THE MEG (Dir: Jon Turteltaub, 2018).

THE MEG (Dir: Jon Turteltaub, 2018).

Bigger isn’t always better, as this mega Jaws clone proves.


Jason Statham stars as Jonas Taylor, a washed up, alcoholic rescue diver held responsible for the death of two submarine crew in a botched rescue attempt. Called upon once again to rescue the crew of a stranded submersible, Taylor finds himself up against the Megalodon, a 75 foot shark thought to be extinct and soon heading for the coast of China! Is he up to the task? Will he end up as a Megalodon's dinner? Does anybody really care?

For those who have dreamed of a movie where Jason Statham battles a prehistoric beast, your wishes have come true. There is little more to The Meg than Statham vs Shark, although for some that will be enough.

Director Turteltaub’s movies rarely take themselves too seriously and The Meg benefits from his light touch. Once it gets going, the action barely sags and it never gets bogged down by the sort of fist clenching emoting that these movies have a tendency to. However, the flipside of this is that The Meg is populated by a few too many underwritten, cardboard cut-out characters and relies a little heavily on concepts and situations familiar from many other, much better, movies.


The computer generated special effects are impressive and while the audience has little investment in the characters to care one way or another if they end up as sharkbait, it is fun to see them get chomped on, one by one, by the massive Megalodon.

If it’s thrills you want, there are plenty, but it’s a shame that filmmakers tend to forget that movies like this don’t necessarily have to be the empty-headed entertainments they so often are. The original Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975) is testament to that. It's not a bad film but the formulaic, cookie cutter approach to filmmaking fails to lift it above any other number of forgettable action flicks.

Still, if rampaging monster movies are your thing it is certainly worth a look. If, like me, you have a soft spot for Jaws 3 (Joe Alves, 1983), you might enjoy this equally silly shark saga.

Check out my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of The Meg! Link below.

Movie number 81: FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY (Dir: Stephen Merchant, 2019).

The world of WWE is pretty alien to me. As, indeed, is the word of sport in general. As a movie fan, as opposed to a sports fan, I spend a lot more time sitting on my butt than I do taking part in any physical activity whatsoever. (NOTE: This is not a lifestyle I recommend. After reading my blog go do something active. After reading my blog.)

Fighting with My Family is the true story of professional wrestler Paige. Following her journey from competing as an amateur in her Norwich hometown to being signed by the WWE and becoming the youngest Divas Champions winner in the competition's history.

Watching this as a non-wrestling fan I was surprised at how much I genuinely enjoyed this movie. Partly financed by WWE Studios and co-produced by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, it is not the glossy, sanitised bio-pic that such official sanctioning might suggest. Brit director and writer Stephen Merchant doesn't shy from depicting the sometimes grim world of amateur wrestling or the negative effect Paige's career path has on her family, particularly her brother Zac who was unsuccessful in his WWE audition. Yet Merchant also delivers a movie of great warmth and humour with plenty of laugh out loud moments. Sentimental old fools like me should also watch out for the odd lump in the throat moment.


Standouts among the cast are Florence Pugh as Paige and Jack Lowden as Zac; impressive in both their acting and physical performance, convincing to these novice eyes as wrestlers proper. Nick Frost and Lena Headey are well cast as Paige's parents. Vince Vaughn has his best role in years as Paige's coach. Dwayne Johnson always seems an amiable chap and does here playing himself, rounding out a very appealing cast.

There is little of anything negative I can say about Fighting with My Family. It's not going to change the world, but it is solidly entertaining and wholly likeable. It is inspiring, uplifting, feelgood and any other cliche you wish to throw it at. It might also make you want to take up wrestling.

Visit my blog for more movie reviews: JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME! Link below.

FREAKY FRIDAY (Dir: Gary Nelson, 1976).

Walt Disney Productions' Freaky Friday is an early example of the 'body swap' comedy.

It tells the story of frustrated housewife Ellen Andrews (Barbara Harris) and her daughter Annabel (Jodie Foster). Following an argument on the morning of Friday the 13th the pair wish to change places, both believing the other has the more desirable life. Magically their wish is granted. Mom has to try to make it through a school day, while daughter deals with the pressures of housework. Comedy high jinks ensue.


While its concept no longer seems original, Freaky Friday is still a fairly fresh and funny movie, largely due to the excellent performances from its leads. Jodie Foster is terrific as the 35 year old mind in the body of a 13 year old, but the real revelation is Barbara Harris. Playing baseball with a team of 8 year olds, flirting with a teenage neighbour, having a meltdown over household chores; Harris perfectly captures the manic mind of 13 year old let loose in the body of a grown woman, proving herself an adept comedy actress in a fairly demanding physical role. Solid support from John Astin as bemused husband/father Bill Andrews, Sparky Marcus as Annabel’s brother ‘Ape Face’, Marc McClure as neighbourhood crush Boris and Patsy Kelly as the Andrew’s boozy housekeeper round out an appealing principle cast.


For the most part director Gary Nelson avoids the formulaic, cookie-cutter approach associated with Disney comedy movies of the era, thanks to Mary Rodger's superior script which stays close to spirit of her book. The movie occasionally veers a little too far into slapstick but most of it works and there are more big laughs than not. The mother/daughter relationship at the movies core is completely believable, through the misunderstandings to the inevitable reconciliation. The denouncement is nicely handled, not too sentimental and quite touching.

Freaky Friday is a good natured romp, with plenty of big laughs and let's be honest, who among us hasn't wondered what it would be like to switch places with Jodie Foster?

Read a longer, more in-depth version of this review on my blog: jinglebonesmovietime.blogspot.com

Movie number 83: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (Dir: Terence Young, 1963).

Sean Connery returns as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in this second movie in the series, From Russia with Love. Produced, once again, by ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and Harry Saltzman’s Eon Productions.

Here some double agent dupery sees Bond smuggling a Soviet Lektor decrypting device from East to West via the Orient Express. Pulling the strings are terrorist organisation SPECTRE, seeking to avenge the death of an agent who Bond bumped off previously.

Dr No director Terence Young returns to deliver another tight, action packed yet well paced thriller. I will admit the misogynistic tone of From Russia with Love leaves a bad taste. The sight of Bond slapping a woman about, even if she is a Russian agent, fills me with unease. That aspect aside, the movie ranks as one of the series’ best.

Many latter staples of the series are introduced here. SPECTRE head honcho Blofeld makes his first appearance, as does gadget man Q, a role Desmond Llewelyn would be associated with until his death in 1999. From Russia with Love also introduced the pre-title sequence and Lionel Bart provided the first Bond theme. Heard as an instrumental against the nudie ladies silhouette titles (another first - although here she is a belly dancer, nudieness would follow in later movies), Matt Monro’s beautiful vocal version is heard first over a transistor radio and later in the end credits.

Connery is fantastic; equal parts flirty and fighty, cool yet sophisticated. A quality supporting cast sees regulars Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell return as M and Miss Moneypenny respectively; an amiable Pedro Armendáriz as Bond’s Istanbul M16 ally; Robert Shaw makes an impressive baddie and Daniela Bianchi gets to look lovely in a series of nighties as ambiguous Bond girl Tatiana. Best of all is the fabulous Lotte Lenya as SPECTRE agent and possessor of lethal footwear Rosa Klebb.

In my opinion the early Bond movies were never bettered. From Russia with Love, in particular, holds up as one of the series’ best and has stood the test of time as an exciting action adventure in its own right.

If you enjoyed this review check out my previous review of Dr No. A longer, more in-depth version of this review appears on my blog jinglebonesmovietime.blogspot.com

James Bond will return in my review of Goldfinger...

LADY AND THE TRAMP II: SCAMP’S ADVENTURE (Dir: Darrell Rooney, 2001).

46 years after Walt Disney’s original Lady and the Tramp (Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson & Hamilton Luske, 1955) comes this belated straight-to-video sequel.

Lady and Tramp’s only son Scamp rebels at life on a leash, runs away from home and hooks up with a gang of tough junkyard dogs. Clashing with gang leader Buster and falling for fetching young pup Angel, Scamp eventually must choose between his family or freedom.

Produced by Walt Disney Television Animation (lately DisneyToon Studios) on a much smaller budget than a Walt Disney Animation Studios feature, resulting in a markedly less polished production than that of its sister studio. The character animation is flat and cartoony, replacing the original movie’s studied realism. The backgrounds, likewise, lack the depth and detail of the first movie, while a homage to Lady and the Tramp’s famous spaghetti sequence and a train dodge scenario lifted from The Aristocats (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1970) are a reminder of how superior those movies are.

Among the cast you may recognise the familiar voices of Disney’s own little mermaid Ariel Jodi Benson as Lady and Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney as Scamp’s pal Sparky. While certainly perfunctory, none of the voice actors make much of an impression. Some serviceable but forgettable songs punctuate the soundtrack, none coming close to Peggy Lee and Sonny Burke’s majestic originals. Here lies the problem with Lady and the Tramp II; it is simply weaker than the first movie in all departments.

In truth, there are worse movies than Lady and the Tramp II. There are probably even worse Disney straight-to-videos sequels. But I honestly do not understand why you would watch this film instead of the masterful original. Lady and the Tramp endures as one of Walt Disney’s greatest animated features. Sadly, this cannot be said about its sequel; a pale imitation of the original and a soulless, artless exercise in exploitation.

A review of the original Lady and the Tramp and a longer, more in-depth review of Lady and the Tramp II can be found on my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME! Link below.

THE LEFTOVERS (Dir: Paul Schneider, 1986).

If there is a more 1980's way to open your movie than with Howard Jones' New Song, than I do not know what it is. I am also unsure as to who this lightweight comedy will resonate with, other than 1980's kids.

The Leftovers stars singer turned actor John Denver as Max Sinclair, director of The Middleburg Orphanage and surrogate father to the ragtag bunch of kids who live there. Cindy Williams is the live in help. Together they fend off plans to redevelop the home by underhanded means, while the kids do all they can to keep from being adopted.

Originally aired on television as part of ABC's The Disney Sunday Movie weekly series in November 1986. It's not hard to imagine that a decade earlier The Leftovers would have been released to cinemas, with Dean Jones and Sandy Duncan as possible leads. It is old fashioned, inoffensive but not without charm.

It may be a generational thing, but I did enjoy this movie. It is nothing spectacular but the leads are likeable and while the plot has a few too many contrivances and conveniences for its own good, most of its laughs are genuine.

However, it is low-key in the extreme and although I had seen this movie at around the age of 12 or 13, only one scene stuck in my head and that was the opening, probably because my tweenage self was a big fan of Howard Jones!

I am sure I enjoyed The Leftovers as a kid because I lapped up anything Disney. Revisiting it as an adult I am aware that it is no classic, even by 80's Disney TV movie standards. But it is an entertaining 90 odd minutes; if you are in the mood for some gentle 1980's nostalgia you might find it hits the spot. Just don't expect to remember much about it afterwards!

Visit my blog jinglebonesmovietime.blogspot.com for more reviews of vintage Disney movies!