John Mitchell

The word 'pedestrian', in reference to movies and how boring they are, is typified when talking about this offering. There is absolutely nothing original, even remotely unique or unpredictable here in the slightest. It's strictly baby's-first-screenplay stuff. In fact, it's so formulaic and beige, that, were it not for the fact that the film takes itself so seriously, one could almost wonder if it were a satire. The screenplay, direction, and performances are so ho-hum that one can practically see the phones in everyone's hands. While Protector (a.k.a. Valentine's Day) is nowhere near what one could call awful, it's so utterly bland, so devoid of even the merest semblance of imagination, that I just have to wonder what the point of it is.

The thing looks cool, but basically, that’s the good points taken care of. Otherwise, it’s tonally all over the shop, the puns are grating and the story is a big bag of nothing.

Although there are occasional moments of genuine pathos that strike just the right note, (and so there should be, considering the talent involved) most of it feels very heavy-handed, consequently, most of the time, it comes off like an overblown TV drama.

Absolutely top notch. Everything about this series - from the acting to the photograhy - is bang on the money. It's a fantastic, compulsively watchable series.

Just delightful. Burton’s updated Frankenstein story is replete with fine performances, chief among which is that of Johnny Depp, who is perfectly cast. This is the first of the films that Burton and Depp collaborated on, and it's also the best. It's a lovely, funny, good-natured, bittersweet modern fairytale that everyone must see. In recent years, Burton’s work has slipped in quality (I'm thinking of Dark Shadows and Big Eyes, mainly) but, this shows him at his absolute best.