Jamie Bell

News, Reviews & Features
  • Review: Rocketman is a Bo Rhap glow-up... but then again, no

    Movie Review | Ali Gray | 22nd May 2019

    Put Bohemian Rhapsody out of your head: this jukebox musical about a flamboyant rock singer directed by Dexter Fletcher is nothing like that jukebox musical about a flamboyant rock singer directed by Dexter Fletcher. In principle at least, Bo Rhap made sense as a tribute to the mercurial nature of the Queen frontman, a celebration of his musical genius and his tragic legacy. Rocketman, however, is quite different. For starters, Elton John (Tantrums & Tiaras, Kingsman 2, every other fucking episode of the The Graham Norton Show, apparently) is alive and well and executively producing his own vanity biopic. As a celebration of Elton's music, Rocketman delivers a satisfying and foot-stomping soundtrack of wall-to-wall bangers, but as an exploration of the man himself, it lacks any notable dramatic impetus outside of the generic rise, fall and rise template. It's less a movie, more a West End stage musical in search of a worthy hero.

  • Fantastic Four (2015)

    Movie Review | Matt Looker | 6th August 2015

    The old Fantastic Four films from 10 years ago are an embarrassment, aren’t they? All kid-friendly colours and CGI slapstick; they might as well be cartoons. It’s great then, that this – say it with me – gritty reboot finally aims to give comics’ First Family the big-screen outing they deserve. A film that treats Stretchy Man, Rock Guy, Fire Boy and Invisi-Girl with due reverence and respect. A film that takes a realistic approach to dimension-hopping science and explores the seriousness of.. oh god, no, I can’t do it. Come back, Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and, yes even you, Michael Chiklis’ foam fatsuit. All is forgiven.

  • Filth

    Movie Review | Neil Alcock | 4th October 2013

    Bruce Robertson is a cunt. A lying, thieving, cheating, racist, misogynist, homophobic shitstick who would sooner drug you and steal your watch than give you the time of day, and if he did give you the time of day it would be after looking at your own watch, which he has just stolen. He pinches kids' balloons, forces underage girls to nosh on his junk and screws his friends' and colleagues' wives. He's also a Detective Sergeant in Edinburgh's Lothian Constabulary, and probably the greatest lead character in cinemas this year.

  • Why does The Guardian hate Tintin?

    Movie Feature | Ali | 1st November 2011

    You may have already seen Steven Spielberg's new movie, The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn. It's good, huh? Well, The Guardian couldn't disagree more: in fact, they've dedicated FOUR SIX separate op-ed pieces on why they disliked it so much. Protest much?

  • The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn

    Movie Review | Ali | 16th October 2011

    Despite a directorial career that spans – holy shit, 40 years? – The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn is Steven Spielberg's first animated film. Techniques have come and gone over the years, barriers have been broken, box-office records and preconceptions shattered alike, but only now has Spielberg decided the medium is ready for him – and he's picked his moment well. For all of the good work done by Robert Zemeckis, Peter Jackson and James Cameron, it is Spielberg who has justified the existence of motion-capture technology: The Adventures Of Tintin is a relentlessly thrilling, rip-roaring yarn that's as close as anyone has ever come to bringing a comic-book to life.

  • Blistering Barnacles! First look at JackBerg's Tintin

    Movie News | Luke | 1st November 2010

    You could almost hear the waffles hitting the floor when it was announced that Belgium's most famous not-beer-or-lace-or-karate export would be coming at us not only in 3D, but also as a computer-generated Billy Elliot. But you know what? This tiny glimpse is already looking all kinds of awesome. By which I mean fuck you shut up - it's Tintin, and that's all that matters.

  • Spider-Man's cast list grows; would you just cast him already?

    Movie Feature | Ali | 12th June 2010

    Last week, the internet was absolutely certain that Billy Elliot was going to be cast as the new Spider-Man. Now, it's saying Kick-Ass and Chekov are in the running, too. Damn you internet, make up your mind!