Review: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

You are going to want to brush up on your 1960s Hollywood history before watching this! Rick Dalton is a Hollywood megastar of the 1950s and 60s just coming to terms with the idea that he is losing his edge, that younger actors are taking his place. His stuntman, Cliff Booth, despite living a far…

Review: Fast & Furious – Hobbs & Shaw

So far removed from the franchise that it is almost bearable in its stupidity. For no discernible reason, different agencies from America and Britain team up two men who hate each other to stop a cyborg from destroying the world. If it weren’t for the utter paranoia of studios unable to release a movie without…

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: The Dead Don’t Die

What a strange little film. The quiet little American town of Centreville is about to have a rude awakening when zombies start rising from the grave. It is up to two unlikely local cops to find a solution, and fast. You might be forgiven to think that The Dead Don’t Die looks like a cross…

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: Brightburn

A short but sweet horror film that riffs off of tropes that comic books have used for decades. When Tori and Kyle Breyer struggle to have a child of their own, they see it as a blessing that from the sky fell a mysterious baby boy. Raising the child as their own they couldn’t be…

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: Rocketman

Rocketman, like Elton’s flashy clothing, is a colourful mix of storytelling, reality, and daydreams. Reginald Kenneth Dwight is just a kid of the working classes in 1970s Britain, but when he sits himself down in front of a piano and immediately mimics what he can hear on the radio, his journey to become the sensational…

Review: X-Men – Dark Phoenix

The first major superhero franchise disappears with a whimper. The new group of X-Men, led by Charles Xavier, have a new danger in their midst; after a rescue mission in space Jean Grey’s powers become fused with an alien power source. With uncontrolled powers, Jean is isolated from everyone, and a mysterious third party reveals…