Best and Worst of 2018

Even before this year began, I had my doubts about the film line up. There were a lot of franchises I didn’t care about, a lot of unknowns, and a lot of straight up bad films. This year has been quite intense for me personally also, which didn’t make things any easier for Cinema Cocoa….

Review: Christopher Robin

An adorable, innocent jaunt down memory lane. When Christopher Robin grows up, leaving childish things behind and becoming a husband and father, he is shocked when his childhood friend, Winnie the Pooh, finds him in London. Pooh claims he needs Christopher’s help to find the other animals of 100 Acre Wood. Based off the children’s…

Review: Bumblebee

Dialling everything back to basics, Bumblebee is simple yet charming, a straightforward action adventure with none of the previous films’ dementia. Before Sam Witwicky has his fateful encounter with Autobot Bumblebee, the robotic warrior had another friend. Together, the two had to battle the odds and prevent the evil Decepticons from locating Earth. As an…

Review: Spider-Man – Into the Spider-Verse

Possibly the geekiest entry for comic book adaptations in recent times, Sony Animation Studios hit a home run with this flick. Just as highschooler Miles Morales gains powers similar to New York’s local superhero Spider-Man, the villainous Kingpin tears reality apart, causing other Spider-heroes to arrive from alternate dimensions! Miles has to understand how to…

Review: Mowgli – Legend of the Jungle

A project much devoted by its director, Andy Serkis, but plays out as quite forgettable. Human child, Mowgli, has grown up amongst the wolves of the jungle, fully embracing them as his family. But when a vicious tiger seeks to end his life and any who protect him, the animals of the wilderness seek to…

Review: The Predator

This film has great posters… Shame the film is utter garbage. As a sequel following (at least) Predator and Predator 2, a ragtag group of mentally unhinged soldiers find themselves up against an alien invader. But what is it doing here on Earth? Do we care? Sorry Predator fans… if you thought 2010’s Predators was…

Review: Mission: Impossible – Fallout

That was a very fine (and expensive) moustache. Following the events of Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Ethan Hunt finds himself in the middle of a plot for global devastation instigated by ex-Mi6 and criminal mastermind Soloman Lane. He and his team have a limited time to stop miniature nuclear weapons from being armed across…

Review: Incredibles 2

Much like the first film, Incredibles 2 is good but not stand-out. The Parr family, after their exploits against the villainous Syndrome, are still at odds using their powers for good in a world that rejects superheroes. But when a corporation looks to promote Elastigirl to restore the superhero public perception, Mr Incredible needs to…

Review: Tomb Raider

Vikander plays the part wonderfully, but this experience felt a little empty. See the humble beginnings of the legendary Lara Croft as she becomes The Tomb Raider. After her father Richard goes missing on an expedition to a distant and forgotten Asian island, Lara takes it upon herself to find him with the clues he…

Review: The Cloverfield Paradox

The Cloverfield Paradox surprised everyone with its release… after viewing it my feelings are somewhat torn. British scientist Eva Hamilton commits to joining an experimental space program to test an advanced particle collider in hope that it might solve Earth’s debilitating energy crisis. But operating the machine, even in Earth’s orbit, has bizarre and far-reaching…