. It's really hard to find an appropriate example because almost every single part of every single episode is worth watching. For instance, Monica and Richard have decided not to see each other because Monica desperately wants children, but Richard clearly does not. However, upon a random meeting, they begin to form another sexual relationship and imply it is just what they do "as friends." Eventually, Monica states that she thinks they should be "friends who don't see anybody" or who "maybe one day go up in front of our other friends and vow to be friends forever." Perhaps that's not the most humourous extract, but it's definitely a witty section and only a soft remnant of all the hilarity which goes on.

The third series boasts an impressive quantity of brilliant episodes. These range from the ridiculous to the less abnormal, more often than not being immensly funny and vastly enjoyable. My personal favourites include "The One With The Jam", "The One With All The Jealousy", "The One With A Chick And A Duck" and "The One With The Screamer". You can imagine the sorts of bizarre things which happen in these legendary episodes merely by looking at the titles, and the writers and actors certainly live up to any hype the intriguing titles may cause.

Basically, 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' is one of those rare treats which can be commended in nearly every single aspect, and the third series is testament to that. I urge anyone and everyone who is even remotely interested in entertainment to seriously consider this truly brilliant TV series. Even if you're not totally fanatical about comedies, your chances of adoring this are still considerably high.

Five Out Of Five.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

'Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest' is the middle chapter of the 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' trilogy and ironically also in between 'At World's End' and 'The Curse Of The Black Pearl' in terms of quality for many people. I'm certainly not going to imply that 'Dead Man's Chest' is any better than its predecessor nor any worse than its successor. While the storyline, characters and stage direction have improved drastically when compared to 'The Curse Of The Black Pearl', there's no denying that 'Dead Man's Chest' is vastly inferior when it comes to keeping the audience constantly entertained.

This isn't to say that 'Dead Man's Chest' is tedious. For the most part, the second of Disney's famous saga is immensly enjoyable, and with the appearances of William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, the brilliant antagonist Davy Jones, the awesome Flying Dutchman ship and the absolutely incredible Kraken, added with the witty plot, 'Dead Man's Chest' is pretty fantastic. The story involves Captain Davy Jones sending William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner to give the Black Spot to Captain Jack Sparrow, a mark whose owner greatly entices the hunger of the near-invincible Kraken (and also sees Jack Sparrow attempting to use his mysterious magical compass to find the heart of Davy Jones). This indestructible fiend, while not offering as piratey a theme as 'The Curse Of The Black Pearl' and 'At World's End' when it comes to battles, is most certainly the bringer of many memorable scenes.

Another factor I admire about 'Dead Man's Chest' is how consistent it is with witty references to Sparrow's previous adventure. Whether it be the obvious, such as the intriguing cliffhanger at the end, or the subtle, like when Elizabeth Swann declares she wants to join Jack Sparrow's crew, where Jack answers by telling Mr. Gibbs to "hide the rum", a statement which refers to Elizabeth's burning of the rum on the deserted island in 'The Curse Of The Black Pearl' to attract the attention of the Royal Navy, these references certainly add more fun to the film.

Although the scenes between the Black Pearl's escape from the cannibal-inhabited Pelegosto and the arrival on Isla Cruces are interesting enough to keep your attention, they still aren't very exciting, and initially gave me the impression that 'Dead Man's Chest' was merely a three-star film. However, from the arrival on Isla Cruces onwards, I gave in to the temptation of offering 'Dead Man's Chest' an additional star, although perhaps 3.5/5 would have been slightly more accurate.

In all honesty, 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest' is a perfectly decent film, but its few blitzes prevent it from claiming the respect its potential deserved.

Four Out Of Five.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers

Ah, Gollum, how I missed thee so. Despite playing a very small role, your distinct lack of appearance in 'The Fellowship Of The Ring' is what I hated most about Peter Jackson's film. I guess that's not saying much, since the first chapter in the 'Lord Of The Rings' trilogy was pretty fantastic, but 'The Two Towers' still manages to better it, not least because of Smeagle's major role.

'The Two Towers' is quite a bit different from its predecessor and this is mainly because of how determined it is to destroy any hint of boredom, and it pulls off this feat by introducing three different plots. At the end of 'The Fellowship Of The Ring', the fellowship was split up. Merry and Pippin were captured by Orcs who think they have the Ring of Power, and are being escorted to Isengard to be taken to Saruman. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas are attempting to catch up with these Orcs and save the two hobbits. Meanwhile, Frodo and Samwise continue the journey to Mount Doom to destroy the one Ring, and are accompanied by Smeagle, the previous owner of the 'precious' before Bilbo Baggins.

These plots all seem to focus on a certain aspect of the film. When the film focuses on the dwarf, elf, man and the inevitable white wizard, action and warfare seems to be the most significant aspect. With the two captured hobbits, a more comedic stance is taken. With Frodo and Samwise, mystery, darkness and adventure are taken into account.

At the climax of the film, three exciting battles are assumed, each with their own symbol to mark their significance. These fights only tempt me to commend the film further, if possible. These battles involve some very impressive scenes and strategies, and with some pretty brilliant characters such as Treebeard, the Nazgul and the aforementioned Smeagle, you'd be hard pushed to find a superior action adventure film.

By the end of the film you'll have experienced a truly awesome cliffhanger. Two of the battles have ended, and the third (which involved the presence of Frodo, Gollum and Samwise) has seen the Ring Bearer and his two companions escaping to head back to Mordor. While Aragorn and his mates banter about the wrath of Sauron, and Merry and Pippin stuff their unworthy git-like faces with some hidden food, Gollum has returned to Smeagle and the two plot to kill both Frodo and Samwise. "It's too risky, it's too risky. We could let Her do it. Yes. She could do it. Yes, Precious, She could. And then we take it once they're dead." I haven't seen 'The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King' and therefore do not know who Gollum and Smeagle are discussing, but this cliffhanger meant a lot to me and intrigued me vastly. The perfect ending to the perfect film.

Five Out Of Five.

Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi

To many, the last brilliant 'Star Wars' film, 'Return Of The Jedi' is a film which boasts the excitement of 'The Phantom Menace's conclusion and the quality of 'The Empire Strikes Back.' 'Return Of The Jedi' is the final chapter in the 'Star Wars' saga and initially sees the arrivals of R2-D2 and C-3PO on the sandy planet Tatooine, sending a holographic message and apparently a gift from Luke Skywalker, to be sent to Jabba the Hutt to bargain for the life of the previously carbonite-incased Han Solo.

Obviously, Jabba being the sick git he is, when Leia and Luke show up he makes the former wear a golden bikini and feeds the latter to a powerful monster under Jabba's main audience chamber. Unsurprisingly the six Rebel scums (including Chewbacca and Lando) manage to overcome the uncomfortable situations on this desert island of the stars, otherwise it would have ended without Vader or Palpatine appearing once, which would have definitely pissed the art designers off a little, having to produce that montage poster without their characters even being used. The film would be short, too, very short, and George Lucas might have died from the hardcore idiot Vader fanboys.

Within the battle on Tatooine and the ceremony at the end of the film, a variety of things happen, and, like 'The Empire Strikes Back' before it, a lot of the antagonists are seen in this film. So while you'll be subject to every last detail of the Rebels' plans, you'll also notice the situation from the perspectives of Lord Vader and Emperor Palpatine.

Everything you'd want from a film is included here, with brilliant acting and stage direction, amusing script and some rather nostalgic moments. The storyline and substantial string of events boosts the performance tenfold. Another duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader is present here, as is a second attack against the Death Star. Also, as you might have guessed, the Emperor plays a very significant role in the film, and this gives 'Return Of The Jedi' a sort of importance and difference.

Since I was watching the super awesome DVD edition of 'Return Of The Jedi', there are a lot of additions to the original film. You may recall how disgusted some people were at this, but I personally adore these new sections. Some add more humour to the film, some nostalgia (the end scene is reminiscent of 'Revenge Of The Sith'), and the final product is still pretty brilliant. If you had any sense you would at least rent the film.

Five Out Of Five.

Star Wars Clone Wars: Volume One

You may not notice it, but a lot of things happen between the films of the 'Star Wars' saga. A lot of the time these events boast no significance to the series, but the Clone War is so very important. Thus, in the era between 'Attack Of The Clones' and 'Revenge Of The Sith', two volumes of a cartoon series titled 'Clone Wars' have been released. Each short episode tells a story of the Clone War, and because said episodes are so short, you won't be bored easily.

Admittedly, there are some episodes here which prove tedious and this makes me very thankful they are so short. I honestly couldn't care less about the underwater battle, and the wars Masters Windu and Yoda assumed weren't as exciting as scenes involving Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Count Dooku and General Grievious.

The action in 'Clone Wars' is considerably enjoyable, with some decent animation effects. The character models are very unfaithful to the true films, and while some might argue this adds comedy effect, said comedy is certainly inadequate. The proper sagas are serious films, and so should their filler stories be.

Some might imply that the film is too short to warrant a purchase, and in a way I suppose they are correct. 'Star Wars Clone Wars' boasts a mere twenty episodes, which adds up to around one hour and five minutes. However, the episodes occasionally get repetitive (like in the Jedi fighting styles and animations) so it's great to see it end before the novelty runs out, and often you are left with the infamous wishing that you were in the film now, tempting you to pull out the second volume or play a similar game such as 'Star Wars Battlefront' or 'Resistance: Fall Of Man'.

Despite few tedious scenes, dislikable character design and occasional repetition, 'Star Wars Clone Wars' is a very decent film, definitely worth my recommendation. You might just be better renting it because of the length, but at an inexpensive price, the film is definitely worth it.

Four Out Of Five.

Mickey's House Of Villains

Being a two-dimensional animated Disney film which involves nearly all of the Disney heroes and villains before it, you'd expect 'Mickey's House of Villains' to boast a lot of potential. In truth, there is potential, but Disney really ruined their chance to produce a stunning nostalgia-fest. 'Mickey's House Of Villains' is bitterly disappointing.

It's All Hallow's Eve and every Disney protagonist and antagonist has been invited to Mickey's House Of Mouse to watch a string of short films. In all honesty, these short films are rather poor and a waste of the writers' and excited audience's times. As the short films go on, it all gets rather repetitive, and when Jafar and the other villains decide to overthrow Mickey Mouse, nothing even close to exciting happens. By the end, there's a very rushed and tedious battle betwen Jafar and Mickey, but that's it.

The most commendable aspect of 'Mickey's House Of Villains' is the impressive attention to detail. I often find that detail is an aspect a lot of writers and animators need to focus on, but on top of that, the music artists are concentrating on it, too. You'll instantly notice how suitable the soundtrack is. Every small action in the film is accompanied by a scarily appropriate and mightily impressive burst of music, and this audio consistently fits the theme of the film.

As a show of Disney's attention to detail, 'Mickey's House Of Villains' is a significant performance, but the scenes get too repetitive for anybody's liking and the plot could be considered a missed opportunity. If 'Mickey's House Of Villains' were a short television series, or had it been more dedicated to the clashes between good and evil, I would have praised it more highly, but for what it essentially is, 'Mickey's House Of Villains' is quite poor. Perhaps worth a rent, but there's nothing essential in here.

Two Out Of Five.

Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones

This was always my least-favourite episode in the 'Star Wars' saga, although I can't really recall why. I've just watched it there and it's certainly an improvement over 'Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.' The visuals and special effects are consistently impressive, and the acting is vastly superior to the under-enthusiastic attempts in 'Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.'

To be honest, it seems evident that the Clone Wars trilogy is merely the backstory to the original trilogy (hence its blatant inferiority). 'The Phantom Menace' introduces the main characters to the final trilogy (Darth Vader, Ben Kenobi, the Emperor, R2-D2, C-3PO... you know the lot) but apart from that the storyline seemed awfully separate to that of the original plot. Well, 'Attack Of The Clones' is full of references which are significant to the original trilogy. 'Attack Of The Clones' shows us the beginning of Anakin Skywalker's convertion to the dark side, the creation of the hundreds of thousands of Stormtroopers, the unique power of Jedi Master Yoda, introduces the audience to the awesome Boba Fett and, briefly, the designers of the Death Star. And if you analyse carefully, you'll notice a hint at the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

'Attack Of The Clones' is consistent with intrigue. Honestly, I never witnessed an uninteresting moment in the film. Battles are less frequent than in 'The Phantom Menace', with only very brief podracing for additional excitement (disregarding the really enjoyable speeder chase through Coruscant). However, like such films as the aforementioned 'The Phantom Menace' and 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End', 'Attack Of The Clones' concludes with an epic battle. This chapter in the 'Star Wars' saga indicates the Clone War, mentioned briefly in 'Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.'

My main dislike of the film is that Count Dooku isn't as brilliant a villain as the predecessor Darth Maul and successors General Grievious, Darth Vader and Emperor Sidious are, which is a shame, because Yoda's abilities are displayed against an unworthy foe. Thankfully, Jango Fett, the Reek, Acklay, Nexu and the legions of Battle Droids, Super Battle Droids and Destroyer Droids make up for this lack of quality, but still, what's a 'Star Wars' film without an epic battle between Jedi and Sith?

'Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones' is a decent film in its own right, and a vast improvement over 'Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace' in many respects, particularly acting, storyline and excitement consistency, none of which were particularly strong in this film's predecessor. However, 'Attack Of The Clones' lacks that special substance to make it truly grand. Namely, an appropriate Sith and while the script is mostly intelligence, there are still parts which I can't help but pass on my disappointment to.

Four Out Of Five.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl

I love pirates. They're so awesome. I wish my life were more like one of Captain Bones' adventures. Sailing the high seas, searching for buried treasure. Yeah, discovering lost islands and weird civilisations. Navigating with my father's old compass to wherever the wind may take us. Off to Zanzibar, to meet the Zanzibarbarians. To the southwest, pirate galleons! To the southeast, multi-armed Zanzibanian shark women, and their exploding wigs of death. To the northwest, dirty dishes! References ftw.

I first reviewed 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End' and gave it a not-so-impressive "three out of five". I had commented on 'At World's End's inferiority to its predecessors, and 'The Curse Of The Black Pearl' is the real stunner of the trilogy. Watching it again just now, I can still make that claim.

'Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl' is an exciting, well-written, well-acted tale about one pirate and his many, many enemies. The infamous Captain Jack Sparrow had been left on an island with nothing but his name, a pistol and a single bullet. It is inevitable that he escaped from this alternative Tartarus, as otherwise he wouldn't be the main character, would he? Captain Jack Sparrow is a very likable character. He's absolutely mad, and this makes his many schemes all the more entertaining. He befriends the pirate-blooded blacksmith William Turner and rescues the Governor's daughter Elizabeth Swann at various points in the film, and is hunted by Commodore Norrington and his entire Royal Navy. Sparrow is on a quest to kill the evil and cursed Captain Hector Barbossa and claim his dearest Black Pearl pirate ship.

Captain Hector Barbossa and his crew of undead scallywags - after dumping Captain Jack Sparrow in the island - had travelled to the Isla de Muerta and stolen some Aztec gold. They were put under a curse to live forever as skeletons, shown by the moonlight. They cannot eat, drink, feel... they are basically put under ultimate torture. One of their crew, William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, objected to the mutiny against Captain Jack Sparrow and sent a piece of the Aztec gold to his son, William. He had a cannonball attached to his bootstraps and fired overboard by Captain Hector Barbossa. Following this, the crew realised they needed Bootstrap's blood to break the curse, and so were excited to find Elizabeth Turner and the final piece of Aztec gold compiled together.

The film is full of wit and amusing dialogue, entertaining scenes and humourous characters. 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl' is a very enjoyable film, and a really superb tribute to pirates everywhere. The action does get quite repetitive, which can get boring, and the camera views aren't brilliant, but while these points might negate some praise you'd give the film, they're not enough to ruin a terrific film like this. Of all their most recent performances, 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl' is probably Disney's best.

Four Out Of Five.

The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh

I feel sorry for Edward Bear. This terrific film is constantly ridiculed by post-pubescent teenagers whose adolescence can't let them think of anything but a certain rabbit and his pesky mansion. In all honesty, 'The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh' is pretty damn fabulous, and the only reason it is frowned upon is because it involves a cast of child-friendly characters.

'The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh', like an awful lot of other films, is one of those charming, laid-back classics which you can keep coming back to. It isn't very serious and most of the chapters in this film prove immensly entertaining. Pooh Bear manages to turn even the most simplest things into amazing charm-fests, just like in 'My Neighbour Totoro'.

'The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh' has all of Walt Disney's trademarks. Beautiful animation, decent soundtrack, affective, simple events and characters you actually care about. This is easily one of the finest film performances of Disney's life, perhaps even of all time.

One gripe I have with 'The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh' is that it is over so quickly. Surely they could have spared just a few more chapters? What we've been given is brilliant enough to warrant any purchase, but it could have been a lot longer. While I usually wouldn't let this get in the way of my enjoyment, 'The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh' is one of those films which needs to be quite substantial in length.

I also found Christopher Robin's accent to be far too annoying. I love you English folk as much as any other noob but the accent felt very out of place. While Pooh's lack of wit and frequent spelling errors ("hunny", "rnig", "thotful") provide awesome humour, Christopher Robin's accent made me laugh in a way I shouldn't.

Four Out Of Five.

Grave Of The Fireflies

'Grave Of The Fireflies' was initially released alongside 'My Neighbour Totoro', intended to be watched after said film (which I gave five out of five). Well, let me warn you now. While 'My Neighbour Totoro' is one of the happiest films in the world, 'Grave Of The Fireflies' is its exact opposite. When I was reviewing 'Princess Mononoke' I commended Studio Ghibli for not being too over-protective of their characters, but, well... now they've gone too far.

I hate 'Grave Of The Fireflies'. I hate it like paranoia hates infernal cemeteries. I don't just hate it: I'm frightened of it. I can't take the suspense, the misfortune, the terror of it all... and to think that probably happened in real life at some point. I cannot contain my fear of this.

I don't hate it because it's bad. In reality, 'Grave Of The Fireflies' is an amazing film. There are literally no bad points. It's just that it's so damn depressing. 'Grave Of The Fireflies' is the saddest film in the world, I can almost gaurantee it. Hell, I had the film spoiled for me before I got the chance to watch it, yet I still almost cried. This is clear testament to how affective Isao Takahata's touching story can be.

I'd love to spoil the film for you now. Tell you what happens, how it ends, all the sad sections and tell you why I want every copy of this film set on fire and sent flying into a grave, but not only would I be here forever, but it still wouldn't save you from the horror which you are about to experience (presuming you're going to watch the film). Some of you may think you like a sad film. Go and watch 'Grave Of The Fireflies', come back and make that claim again. Without hesitating.

'Grave Of The Fireflies' is easily a perfect film, as there is simply nothing wrong with it. You may not want to purchase the DVD, because as soon as you've seen it you will absolutely refuse to watch it again, regardless of how much some sadist chap pays you. Because let's face it, money's no good to you when you're dead.

I'd recommend this film, but I'd merely be fuelling a powerful fire and sending more curious flies to their graves. Now excuse me while I go and kill myself.

Five Out Of Five.

My Neighbour Totoro

Fabulous. Mighty entertainment. Extremely, well-imagined, commendable, intelligently-thought characters. Some more 'serious' scenes which still succeed in emitting fun and charm. Excellent animation, with intriguing attention to detail and a happy soundtrack. One of the happiest films ever made. Forgive me for my insane ramblings, but 'My Neighbour Totoro' has provided me with the most magical eighty-six minutes of my life.

The main plot is irrelevant to this review. What basically happens is a man and his two daughters move to a new house, while their mother is sick in hospital. Both children are very sensitive, but they find this removal very exciting. 'My Neighbour Totoro' focuses on a very quiet charm, turning cleaning the house and looking for the door leading upstairs into very happy, relaxing moments.

This is ironic because relaxation is present in the giant Totoro, a vastly fun character whom we meet later on in the film. There are three Totoro in the film, troll-like creatures of interesting fiction which make well-anticipated appearances alongside the cute Soot Sprites, organisms representing dust bunnies. The three Totoro differ in size. There is a tiny white one, a small blue one and a giant grey one. Apparently, the largest Totoro is the gaurdian of the forest. These Totoro are very bizarre-yet-fun creatures. They go around dropping magical nuts and seeds all over the place, and the largest Totoro calls upon what is probably the most magnificent, legendary vehicle in the history of existence: the mythical cat-bus.

To be honest, to bring this review any further would involve me spending paragraphs praising the film for its relaxing and amusing stance. There are far too many serious films around, and 'My Neighbour Totoro' is a lovely break. The climax isn't as good as one would expect, and there's so much that the writers could conjure up, so many ordinary activities which could be made extremely charming with the awesome Totoro creatures, but besides these minor disappointments, 'My Neighbour Totoro' is pretty much the perfect anime.

Five Out Of Five.

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

My viewing of this film may be questioned, as I've practically skipped three entire episodes of the 'Star Wars' saga (not including the cartoon 'Clone Wars' series, which I attempted to watch but couldn't because I'd dropped liquid in my eyes). There's really no significance to my choice in watching 'The Empire Strikes Back'. Yesterday I was in the mood to watch a really good film, but couldn't think of it. So before I pulled out 'The Curse Of The Black Pearl', I thought "to Hell with it, what better than to review what is potentially the most famous film to date" and stuck the 'The Empire Strikes Back' into my PlayStation 3.

Despite being released several blue moons ago, 'The Empire Strikes Back' is still a fabulous film by today's standards. The only thing which shows its age is that some of the smaller creatures (the tiny inhabitants of the Dagobah system, for example) don't look very convincing. The rest is still as awesome now as it was twenty-eight years ago. The characters tell many stories with their emotions and personalities, and the consistent firefights are generally plausible, with such scenes as the battle of Hoth and the duel on Bespin proving immensly entertaining.

'The Empire Strikes Back' boasts great presence of the dark side. In many other films you'll find the director has focused more on the protagonists, with their villains seldom appearing. In 'The Empire Strikes Back', while still orbitting appropriately to Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, R2-D2 and Chewbacca, a lot of scenes are taken inside the Star Destroyers (and, briefly, the All-Terrain Armoured Transports). Darth Vader is frequently seen, his lackies commonly express brief and quiet opinions on Lord Vader's new strategies, Bounty Hunters are employed and Vader and Emperor Palpatine converse with the audience's unclouded attention, and no hint of any protagonists (although at many points the Star Destroyer in question is searching for the Millenium Falcon, housing Leia, Han, C-3PO and Chewbacca).

Because 'The Empire Strikes Back' is set in the middle of the original 'Star Wars' trilogy, there is neither a proper beginning nor an end. Some people might find this a risky technique, but I think it's actually very intelligent. There are no slow starts and no terrible conclusion attempts. The film starts by diving straight into the action and ends with you thirsting for more, and subsequently clawing your way through your DVD collection to get 'Return Of The Jedi' into your player as soon as possible.

While outside space has its fair share of moments here, there is a variety of fictitious planets which make well-appreciated appearances in the film. One such planet is the luscious Hoth, entering at the very beginning of the film. Hoth is the bringer of some exciting scenes and also shows off a satisfying war between some admirable and well-imagined vessels. Such systems as the swampy Dagobah and the cloudy Bespin also make appearances, and not to mention the interiors of a massive asteroid.

With excellent script, brilliant set pieces and an enjoyable soundtrack, 'The Empire Strikes Back' is an amazing remnant of the last century's classic film era, and shows the audience enough imperfection to warrant utter perfection.

Five Out Of Five.

Muppet Treasure Island

I'm afraid I'm going to have to admit that I haven't watched all of 'Muppet Treasure Island'; I've had the video for many, many years and it's beginning to show its age by throwing a lot of fuzzy sounds in there, particularly terrible since the film is a musical. I've seen the entire film numerous times throughout my life and have developed a rough opinion on the film, but if my review proves somewhat inaccurate, I can assure you it's not entirely my fault.

'Muppet Treasure Island' is of a very under-represented genre - the pirate musical genre. As a result, the film boasts a very praisable soundtrack, not just for the songs but also for the background music which is quite reminiscent to 'Pirates Of The Caribbean'. Most of the songs are of tremendous quality, and the bizarre 'Cabin Fever' is welcome, despite being totally out of place.

With this being a muppet film, a funny script was inevitable. It might be because I've tired the video out over the years, but I didn't really laugh that much. Gonzo, Rizzo, Fozzie, Blind Pew and Billy Bones all posed many elements of humour, but I didn't find them as humourous as had when I watched it some years ago. The role call still keeps me happy, and some statements (particularly 'this is supposed to be a kids' movie' and 'I think I smell somethin' burnin' here') were genuinely hilarious.

This might have been down to the awesome characters. Most characters from 'The Muppet Show' are here in all their piracy glory, and they manage to emit a sense of charm out of what would otherwise be a dark, serious film. It's soothing to see some light-hearted piracy, and 'Muppet Treasure Island' joins in the ranks of 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' and 'OnePiece' as a really brilliant pirate film.

I wish I could give 'Muppet Treasure Island' a five out of five, but if I did, that would just be me being a fanboy. 'Muppet Treasure Island' is not perfect (regardless of how highly I would recommend it). Some more zoomed-out views seem suspiciously fake, and while the few "big-blue-wet-thing" views are impressive, nothing about these views are particularly terrific. The film also seems to go on at a pace too swift to digest. There are barely any pauses in the entire film, and this decreases tension in certain scenes which need it. Before we see Blind Pew, anticipation builds up, but had Billy Bones not heard the door knock until a while after he'd finished ranting on, it would have been more exciting.

Apart from these gripes, I can't really criticise 'Muppet Treasure Island' any further, to be honest. It's not an essential film, but it's entertaining enough to warrant your pleasure, and does pirates everywhere justice, however abnormal such justice may be.

Four Out Of Five.

Princess Mononoke

It's rather ironic that I write this review, one day after seeing 'The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring'. Contrary to some other films I've reviewed, tonight was the first time I've ever watched 'Princess Mononoke'. It's made by, in my opinion, one of the finest companies there is - the legendary Studio Ghibli. This studio is responsible for some of my all-time favourite films, including 'The Cat Returns' and 'Pom Poko', which probably rank as my two favourites. 'Princess Mononoke' is quite similar to 'The Lord Of The Rings' in some respects. Okay, so it doesn't involve orcs, urukhai, ringwraiths, wizards, hobbits or giant eyes wreathed in fire, but it does offer a war between species, a stunningly beautiful selection of landscapes (despite being animated) and a lovely soundtrack reminiscent of Peter Jackson's licensed children.

I gave 'The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring' a very respectable five out of five, and the film is still fresh in my mind. Taking this into account, one would assume that such a similar film would prove underwhelming. However, I didn't regard Studio Ghibli as one of my favourite companies for nothing. I'm no stranger to the magic Ghibli's employees are capable of working, and Hayao Miyazaki has produced a very adequate chapter in animation (not that we see much of it).

Studio Ghibli has a range of extraordinarily talented people working for it, and this is evident at all times in 'Princess Mononoke'. A blend of hand-drawn and computer animation is incorporated in this film, and these different styles compliment each other greatly. For example, Ashitaka (the main protagonist) is hand-drawn, while the demon snakes which possess him are created with three-dimensional rendering. They are composited together and are very admirable.

Animation is not the only perfection hiding inside the studio. The voice-actors in 'Princess Mononoke' portray their characters very impressively, and they suit these characters well. Music and sound effects are affective and add to the film's quality. The storyline is particularly complex, but you'd understand it if you watched the film. It is clearly very imaginative in places, what with demonic serpents and other fictitious creatures making grand appearances.

Hayao Miyazaki is not like some directors, and allows his characters to feel pain, to come to harm and to generally just feel like suicidal emos. One has to admire how he captures this feeling of war - it's not 'good guys beat bad guys', because there are three sides here, and none are specifically good or bad (except perhaps the daimyos, who are, of course, bad). However, while Miyazaki is willing to hurt his characters, it it pitiful that these characters don't have the same loving charm you'll find in Pixar or older Disney films. You won't feel emotional towards the characters. They're likable roles, but they don't really touch you like the animals of 'The Jungle Book', or the many sub-organisms present in the 'Pixar Short Films Collection'.

'Princess Mononoke' is the very description of an action adventure, minus the emotional characters. From the moment you enter the digital video disc, Ashitaka is seen riding on his red elk Yakul, galloping towards what will be the very first (and a very important) battle in the film. When this encounter is concluded, and after a very brief pause, Ashitaka takes off again, to a more distant and dangerous fight. He meets mystery, curiosity and gore, mostly with hate. Action adventure is consistent in this film, and on the rare occasion it is stopped, the conversation is interesting enough to hold your interest.

'Princess Mononoke' is a grand film, and this isn't just me being a Ghibli fanboy. 'Princess Mononoke' not only ranks as one of my favourite Studio Ghibli films, but also one of my favourite films of all time. If you can bring yourself to admit you haven't witnessed perfection in one of its finest incarnations, then you clearly haven't watched 'Princess Mononoke', and therefore haven't lived.

Five Out Of Five.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring

I remember disliking this when I was little. It was very boring and too scary. In fact, I wasn't very excited about watching this again, but I got 'The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers Extended Edition' for Christmas (a film I always liked) and decided I should refamiliarise myself with the story.

I guess it really goes to show that you should never watch films at a young age, because I watched 'The Fellowship Of The Ring' yesterday night and I was amazed. There were a lot of things to adore about the film, whether it be the many interesting scenes, the gorgeous soundtrack or the mysterious stalking of Gollum, but one thing I seriously have to commend Peter Jackson for is his decision to film in his native New Zealand. The overhead landscaping is simply beautiful, even better than that of 'Lassie', which, in my opinion, is really saying something.

From the charming, timid Shire to the brutal depths of Mordor, it is difficult to find a negative aspect to Peter Jackson's choice of location. Accompanied by a sweet soundtrack which fits the theme of the film very well indeed, a host of lovable characters played by a suitable selection of actors and a string of intriguing and awesome scenes, 'The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring' is an immensly worthy translation of J.R.R Tolkien's original classic novel.

From the tense chases with the Nazgûl to the various plot twists to the exciting fights with Orcs, to purchase and witness this fantastic contribution to the action-adventure franchise would be a very sensible idea indeed, and with the knowledge that 'The Fellowship Of The Ring' and its two successors will be making the transition to the almighty Blu-Ray format, it's great to know that we can watch this highly-recommended film in ultimate high-definition quality.

Five Out Of Five.

Enchanted

Disney are really confusing me now. To quote a certain American jackalope from Pixar's 'Boundin' "some times you're up, and some times you're down", and this statement is intensly accurate with Disney, as their performances seem to rise and fall in terms of quality consistently. Since Walt Disney died, his company have been distinct entries on numerous death lists, what with the realisations of the 'High School Musical' trilogy, and their numerous (and poor) television comedies. That said, they are responsible for the excellent 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' saga, and their inclusion in the 'Kingdom Hearts' games are enough to be thankful for them.

Disney have a band of amazing actors at their fingertips, especially significant in 'Pirates Of The Caribbean', 'The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody' and 'Wizards Of Waverly Place'. There are also a few hatable actors present in the likes of the aforementioned 'High School Musical' and 'Hannah Montana', but in general, Disney's recognisation of decent actors is very good. It's the script-writers they need to watch out for. I mentioned Disney's television comedies, but to be honest, the only potentially-funny ones are 'That's So Raven' and 'Cory In The House', while these are seldom humourous.

So is 'Enchanted' one of Disney's silent stunners or infamous crapcakes? To be honest, it's a little of both. Disney seem to have gotten their good actors, their bad actors, their good script-writers and their bad script-writers and blended them together. This is ironic, because the film does involve a lot of blending (figuratively, of course - no luck, all you blender fans). The plot is that a variety of fairytale cartoon characters find themselves in the real-life New York. You'd expect such a strange concept to be funny as hell, but my sides didn't split a single degree. I'll admit the film was very amusing and entertaining, but at times I could see the film trying to be funny, and failing.

As far as acting goes, 'Enchanted's interesting concept is met with much effort. 'Enchanted' shows off some very stereotypical fairytale characters, as gullible and confused as you'd expect. Amy Adams and James Marsden act in a very convincing way and are very good at showing how a fairytale character would act in the real world. Sadly, Susan Sarandon and Timothy Spall are not so convincing, although this can be justified as they are the villainous characters, and you'd hardly expect them to be unintelligent, would you? The real-life characters are also portrayed well by their actors. I was particularly impressed by Rachel Covey, although Indina Menzel wasn't fantastic, in my opinion (although she was satisfactory).

The film has a great soundtrack, and a nice turn of events takes place. It is also very satisfying to watch Giselle slowly by slowly get used to the real world, and you understand just how much she's matured nearing the end of the film. The motion picture is not unbearably littered with unnecessary songs, but there are two or three in there, and are all excellently composed and vastly enjoyable.

There is a section which involves a dragon climbing on the Empire State Building with its masculine damsel-in-distress in hand, which you might see as an amusing mix of 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'King Kong' parodies, but, although Gizelle's actions in this particular scene are admirable, it seems like a rushed-out attempt to stick a dragon in there. If the monster put up more of a fight, I'd be more satisfied.

'Enchanted' is by no means perfect, but if I had to choose from the two descriptions I mentioned in my earlier paragraphs, I'd give it the positive one. 'Enchanted' is immensly enjoyable, something you can just sit down and watch, and love. I'll be snapping this film up as soon as it is released on its inevitable Blu-Ray disc.

Four Out Of Five.

Lassie [2005]

Wow. Having watched this film a few years ago, I was always aware that it was a somewhat enjoyable and entertaining performance, but watching it again this morning... I don't know what to say... Wow.

'Lassie' is a film with emotion, with likable characters, with a gripping plot and intriguing scenes and awesome landscapes. The basic plot is that a poor family reluctantly sell their collie - Lassie - to a duke and his granddaughter. Lassie misses her old family, and consistently escapes from her new residence, running back to her original owners. Eventually the duke and his granddaughter move from England to northern Scotland with Lassie, doubting she will ever make it back home now.

At their destination, one of the duke's employees abuses Lassie, and the duke's granddaughter - noticing the animal's suffering - releases it into the wild. Thus, the animal sets off on a five-hundred-mile journey back to London. Along the way, many characters are introduced, and there is even a subtle love story. This may seem rather generic, but like I said, it's subtle. It's also very absorbing and well-done, and a nice, short break from the rest of the film.

'Lassie' was filmed in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, and it's clear why. The scenery in this film is stunning, and whereas some might disregard the film at the mention of landscapes, accusing it of being unnecessary and a chore, it's done so well in 'Lassie' and I agree with the director's choices of location. At times the landscapes may seem slightly unsatisfactory, but there are always saviours to rival these brief negative sections.

Along with the great story and brilliant setting, the film boasts some really terrific scenes and actors. I didn't notice a bad actor in the entire film, it was all done so convincingly well that I'd love to commend every single one of the cast. Sadly, I simply don't have the time to list Peter O'Toole, Samantha Morton, John Lynch, Steve Pemberton, Jonathon Mason, Hester Odgers, Jemma Redgrave, Peter Dinklage, Gregor Fisher, Edward Fox and Kelly Macdonald. Everything which happens in the film is also very appeasing. It would have been nice for Lassie to swim in the loch, but to be fair, we did witness a more fantastical event anyway.

At times it felt like Lassie could be easily intimidated by humans, and I questioned this, but later on in the film she builds up courage and strength and, subsequently, vengeance. The film is touching and you'll think amazing things of Lassie since she attempts to travel such a long journey. Great scenes are frequent in the film, whether it be that monster or that death, and I felt like crying near the end.

I'd have to say 'Lassie' is one of those beautiful performances where even the pickiest of louse-slayers could not knit a hole into. If you're even remotely interested in films, I urge you to go out and purchase this, presuming your wallet isn't famished (or parched, depending on where you keep your money).

Five Out Of Five.

Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume One

I wish I didn't have to write this review. Not because the film's bad. In fact, it's because it's so good, that there are far too many methods of praising this masterful performance, and if I can only sum up this DVD with these two words: buy this.

The DVD (or Blu-Ray disc, depending on which format you're watching it on (I opted for the latter =])) is less of a feature-length film, and more of a compilation of short-yet-brilliant motion pictures. Thirteen of them, to be exact. The box to the 'Pixar Short Films Collection' arrogantly-yet-accurately describes each of the 'film's chapters as "sensational", and you know they're on to something when this is one of the subtlest ways of describing the film's brilliance.

Being an active member of a very successful forum, I'm going to quite frequently walk into a debate about a computer game (the forum - ONM - is based around said genre of entertainment) where the software in question is too short, and one forumyte criticises it for this, while somebody else pops up with the infamous "quality>quantity" statement. Every single time, I feel compelled to disagree. You might not want something really long and boring, but surely you'd only expect something really terrific to last for longer? And it's in this aspect where I must commend Pixar: they've combined both factors into one exceptional collection of genuine classic masterpieces.

Three things I was very impressed by in the film are resemblances it bears to 'The Jungle Book'. Not the art style, not the audio score, not the length, but rather the consistent change of theme, the brilliance of each character and the awesome review value. You may remember in my review of 'The Jungle Book', I was pleased at how the film changed its mood, lacking repetition and, subsequently, any boredom the audience may gain. This factor is ever-present in 'Pixar Short Films Collection', as the DVD is technically thirteen completely different events superglued together with an affordable price tag plastered onto it (bear in mind that to legally see these films would require the purchasing of all of Pixar's feature-length films, and even then you wouldn't have them all). It's extremely accessible and all emit a different-yet-vivid Pixar charm.

There are some generally lovable and amazing characters in each of these films, and all are memorable and unique. It's often simple to realise a certain character's personality without them even speaking, as facial impressions and body movement are utilised with great talent. You'll genuinely feel for the smaller extra-terrestrial organism in 'Lifted', the qualities of the birds in 'For The Birds' are instantly-comparable to those of humans, Wally B. is portrayed as a very mischievious and intimidating character, André bears great similarities to Donald Duck (and apparently Mickey Mouse) and even Geri, a single character, manages to display two very, very different personalities.

When it comes to the visual quality, 'Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume One' is generally appeasing. The first four short films are not the most gorgeous-looking things in the world, but they were very advanced for their time and still emit a sense of charm. However, the following nine performances can be stunningly pretty.

So far, so utterly brilliant. Probably the only gripes I have with 'Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume One' are that 'Mater And The Ghostlight' aren't very good, while the Blu-Ray version - which I am reviewing - isn't the most advanced of all Blu-Ray discs. A lot of space could still be used in this, and it's a pity that there are no more bonus features than the ones provided, although you still have to appreciate them. The bonus features include a number of (humourous) shorts based around Luxo and Luxo Jr., for the 'Sesame Street' programme. These are entertaining, if insignificant Pixar films, and boost the DVD's boasting of thirteen films to seventeen. There are also some commentaries which are worth rewatching the film for, and an interesting history on Pixar, which isn't long enough to bore you, yet not so short that it's not worth having.

So what now? Something totally amazing like 'Pixar Short Films Collection' comes along, I've watched it several times, made use of all the bonus content and have nothing left to watch. I guess we could always wait for Volume Two, but if the short history is anything to go by, then it will be at least another decade before we see the next instalment. I suppose 'Ratatouille's 'Your Friend The Rat' is a start...

Five Out Of Five.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

With the 'Star Wars' saga being so popular, you'll have no doubt heard of the legions of film fanatics who disregard the prequels for being inferior to the original trilogy. Now, in no way could 'The Phantom Menace', 'Attack Of The Clones' or 'Revenge Of The Sith' rival 'A New Hope', 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return Of The Jedi', but why is that so bad? George Lucas' original three chapters of the series were pretty damn brilliant, but does that mean that everything based around it which isn't as good as the first three is crap? Surely not.

'The Phantom Menace' has its moments. The opening battle between the Jedi ambassadors and the Battle Droids and Droideka introduced the audience to some enticing introductory action which wasn't present in the first three films, while such scenes as the Bonga-ride through Naboo's core and the podrace on Tattooine are definitely intriguing.

What the film lacks, however, is that continuous sense of brilliance ever-present in the original trilogy. In a way, 'The Phantom Menace' is comparable to 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End', in terms of sequence. After a few interesting scenes, the film shows some really tedious conversation, concluded with an epic battle (or, in this case, four epic battles).

Most of the film is filled with entertaining characters, whether it be the humourous Jar-Jar Binks and Boss Nass, the intimidating Darth Maul, the villanous Sebulba or the foolish Watto. There are no really hatable characters, but some are so insignificant that you just won't care what happens to them, even if the likes of Queen Amadala's decoy or Mace Windu were taken to a Trade Federation Battleship, tortured, had their limbs cut off and then sent out to space without any protection so that their heads blew up, you wouldn't feel any emotion towards them. Except perhaps ignorance.

I guess this lack of distinctive characters is really down to the actors. Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor show off instantly recognisable Jedi qualities, Ray Park displays Sith aggression very blatantly without even speaking to his foes, and Ahmed Best's method of appearing clumsy and very different is portrayed well. Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels are brilliant with their droid parts. However, the likes of Keira Knightley, Frank Oz and Terence Stamp didn't give as good a performance as one would hope. Still, there's nothing quite like seeing Darth Vader in his child incarnation.

Moving on to the pace of the film, it's simple to realise that the first half of the film flows swiftly and interestingly while it then gets very slow later on, before speeding up again for the final battles. On the Trade Federation Battleship, Naboo, Gungan City and Tattooine, the pace is quick and this saves the audience from getting bored. Then, just before the podrace is about to start, it slows down quite a bit, presumably for the benefit of said scene. When the race is yet to commence, a long, dramatic pause is taken, and tension is built up tenfold, and furthermore enhances how exciting the race is.

Sadly, the films producers seem to have forgotten to switch the slowdown off. I did not experience a pleasant part in the city of Coruscant whatsoever, and as Darth Maul occupied this planet beforehand, it's a shame that Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi did not encounter him again in this location before their final fight in Naboo.

So far, so very mediocre, and as I was watching this film yesterday night, I began to question the quality of the film, simultaneously wondering why I ever defended the film whenever attacked in the first place. I was so very close to awarding this film a disappointing 'three-out-of-five' score, and then the film's true saviour arrived.

As I stated in the second paragraph of this very review, 'Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace' has its moments. The underwater chase in the core of Naboo and the podrace on Tattooine are scenes which pose a lot of awesomeness, but none of these scenes could possibly equate to how amazing the final battle is.

These last scenes are essentially a compilation of four vastly entertaining battles. The Gungans and the Battle Droids going to war in a field, Queen Amadala and her handmaidens and bodygaurds infiltrating the Naboo Palace to attempt to capture the Viceroy, the Naboo Starship pilots and Anakin Skywalker combatting the Trade Federation Starships and Trade Federation Droid Control Ship in space, and the duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the sinister Darth Maul. Each of these four fights are embracing, shocking, gripping and satisfying, and earn the film at least another point. If only the whole film were like the end...

Four Out Of Five

The Jungle Book

I purchased the 40th Anniversary Platinum Edition of the old Disney classic 'The Jungle Book' a few weeks back, and I wasn't very excited, as 'The Jungle Book' was never a firm favourite of mine when I was a youngling. It started with a lot of narration, and although I love Bagheera, he really wasn't very lovable if the introduction was anything to go by.

However, it soon becomes clear that this poor start is just Disney's way of telling the audience "this is a summary of how the arrogant git spent his life, now all the boring stuff's out of the way, let's move on." From the point where Mowgli rides on Bagheera's back to get to the man-village, the film becomes incredibly absorbing and blesses its audience with a variety of smile-pulling events.

The film's storyline is really great: man-cub is hunted by tiger who hates men, while the wolves and panther try to get him to safety (along with some help from some characters introduced later on in the film). The man-cub is reluctant to go the man-village because he has grown an overwhelming bond with the jungle over his years of living there, and claims he isn't afraid of Shere Khan (the aforementioned tiger).

However, the plot wouldn't be half as good if it weren't for its dedicated characters and beautiful soundtrack. Meeting Kaa the snake for the very first time and watching his illusive encounters with Mowgli and Bagheera was very entertaining indeed. Yet while the film is full of many amusing scenes like this, it only really warrants a four out of five. Well, that is until a few seconds after the defeat of Kaa, when we are introduced to the "dawn patrol" (basically a parade of war-inspired elephants). Colonel Hathi's dawn patrol is in very different theme to the parts of the film before it, and just before you're tired of the repetitive string of events, this exciting scene helps to keep the audience gripped to the screen.

This army-like squadron of tusked organisms involves the compiling of several unique and personality-filled elephants, and is even more interesting than the previous encounter with Kaa. Colonel Hathi can be very humourous, especially when he thinks Mowgli is an elephant and asks him what happened to his trunk, all the while poking at his nose. Hathi then goes on with the famous statement "an elephant never forgets", subsequently forgetting all about his son (this joke is continued throughout the film).

You may recall in the above paragraph I stated "even more interesting than the previous encounter with Kaa." For the most analytical of readers, you might be persuaded that both of these amusing scenes are nothing compared to what happens later; and you'd be right. When Baloo first walked on to the screen I literally grinned with enthusiasm, I wanted the temple section to last forever and I laughed at how brilliant and personality-present the vultures were. Put simply, this film has far too many legendary parts to mention, and even if it were possible, I'd hate to ruin what is essentially a proper classic to any newcomers.

There is something I simply have to commend, however. The characters are fantastic, the art direction is magnificent and the scenes could be conjured up by only the most genuine of genii, but what I am really satisfied about is the awesome soundtrack. From classics such as "The Bare Necessities" and "I Wanna Be Like You" to silent killers like "Trust In Me" and even background accompaniments like the dawn patrol theme, you'd be hard-pushed to find a more amazing and gripping selection of tunes.

That's not to say that Disney's 'The Jungle Book' is perfect in every aspect. There are a few things I was most frustrated about, and they contribute to the shocking length of the film. The longevity was too short for its own good, and while the characters and scenes are charming and brilliant throughout the entire film, by the end of it all you'll be left dissatisfied. The pace went along quite swiftly so that you don't get bored, but there are simply not enough scenes to balance it out, and because of this lack in length, I began to despise myself when it came to the ending.

This could have easily been fixed with the presence of the long-lost Rocky the rhinoceros, but Disney failed to assume this character. He wasn't even included in the 40th Anniversary Edition (which, to be fair, has enough boni to be worth purchasing), which is disappointing to say the very least, as he could have potentially been a lovable and hilarious 'villain.'

In all, 'The Jungle Book' is a brilliant film which is worth purchasing, and should definitely be seen at least once, although chances are you'll watch it over and over again with extreme enthusiasm. Suitable vouce-acting and upper-class language skills compliment the sweet visuals and audio, and there is plenty of character and an equal quantity of amazing scenes. You'd be doing yourself a favour to watch this.

Five Out of Five.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End

First of all I'd like to apologise for my blog's blatant inferiority to the likes of other ONMers. As much as I'd love to take part in the '366in366' challenge, I have neither the library nor the money to support it. In spite of this, I have chosen a much simpler task: to watch one film every week. "=.=

I've seen quite a few films this week, but I'll review the third instalment in the 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' series right now.

The 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' series is one of those franchises which almost lets you forgive Disney for the likes of 'High School Musical' and 'Hannah Montana'. The first film in the pirate trilogy was commended for being one of the only decent films based around our favourite people in the entire world. The second film, 'Dead Man's Chest', wasn't given as much praise as 'The Curse Of The Black Pearl' and 'At World's End' has been criticised as the worst of them all.

To be honest, 'At World's End' is my favourite chapter in the 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' saga, but I'm not even going to try and pretend that it's better than it's predecessors. With only one proper battle (and a few more enjoyable scenes besides), only the greatest of liars could get away with commending 'At World's End' for total superiority over the first two films.

Okay, I suppose maybe I'm being too harsh in what is essentially an enjoyable-enough contribution to anybody's collection of digital versatile discs. And that's exactly what I'm getting at. I believe the main reason 'At World's End' is attacked so critically is because it's being compared with 'The Curse Of The Black Pearl' and associated with the disappointing (and ironically my second-favourite PotC film) 'Dead Man's Chest'. Let's just face it: it's not as good as the first two. Just be thankful that you're getting a good film about pirates.

I suppose 'At World's End''s distinct lack of battles can be justified. While the previous films were semi-frequent with short battles, the main fight in 'At World's End' is about thirty minutes long. The battle is absolutely epic and the main reason why 'At World's End' deserves a place in your DVD collection. The fact that I spent £25 on the Blu-Ray version of this film which I had already seen in the cinema and don't feel ripped off is testament to the film's quality.

If I wanted to be really picky, I suppose I could criticise how little the film benefits from the Blu-Ray format's advantages. 'The Curse Of The Black Pearl' has heaps of extra features, almost 13-hours' worth of the beggars. 'Dead Man's Chest' boasted just over 7-hours' worth of said features, admittedly still an admirable length. You can see the pattern, can't you? 'At World's End''s extra features are insignificant in comparison to its predecessors, although I guess this is where my point that it's not fair to judge 'At World's End' for its predecessors' performances comes in.

Something I'm disappointed in is how damn confusing the film is. The basic plot is that the nine Pirate Lords must offer nine Pieces Of Eight to free the goddess Calypso from her human form. Obviously two of these Pirate Lords are dead, one sealed in Davy Jones' locker, so said goddess needs to revive one and free the other. Meanwhile, the main protagonists' (if you can really call them that) two enemy forces have united.

You'd think said unity would be why the main battle is so epic, but you'd be very wrong. Despite the film's abnormal length, I thought it was a bit rushed, as only three of the several-hundred ships are seen in the fight, which is what I most despised about the film.

'Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End' is a really enjoyable film. If you're just looking for an odd film to watch then I highly recommend you give this a try, but if you're expecting something as immense as 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl' or even 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest' then you will probably be disappointed.

Three Out Of Five.