In the early naughties Andy Serkis opened the debate on CGI acting by performing as Golem in Lord of The Rings. Many critics wanted to see him win an Oscar for best supporting actor but this raised the question over how much of his appearance was the actor and how much was Russian interference or an Iranian hack. Would we really allow foreign interference determine who should win our Oscars?

One of the big questions was how far would CGI go or to put it bluntly at what point would too much CGI ruin the film industry. Well Tom Hooper answers this by introducing Cats the movie. This is the moment where CGI damned itself for all eternity.

​That said to blame CGI as the sole reason for this nightmare inducing catastrophe would be entirely unfair. Quite frankly whoever thought making this movie was a good idea needs a reality check and a new career, sure it's got some tasty ingredients but it's a very bad recipe that turns out to be completely indigestible.

There are professionals involved in this movie that should have refused to take part and refused to sing and refused to deliver bad lines and most of all to have refused to simulate furry cat masturbation.

The sun is dead, Judi Dench needs to publicly apologize for singing, and Taylor Swift needs to accept that she's nothing more than a cheap Instagram influencer who conned people into buying a product that does humanity more harm than good.

Growing up I never dreamed of being a cat so going into this my expectations were low but I had high hopes that I would enjoy the merry adventure. However this is one fantasy that takes you nowhere but makes you want to leave everywhere.

It's a Frankenstein imagining of Dr Moreau's island where the plot is about animal DNA infused bi-humans competing on the cat xfactor for the prize of being ritually sacrificed for the chance to be reborn, like a bad berocca boost ad that subliminally promises to fix an incurable hangover but leaves you questioning life.

The movie was a complete letdown, it was as seasonal as a dull Christmas cracker joke instead of being the contender for a week long talking point special on the Niall Boylan show, the controversial bizarre bitchfest that it should have been.

No one has the magic to rescue this movie, not Jason Derulo, not Mr MakeItStopPlease, not Gandalf, nor Jennifer Hudson - despite some suggestions. This entire movie is a car crash with dead bodies everywhere. The big screen performance of 'Memory' is like the emergency wheel in the boot that remains intact, but to suggest that spare parts are a redeeming feature is sick and inhumane.

What ever could have been rescued is killed off by CGI capitalism that unrepentantly stabs any artistic presence this movie could have had through the eye with a poisoned corkscrew. Universal studio should do a full recall of Cats and put the film reels in a vault that no human can ever unlock. Don't see it, don't think about it, never tell your children what happened.

The final trilogy in the Skywalker saga has been all about new powers, old faces, and force ghosts. The biggest flaw with the Disney installments has been their formulaic scripts but The Rise of Skywalker manages to hold onto a few surprises which just about rescue this installment.

I didn't watch this film with five star expectations, The Force Awakens thought me that, but The Last Jedi recovered some of the magic that you expect from a galaxy far far away, enough to pump me full of the right level of excitement to make me abandon my family to watch this over Christmas.

At the heart of it, episode nine is a tragic love story that breaks the rules, too many rules for some fans, but it's intrinsically beautiful if you can tuck yourself into the film....which may be difficult given Emperor Palpatine's unimaginative evil resurgence.

I'd consider myself a fan of the Star Wars universe (obviously) but to be honest I didn't enjoy the amount of gaps in Palpatines story and it's hard to forgive the vagueness of the sith world. The prequels created a thirst in me for sith darkness and this neat production failed to delve into the well of the darkside. Also the emperor just isn't frightfully evil enough, sure he mercilessly pops planets but what happens in the realm of galactic dictatorship, where are the riches, the bounty hunters, the cities that worship the dark lord?

I also would have liked to see more from Kylo, but I guess he's not Anakin. The movie opens with Kylo hunting down the emperor to slice him in two which would allow him to rule the first order but the encounter is weak, does he accept the emperor's rule, should there be more conflict, could these dark forces be pitted against one other for control of the Galaxy resulting in space battles like never seen before?

The outcome was a bit too Disney with a simplified showdown between Sith and Jedi, with Ren & Rey left to choose sides while that onscreen chemistry developed into the greatest love story ever told.

​The film produced one of the best fight scenes in the history of Star Wars, in contrast with Anakin's fight with Obi Wan in a pit of lava, Ren & Rey dual on top of a sunken death star in the middle of the ocean with towering waves curling up around them. Cinematic, powerful, and ultimately spellbinding.

Our daz white Disney star is far more appealing in this installment also, she's a real hero and the morale goodness of the Jedi shines through her. Her battle with the darkside and forcecalls with Kylo are tantalising enough to give the story enough depth to make you root for the rebels once more.

For this alone it's worth watching how the Skywalker timeline concludes, sure it could be darker at times, like we'd all have preferred to see Cheewie being captured and tortured with some tweezers and it would have been more interesting if the emperor had a personality but it is what it is. It has all the joys of Star Wars with a gentle touch that makes this an enjoyable installment. By itself it's a classic battle of good versus evil, an endearing love story, and a hero that you can believe in. Enjoy the final Skywalker movie and may the force be with you.

Image by @elithienart

I consider myself very lucky to have got tickets to the Dublin Film Festival's screening of the elegant war time film Aftermath. The evening opened with an introduction by one of the film's young stars, Fionn O'Shea who said being part of this film was "a dream come true" which was the perfect prelude to this post war fantasy.

Set in a time before Brexit, long before the Germans learned to speak English and kick Britain out of the EU, long before people exposed everything about themselves on the internet. In a time after the great war and the war after that, but before therapy helped people deal with tragedy and before Nespresso replaced tea in the English kitchen.

Now we've all seen plenty of war time films so it's quite intriguing to see a movie take on a different angle in the toil and tumble of post war Europe. Aftermath is a movie about rebuilding and recovering what has been lost, and with themes of compassion forgiveness and reconciliation it has plenty of ammo to bring you to tears time and time again.

Set in the ruins of Hamburg, just five months after World War Two the cinematography is outstanding with the best opening sequence I've seen in a film since Lord of War. The contrast between the bomb shelled buildings in the city to the safe haven of the snow topped manor is absolutely breathtaking. The home's heart is it's piano, a significant prop that forms part of the emotional veins that run through this movie.

Keira Knightley plays the lead role but not just as the centre of the ensuing love triangle, no Keira performs with the stage presence you'd expect from the most glamorous cinema star of our generation. I often wonder what she'd be like in other classic love stories like Rebecca, Titanic, or The Painted Veil but when she's able to select movies like this and make instant classics of her own it's no wonder she's got such box office appeal.

Keira Knightley fandom aside there is a wonderful cast in the film with each of the characters searching for something of their own, whether it's a lost mother figure, a post war wife, or a friendly führer replacement, every character leaves their heart on their sleeve trying to fill the void. In fact the depth of love is explored from more angles than a Hugh Grant movie marathon while we also experience the characters fears and grievances, which make this one of the most emotional packed movies you'll ever see.

Aftermath has a very powerful ending that I'm sure will have critics talking for weeks. For me it's an instant classic that I can't wait to watch again but if you're not a fan of the Keira Knightley genre it might not capture your imagination, which means you'll never really experience World War Two PTSD the way you want to. For those of you that adore the genre this movie comes easily recommended.

Looking back over 90’s movies with special effects can sometime be cringe to the point of being unbearable but Alita helps us forget the time before CGI by seamlessly integrating computer generated characters with regular old movie stars. I now believe that robot children and Hollywood A-listers can finally live side by side without developing into a messy lawsuit years later.

Alita Battle Angel is a CGI master class that changes the face of entertainment in the same way Avatar did back in 2009.  This film is the 21st century equivalent of ballet, its peak entertainment and there is a whole lot more to come as a result. This film showcases CGI being integrated in perfect harmony with traditional cinema, prepare to enter a fantasy world without even noticing.

Alita holds a great storyline, it feels more like a limited series in the sense that it’s not rushed together or chasing towards an impossible ending. There are plenty of characters to like and hate which helps give a sense of depth and reality to the movie, while also introducing elements of comic book seduction much like Sin City did. There are also plenty of different areas of interest in IronCity, it’s a wonderful landscape all by itself, from the streets to the underground, from the Sky City to the badland lakes. There are also dark elements to this wonderful city from sinister Hunter Warriors, to body part collectors, and characters driven by self interest regardless of cost.

The cyborg Alita begins her reawakening as a child android on a path to self discovery. Thirty minutes in and she’s into adolescent phase discovering bad boys, motorball, and chocolate which adds to the humour of the film. It also develops into a cute love story which makes you wonder if Twitter bots are all that bad, can humans love automated intelligence, is there room for botboyfriends in the real world? This film holds the answer to that question.

What makes this movie so intriguing is how you get drawn into caring for the young robot with  android eyes and a human brain, ultimately Alita is a relatable character, more so than say Scarlet Johansson’s attempt at playing robot consciousness in Ghost in the Shell, similar concept, one clear winner. Alita has such a hidden history that we only get to discover the tip of the iceberg in this installment, I can only imagine there will be sequels and prequels to dive into this fantasy world in years to come, this could very well be a universe to potentially match the Star Wars realm and it might just be time to hang up your lightsaber.

The best thing that can be said about this movie is that it is literally a film for everyone, there is nobody on this green earth that could possibly dislike it, it’s an action packed righteousness adventure where dog lovers triumph and bad guys get punished. Alita not only has a human heart but also has a touch of soul that resonates with everyone. This is one film you shouldn’t miss if you’re emotionally ready for the future of cinema, the technology is here and it may very well be the perfect time to remake “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” as well as opening up the real potential of visual entertainment like you never imagined possible. 

I went to see Mortal Engines because I thought it looked a bit like a Final Fantasy adventure but boy was I wrong. I was disappointed within minutes to discover it was more about a futuristic imperial Britain swallowing up small settlements and enslaving their people, all the while on the road to war in a steampunk battle tank called London.  The double standards of the Tractionists appearing to denounce war while imposing serfdom on their captives, forcing them to join a city bound by a class system based on inequality was too much nonsense to take in at once.   

As a fantasy movie it was more borrowed than new, heavily relying on existing sci-fi concepts. For instance Anna Fang could be straight out of one of the Matrix movies (more likely the sequels than the original). The main threat of violence was also straight from the recycling bin, a killing machine in the form of the Brexitinator named Shrike, who angrily roams the desert landscape in pursuit of a handjob. The most disappointing moment is the twinkie joke which only exemplifies how unoriginal the movie is and what a letdown the script is in parts.

One of the more cinematic and eye catching aspects of this fantasy world was the city in the sky, but this also proved too ridiculous for belief when it was discovered the floors were made from paper. There was also the prison in the sea which was far from waterproof, and the great wall of the east that has no actual shield despite its name.

However Robert Sheehan and Hera Hilmar look amazing together, and not just because of the great costume design, in my opinion their chemistry salvages a bad movie. Their onscreen presence just about pulls things together to invite you into the Mortal Engines world and they keep you on board until the end. I really hope they’re both in a good movie soon, hopefully they even make a move together. The main problem with their potential love affair in this film is that they risk their lives for one another in every second scene but they never even get the shift. I remember a young lad sued coppers for less a few years ago.
​
Ultimately I think Mortal Engines will be seen as 2018’s Waterworld without the comeback, as this “Mad Max/Dr Who” hybrid has little to offer the imagination and gains nothing from its kamikaze attempt at becoming a cult classic by being a complete failure on the big screen.