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Maleficent is a re-imagining of Walt Disney's 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty, which is itself based on the classic fairy tale of the same name. Told from the perspective of the titular villain, the film attempts to flesh out her character and provide an explanation (if not justification) for her actions.

For the most part, it does this very well. However, it feels limited by having to retell the Sleeping Beauty story. For example, the whole premise of a curse involving the pricking of the princess's finger on a spindle comes across as incredibly far-fetched. There are far more suitable means of enacting revenge than whipping up such an outlandish curse.

A related issue comes with the whole sleeping element of the story itself. Considering all the hoo-ha about the curse, it's somewhat ridiculous that the princess is seemingly woken from her slumber mere hours after she started her nap. And yet she earns herself the moniker 'Sleeping Beauty'? She probably spent less time sleeping than the average person does at night!

There is also the problem of the story's apparent 'twist'. I say "apparent" because whilst it's set up like a twist, it can easily be deduced simply from how the story is progressing.

Although I liked the visual aesthetics of the film, the CGI fairies are simply too 'cartoonish' for their own good. For a film that utilises live action actors to create a sense of believability, the fairies look like something out of Monsters, Inc., and that breaks immersion.

Despite these issues, Maleficent somehow manages to be a very enjoyable film as a whole.

Groundhog Day is an fantastic comedy film about a man who is trapped in a time loop, forced to repeat the same day over and over again. Although I knew about the general concept before watching it and have seen numerous homages to it in various media, it surprised me just how original the film felt and how well its narrative fit together.

Groundhog Day is an fantastic comedy film about a man who is trapped in a time loop, forced to repeat the same day over and over again. Although I knew about the general concept before watching it and have seen numerous homages to it in various media, it surprised me just how original the film felt and how well its narrative fit together.

Groundhog Day is an fantastic comedy film about a man who is trapped in a time loop, forced to repeat the same day over and over again. Although I knew about the general concept before watching it and have seen numerous homages to it in various media, it surprised me just how original the film felt and how well its narrative fit together.

Groundhog Day is an fantastic comedy film about a man who is trapped in a time loop, forced to repeat the same day over and over again. Although I knew about the general concept before watching it and have seen numerous homages to it in various media, it surprised me just how original the film felt and how well its narrative fit together.

Groundhog Day is an fantastic comedy film about a man who is trapped in a time loop, forced to repeat the same day over and over again. Although I knew about the general concept before watching it and have seen numerous homages to it in various media, it surprised me just how original the film felt and how well its narrative fit together.

Groundhog Day is an fantastic comedy film about a man who is trapped in a time loop, forced to repeat the same day over and over again. Although I knew about the general concept before watching it and have seen numerous homages to it in various media, it surprised me just how original the film felt and how well its narrative fit together.

Groundhog Day is an fantastic comedy film about a man who is trapped in a time loop, forced to repeat the same day over and over again. Although I knew about the general concept before watching it and have seen numerous homages to it in various media, it surprised me just how original the film felt and how well its narrative fit together.

Groundhog Day is an fantastic comedy film about a man who is trapped in a time loop, forced to repeat the same day over and over again. Although I knew about the general concept before watching it and have seen numerous homages to it in various media, it surprised me just how original the film felt and how well its narrative fit together.

[Disclaimer: All posts tagged under opinion are opinion pieces and not reviews. If you are looking for a review, there are plenty of those elsewhere.]

Flubber is a hilarious remake of the 1961 film The Absent-Minded Professor. Starring the late Robin Williams in the lead role, it tells of an (you guessed it) absent-minded professor of chemistry who creates a sentient, green, gooey substance he names 'flubber' (short for 'flying rubber'). Meanwhile, his relationship with his fiancée is put under strain due to him being distracted by his experiments.

The film employs a lot of slapstick, although the humour is quite varied. Aside from the comedic elements however, the story manages to be surprisingly touching. The professor's relationship with his levitating, robotic assistant is also interesting. Danny Elfman's score does the job, though is nothing to write home about. The visual effects appear dated by today's standards, although that doesn't stop Flubber from being an extremely entertaining film.

Guardians of the Galaxy is a visually impressive film about an irritating gang of brutes with no redeeming qualities whatsoever who fight against a one-dimensional villain who has somehow got it into his head that the destruction of the universe is the solution to all of life's problems. With an unimpressive musical score and a script that can only be described as 'funny' (not in a good way), the occasionally engaging cinematography is the only place one may find solace in this borefest of a film that is as predictable as tonight's dinner, which I have just placed in the microwave.