Luke Baldock (kiriyamakazou)

An unstoppable compilation of slapstick moments assembled to show one of the worst Christmases ever. Dead cats, annoying relatives, broken lights, are all utilised to varying degrees of funny. There are a few laugh out loud moments, but these tend to fall victim to earlier, more obvious attempts at humour. There's certainly nothing that can be considered memorable or witty about this film, but it's a decent enough Christmas watch.

This is no kid's film. This is a mature and thoughtful look at the psychology of a child, and also how we come to understand the world and complex emotions around us. Max is a very angry child, he interprets the acts of others as personal attacks on himself. This leads to those he loves pushing him away. Eventually he discovers the Wild Things, a group of monsters that need him to help manage their emotions. Of course, Max soon discovers that sometimes sadness, anger, jealousy and loneliness can't be stopped. It's a wonderful film, filled with fantastic cinematography and wonderful creatures. If it has a drawback, it would be that it's too mature for children to really enjoy. But as an adult, I appreciate the level of detail and slow moments of quiet. Catherine O'Hara's speech on why Max can't be angry at her is one of the all-time brilliant moments in emotional cinema.

Quite simply the greatest film ever. It's perfect. Kurosawa uses all his skill to create an influential action masterpiece. Each of the characters gets their own amount of screen time and is developed upon. Kurosawa blurs the lines between good and evil, as we discover the farmers are not as pure and weak as they claim to be. The battle scenes have never really been matched, as most battles today lack real emotion. We feel there is something worth losing. Simply fantastic.

Simply and utterly gorgeous. A silent gem that shows how far cinema can go on simply visuals. Mainly told in close ups, the performances are just restrained enough to avoid the comical silent overacting. An artistic masterpiece.