The Hobbit: An unexpected journey (2012)

The charm of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit lies in its naivete, in its innocent comedy, and sense of naughty fun.

Peter Jackson's The Hobbit rewrites the comedy into part of the dark epic of Lord of the Rings.

The result is a story that is unsuited to the genre, at odds with its telling, and at odds with its intended epic greatness.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 12 December 2012.

The Assassins (铜雀台) (2012)

This Three Kingdoms political thriller deconstructs the villainy of Cao Cao, amidst a conspiracy by Han loyalists to assassinate the strongman and Protector of the Realm.

It's easier said than done, given the political climate in China, which practically forces all historical epics to end on the same moral that peaceful dictatorship being preferable to an anarchy.

A predictable failure in this sense, but the trite love angle between the very forgettable 'central' assassins makes it worse.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 26 September 2012.

Agora (2009)

She wanted to know who left their panties at her house during the orgy...

How does a republic die?

How would you make your last stand in a doomed battle?

How do you like living in the all-new, all-improved Christian Rome?

Read my full review at Fridae.com, first published on 25 February 2010.