Movies for Christmas- The Grinch, 102 Dalmations & The Little Vampire Tis the season to be jolly... and also go to the Cinema for a family treat. Yes that's right it's the Christmas season when you're guaranteed to vist your local multiplex with all the members of your family. The dilemma is what will you watch? No swearing as Granny won't like it, Mum and Dad won't like the loud bangs and violence, so what's left? The good clean family film, that's what and there's plenty out this time of year...so let me guide you through what's and what's not....  The Grinch @ UGC, Ipswich
STARRING: Jim Carrey, Jeffrey Tambor, Taylor Momsen, Christine Baranski, Anthony Hopkins, Bill Irwin LINE ON THE POSTER: You better watch out! WHAT HAPPENS: Poor old Mr Grinch, he lives all alone, on his own, in a home, which has no phone (see what I've done there?...you'll only get it if you've read the Dr. Seuss, rhyming you see). After fleeing the weird and wonderful fantasy land of Whoville when only eight years old, due to an unfortunate shaving accident, he's grown into a bitter 'grinch' who lives  alone on a rubbish dump. He despises everybody and everything, especially Christmas, which the Who's of Whoville love, making him an unloved outcast. However, little Cindy Lou Who invites The Grinch to Whoville so he can enjoy Christmas, and life again, but it just leads to humiliation. So Mr.Grinch hatches a dastardly scheme to ruin Christmas and make everybody unhappy...can anybody stop him?  ANY GOOD?: Yes, this is 'the' Christmas film for the holidays, it oozes sentimentality but also makes you feel like you wanna go home unwrap the prezzies, light the log fire and have that big meal as soon as you leave the cinema. It looks absolutley amazing, with the whole Whoville and the surrounding  mountains being perfectly created from the ideas in the book. Carrey is really funny, although you can't recognise him under all that make-up, but it's definitely him as the Grinch's humour can only come from that man. Although maybe more a younger kid's film than something for all ages (like in 'Toy Story 2') 'The Grinch' will appeal to the 3-year old kid in you and you'll love it, as long as you leave any cynicism at the cinema door.
 INERESTING FACT: The Grinch's make-up, which completetly disguises actor Jim Carrey, took 3 hours to put on! It made Carrey feel so unbearably confined that counselling from a Navy SEAL, who taught him torture-resistance techniques, was required!
LIKED IT, TRY: Nightmare Before Christmas, Santa Clause The Movie, Scrooge RATING: CHRISTMAS FILM RATING:  102 Dalmations @ UGC Ipswich
STARRING: Glenn Close, Ioan Gruffudd, Alice Evans, Tim McInnery, Gerard Depardieu, Eric Idle LINE ON THE POSTER: A spotless new tail is going to be unleashed
WHAT HAPPENS: Well if you haven't seen the first film then you're going to be completely in the dark as to what the hell is actually going on. It basically picks up where 101 left off, with the evil Cruella De Ville in the 'slammer' due to her dastardly dog-napping and all of 'Old London Town's' lovely dalmations free and happy. That is until Cruella is released into the community  after...allegedly...being reformed into a fine upstanding dog lover. However a string of ludicrous occurences put Cruella firmly back into her terrible ways and she's after the poor old spotted doggies again for that coat of her dreams, this time with a hood...hence 102 Dalmations this time around ANY GOOD?: No, which is a surprise as the first one was actually very very good, enjoyable wholesome fun for all the family. It's basically a retread, plot-wise, of 101 Dalmations, but terrible and  unrealistic instead of good and believable. Also the portrait of London and England is soooooo bad, hence my bad, fake 'cockneyisms' used above. Compared to other Disney feel-good holiday films this lacks the punch, the plot and the appeal to all ages. It will do enormously well at the box-office but will unfortunately have little appeal unless you're six years old, it's over cute and over schmaltzy and the plot is noinsensical and ludicrous. You're little brother or sister will love it...but you won't...avoid it...'me old China's'. INTERESTING FACT: Even though you may not think it by his terrible French accent in this film, Gerard Depardieu is actually French. LIKED IT, TRY: Lady and the Tramp, 101 Dalmations or Toy Story 2 RATING:  CHRISTMAS FILM RATING:
 The Little Vampire @ UGC, Ipswich
STARRING: Jonathan Lipnicki, Richard E. Grant, Jim Carter, Alice Krige, Pamela Gidley LINE ON THE POSTER: They're not just best friends. They're blood brothers.
WHAT HAPPENS: Being new to the area is always a big problem when starting school, especially in a remote Scttish Highland village, where all the locals hate outsiders. So for American Tony Thompson (Lipnicki) things are tough and they get tougher when his dreams are haunted by visions of strange ancient rituals. However his life takes a turn for the better when he befriends a Vampire, Gregory, and his whole family, who are a lot frendlier than all the real people around him. Unfortnately there's a Vampire Hunter after them and they need track down a valuable amulet, which holds the key to an ancient curse. ANY GOOD?: Yeah...one to definitley catch if you're looking for a family Christmas film this holiday period. It has all the necessary  ingredients cute kids, stupid adults, jokes for all ages and also it has flying vampire cows...I mean how good is that? It also has quite dark edge for a family film, with all the vampire business and a strong fantasy storyline which always seems that little more magical and real during winter. Thus making 'The Little Vampire' a good choice to drag all the family down to the multiplex this holiday. INTERESTING FACT: Jonathan Lipnicki played the youngster in Jerry Maguire, yeah the one who said '...he said the f-word...' he was also in Stuart Little. LIKED IT, TRY: The Goonies, The NeverEnding Story or The Borrowers RATING: CHRISTMAS FILM RATING:
by ChrisM
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FILM |
Distributor |
3-day
gross £ |
| 1 |
The Grinch |
UIP |
3,063,799 |
| 2 |
Charlie's Angels |
Col TriStar |
2,250,016 |
| 3 |
What Lies Beneath |
Fox |
412,013 |
| 4 |
Red Planet |
WB |
330,391 |
| 5 |
Urban Legends: Final Cut |
Col TriStar |
265,282 |
| 6 |
Billy Elliot |
UIP |
241,525 |
| 7 |
Small Time Crooks |
FilmFour |
183,066 |
| 8 |
Bedazzled |
Fox |
176,367
|
| 9 |
Coyote Ugly |
BVI |
142,278 |
| 10 |
Pitch Black |
UIP |
139,927 |
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