A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) (2001)

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) (2001)
Rating: ★★★★½
Jun 29, 2001Android Boy’s Quest
Steven Spielberg directs an unfinished Stanley Kubrick project about an android boy's quest. The result is a beautiful and intelligent SF film where the sensibilities of either director merge with magnificent results

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Rating: ★★
Dec 28, 2004Gothic Children's Fantasy
Film adaptation of the popular children's books expends much effort on the design and look and casts a wildly over-acting Jim Carrey as the villain. Beyond that, the show never much goes anywhere

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
Rating: ★★★½
Sep 7, 2010Magical Circus/Deals with the Devil
This wouldn't be a Terry Gilliam if it wasn't cursed by bad luck - the death of star Heath Ledger. It's the most Gilliam-esque film in some years where Gilliam and his designers leap off into deliriously madcap surrealism

Hugo (2011)

Hugo (2011)
Rating: ★★★★
Dec 15, 2011Children's Film/Georges Melies Tribute
Martin Scorsese’s venture into making a children’s film is a beautiful production but must have been a studio nightmare – while they try to sell it as a magical fantasy film, Scorsese wants to pay tribute to silent filmmaker Georges Melies

Rise of the Guardians (2012)

Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Rating: ★★
Dec 12, 2012Animation/Team-Up Between Imaginary Characters
The concept – sort of akin to but with various imaginary beings (Santa, Jack Frost, The Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy etc) teaming up in an adventure – has a mild amusement to it but the film itself feels like an utterly processed piece of modern animated children's movie formula

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Rating: ★★
Mar 2, 2019Harry Potter Spinoff
The first Fantastic Beasts was a welcome opening up of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe and offered something fresh in the series. This is a more mixed bag where it feels like it is back to business as usual for Rowling