California Man

Directed by Les Meyfield

Starring Sean Astin, Pauly Shore, Brendan Fraser

Teenagers aren't given much credit. After John Hughes movies that gave them intelligence, it feels as if certain teenagers have only the drives of trying to get the girl and overthrow the bully.

And why shouldn't a cave man who's been frozen in your back yard for centuries help you achieve all this?

Rather well behaved but geek type teenagers Dave and Stoney discover a huge block of ice within their back garden. So they quickly hide it only to discover it holds within it a prehistoric human.

The human escapes and Dave and Stoney have themselves a new toy friend. Someone to mould into their own design and possibly let loose on the problems we all faced at one stage.

Even as a fun and quick ride the film doesn't do anything I haven't seen before. There's some fun from Brendan Fraser, but being the main focus of the film, even he feels restricted. But I suppose you can't give a cave man too much dialogue. The audience will suspect there's something up.

Maybe I took it too seriously. Maybe I need to chill.

Or maybe I just think John Hughes was right and didn't reduce everyone down to their desires. He at least gave them interests.

2 / 5

If you like this you should try

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) 3 / 5

Wayne's World (1992) 4 / 5

Deep End (1970)

Directed by Jerzy Skolimowski

Starring John Moulder Brown, Jane Asher, Diana Dors

Teen films will get better won't they? At this level I can't see it happening.

Fifteen year old Mike gets himself a job at the local bath house and swimming pool establishment. Young, niave and attracting attention from the older women clients, Mike has his eyes firmly on his new female co-worker Susan.

And so the pain begins. Deep End is a funny, warm and tragic film that reminds us all that at one stage, we were young. And sometimes there is logic to be had at a time when everything's confused.

Shot perfectly when the two leads are together, I feel as if I should try to protect it from anyone trying to copy its template.

4.5 / 5

This Means War (2012)

Directed by McG

Starring Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hardy, Chris Pine

Wasn't Reese Witherspoon meant to be the next Julia Roberts? For a while I sort of hoped not. But this film seems to put that label back onto her.

Tom Hardy and Chris Pine are two C.I.A agents who through a dating website and some governmental hacking are now dating the same woman. That same woman, Lauren (Witherspoon) is just an unlucky gal when it comes to love - so is at first cautious about taking on two guys at once.

So the joke is that being C.I.A agents they both have electronic and spy like skills at their disposal to fight it out.

It first feels like a chick-flick for guys. And that's it. There's little fun had by the two male leads and Witherspoon seems to rely on her friend Trish's (Chelsea Handler) crazy suggestions more than her own initiative. And one thinks Witherspoon's character is to blame to a degree. What with her knowing fully that she's dating two guys.

In that last paragraph I think I've confirmed what we discussed at University at times concerning audiences at the cinema. That the viewer will most likely bring their own experiences to the picture.

For this film I sort of had to. There was no other way I'd enjoy it.

2/5

If you like this you should try

True Lies (1994) 4/5

Charlie's Angels (2000) 2/5

Get Smart (2008) 4/5

Date Night (2010) 4/5

The Mistress of Spices (2005)

Magic realism doesn't get much presence in cinema. Mostly Hallmark made-for-TV films would handle it. Which is why it's not surprising that The Mistress of Spices feels like one of them.

Tilo, a girl who can see into the future and is taught the ways of spice allows her skills to be used in a small Bazaar shop in San Francisco. But no matter how many people she can help, she cannot help herself with her gifts. Until someone rather handsome passes by and he has some connection to Red Chillis.

Whether there's any reading of this, I felt I was watching something like Spider-man again. Where there was a 'With great power comes great responsibilty' message being repeated, yet I couldn't absorb it. The film is light enough and I'm glad it is. Any heavier and I'd be regretting watching it.

Although it's been a while since I've seen a film set in San Francisco, so in that respect I'm giving it more credit than it deserves. I would have liked to seen more 'magic' in the 'magic realism' - but I suppose it's a genre that contradicts itself within those two words.

Or have I been watching Harry Potter too much?

2/5

If you like this you should try

Amelié (2001)