The Wind in the Willows (2006)
Jun 15, 2008Talking Animals/Absurdist Adventures
Amiable live-action adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's classic children's work made for the BBC with an all-star cast
Matt Lucas
Astro Boy (2009)
Nov 14, 2009Anime TV Series Remake/Android Boy
This animated theatrical remake of the old Astro Boy cartoon series is nicely made, although the film often feels over-simplistic in its scripting and use of cliches
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Mar 9, 2010Alice in Wonderland Adaptation/Epic Adventure
Tim Burton takes on Lewis Carroll but Carroll gets lost beneath Burton doing his usual quirky eccentric thing and a plot that seems to want to turn Alice's adventures into a modern epic fantasy
Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)
Jan 29, 2011Animation/Shakespeare with Talking Garden Gnomes
Surely the most outlandish film premise ever slung together for an animated film – a version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet conducted between talking garden gnomes in rival backyards
Paddington (2014)
Jan 17, 2015Talking Bear
From the awful slapstick-heavy trailer, the prospects for this seem dismal – less Paddington Bear than a reprise of the live-action Yogi Bear. The finished result confounds expectation and the story of a small unassuming bear at large in the world comes full of considerable charm
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016)
Aug 1, 2017Modernised Shakespeare Adaptation
Adaptation of the Shakespeare play about fairy enchantments by Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies. Davies goes with a standard interpretation alongside radical reinvention - Athens as a fascist dictatorship
Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)
Jun 4, 2016Alice in Wonderland Sequel
Sequel to the 2010 Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland. This has even less in common with Lewis Carroll's book sequel than its predecessor did – a total of two scenes. The sets and effects are just pretty eye candy
How to Talk to Girls at Parties (2017)
Sep 28, 2018Romance with an Alien Visitor
Though the title seems more suitable to a book of pick-up lines, this is about a romance with an alien visitor set during the punk era. John Cameron Mitchell adapts a Neil Gaiman story but seems to have forgotten the comedy elements
Sherlock Gnomes (2018)
Aug 4, 2019Animation/Talking Garden Gnomes Adventures
Sequel to Gnomeo & Juliet, which retold Shakespeare with garden gnomes. This for some reason adds a garden gnome Sherlock Holmes to the mix. The high speed whirring you hear is probably Arthur Conan Doyle rotating in his grave,
Missing Link (2019)
Jul 27, 2019Bigfoot Comedy/Stop-Motion Animation
Amiable knockabout stop-motion animated film from Laika Entertainment, although the title is a misnomer and the film is actually about a Bigfoot rather than a Missing Link
Wonka (2023)
Feb 3, 2024Willy Wonka Origin Story
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has become a cult classic. This offers a Willy Wonka origin story but seems to be far too nice a work that is missing the dark bite of the original