Die Hard (1988)

Ever since Hans Gruber and his 'terrorists' faced off with John McClane in the Nakatomi Plaza, action movies have tried to emulate the 80s action classic Die Hard to the extent a formula developed: add to one hostage situation an everyman hero, a droll baddie who spends a scene pretending to be a hostage, then mix in a smarmy, self-interested double-crossing hostage who gets his comeuppance; among the hostages, have an insider love-interest, while outside there is an out-of-their-depth assistant; and make the authorities, the police and government agencies, powerless; but despite the efforts of many copycats, no action flick has bettered Die Hard's formula - not even its four sequels.

★★★★★

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEWS

Love Actually (2003)

This saccharine romantic comedy is replayed on television about three times a week and I've grown to loathe it, but at least on the first occasion it is a pleasure, featuring an ensemble all-star cast in a series of interconnected stories that share the central theme of messy love.

★★★★☆

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEWS

Eye In The Sky (2015)

Depicting a situation rather than telling a story, this war room thriller purports to show a realistic lead-up to a fictional air strike and it is fascinating if only to wonder at the reality of the technology (not the hummingbird spycam - that's certainly not being used by British Intelligence) and to wonder at the likelihood of the discussions that take place between British and American military leaders and politicians who drink tea and weigh up potential collateral damage.

★★★★☆

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Once a dazzling blockbuster movie event, this Robin Hood movie now only dazzles with its mediocrity, featuring an American-accented Robin Hood engaging in slow-action sword and archery fights...even the "arrow cam" which wowed in 1991 is no longer impressive, and while his award-winning performance is still the best thing in it, the late Alan Rickman, you suspect, portrayed his Sheriff of Nottingham the way he did - sardonic, leering - to entertain himself as much as others, given how tedious a movie-making experience this now appears, one that looks just like actors mucking around in front of cameras.

★★☆☆☆

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEWS