Best and Worst of 2019

We are here again. Seemingly so soon, too. I remember having great enthusiasm for this year, or certainly compared to 2018’s film roster, but now that we have reached the end of 2019 it is sad to admit that there have been a lot of disappointment in the last twelve months. Of course, like all…

Review: Frozen II

A film that has everyone’s attention looks to have cold feet when delivering substance… With Elsa established as Queen of Arendelle, everything seems well for our protagonists. But when Elsa starts to hear a voice in her head, calling to her, she risks everyone’s safety to discover an enchanted forest of legend. What truth will…

Review: Maleficent – Mistress of Evil

As if not adhering to the original, or the fairy tale it was based off, wasn’t enough; this sequel doesn’t even follow its wayward predecessor. It has been five years since the fairy Maleficent defeated the evil King Stephen and saved Princess Aurora from her own curse, but as fate would have it, people still…

Review: Gemini Man (HFR 3D)

Will Smith versus Will Smith sounds like a premise from the 1990s, and Gemini Man doesn’t do enough to elevate itself above a rather empty screenplay. Henry Brogan is a hitman and assassin who wants out, but when one of his targets turns out to be of vital importance to a shadowy organisation, he himself…

Review: Joker

This is not your average comic book movie. Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian and performing clown in Gotham city, lives with his ageing mother while hopelessly trying to make it in show business. But the darkness in his head and the oppressive, uncompromising reality outside threaten to unravel his sanity completely. It is a little…

Review: The Lion King (2019)

A technical achievement, but a carbon-copy of the original. Young lion cub Simba has to come into his own and defend the Pride lands from his power-hungry uncle, Scar. Next in the procession of Disney live action remakes, following Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo, and Aladdin, making this the third of these released in the…

Review: Spider-Man – Far from Home

An enjoyable flick with great characters, although the story beats felt a little derivative. After “the blip”, millions of people are miraculously brought back to life and Peter Parker returns to school. Having had a harrowing experience against Thanos, Parker just wants to have a quiet summer vacation. Unfortunately Nick Fury really needs him to…

Review: Toy Story 4

If you are certain Toy Story should have remained a trilogy, this will probably not change your mind. Nine years ago, Bo Peep was taken away after Andy’s sister decided she didn’t need her anymore. Now Woody and the gang are with Bonnie, their new child, and Woody finds new purpose in caring for Forky, a…

Review: Men in Black – International

By all rights, it is a good concept. But while style and flare are still present, meaningful characters and humour are thin on the ground. Molly, after witnessing the MIB and an alien as a child, spent two decades looking for the agency to become one of them. Now she’s made it, she finds herself…

Review: Aladdin (2019)

Another Disney remake, another lesser version of a film that already exists. A street thief has the hots for a princess, and after being lulled into a task by an evil vizier, he stumbles over a magical lamp. Inside this lamp is a genie who grants him three wishes, and a moral quandary lies ahead…