Reviews

Way better than the first Suicide Squad! Goes off with a bang and doesn't try and be anything but ridiculous, funny and bizarre! James Gunn has definitely taken a lot of his Guardians of the Galaxy style and thrown it at the DCEU.

Great cast, great music, funny dialogue, and weird story, all make for a fun filled and action packed experience.

The second round of Suicide Squad finds our heroes heading to a small Hispanic island to destroy a research lab after a change in dictatorship on the premise of destroying some dangerous technology...it starts like that and then gets steadily stranger! It doesn't take itself too seriously at all which is refreshing for the DCEU and it's a just a really fun and enjoyable experience!

A collection of 3 short stories, retold within the framework of reviewing 3 articles for the "French Dispatch" an expat paper based in France, bringing news of the world to Kansas.

A fun film, "typical" Wes Anderson in style, with a huge cast featuring many of his preferred collaborators, all delivering excellent performances. Dialogue as always is snappy, cinematography, and use of colour is impactful and the film carries pace which keeps you interested throughout.

That being said the flitting between black and white, and colour is a little distracting at times, and the breaking of the film's core into 3 separate short stories is a little disjointed.

Compared to The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Fantastic Mr. Fox or The Royal Tenanbaums, which had brilliant story arcs and overall plot lines over the course of a whole film, The French Dispatch suffers because not all of the 3 stories has enough time to really draw you in.

It holds your attention but you don't ever get the satisfaction at the end that so many of his other films deliver, despite the effort to pull it all together within a melancholy ending.

This short documentary about the unbelievable achievement undertaken by Nims Purja and his team of fellow Nepalese sherpas is just astounding!

Prior to his mountaineering he was in the military serving with the Gurkhas, first member to be selected for the special forces serving in the SBS, that in itself is a hell of an achievement.

Then he decides to smash the current 7 year record of summitting all 14 of the world's highest mountains, (all over 8,000m) by doing it in 7 months. All with no money and running on self belief and whatever financing he can scrape together.

The footage from the various summits is stunning, and clearly shows how tough and daunting each summit was. How Nims and his team kept being able to push through, making their summits in record time, often in the dark, and rescuing other climbers in the process...is an incredibly motivating and inspiring watch!

Every Batman movie is compared to the Nolan trilogy because that is the benchmark.

This Batman movie however, doesn't try to compete, it takes a very different perspective, focusing on the "Detective" part of Batman's repertoire as he tries to solve The Riddler's crimes and how they link back to him and his family, although we do still have a few fancy gadgets and violence to go with it.

This is a very dark Noir film, and perhaps portrays the tone (visually and musically) of Gotham better than any film to date. The number of references to subtle elements of comic history, are frequent and satisfying to identify, and Pattinson's grungy Batman looks very much like he is modelled on Batman from the New 52.

I understand some people will feel frustrated with the long 3hr run time, that they'll feel there isn't much "original" elements to the story. Granted some of the characters aren't given the time they need for the viewers to really connect with them, but then again not every character needs or deserves full development, not least from Batman's perspective anyway.

However I would counter that by saying that Batman adaptions always have to have some level of overlap... in this film, the adaption of the Riddler is truly unique, a foe that hasn't had the screen time he deserves.

The cinematography is breathtaking in it's execution, as is the sparing use of colour, with some scenes looking like they're lifted straight out of a comic page!

Andy Serkis as Alfred, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Jeffrey Wright as Detective Gordon, Robert Pattinson as Batman, and Paul Dano as The Riddler are all absolutely excellent in their roles. You won't even recognise Colin Farrell as The Penguin! The star in my opinion is Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle... she absolutely steals the show and manages to capture the toughness, tenderness and moral complexity of Catwoman perfectly!

Lastly the use of Nirvana's song, Something In The Way is absolutely perfect for the film, capturing its essence to a tee.

An incredible, unique portrayal of Gotham and the Dark Knight, well worth it!

If you love Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters, then you'll love this series! If you love the history of music, within the US in particular, you'll love this series!

The Foo Fighters travel to 8 cities, learn about how the music scene started and developed there, interviewing a lot of local music legends. They end each episode by recording a song inspired by that city. Each of these 8 songs would form the Sonic Highways album...

Every episode is different but it doesn't feel disjointed, there is a flow to it which holds your attention throughout. There is nothing better than seeing the incredibly successful and talented band members STILL geeking out each time they step inside an iconic studio or play with legends like Joe Walsh. They genuinely love everything about music, and it's that joy which puts a smile on your face while watching this!

I had to wait a few days to think about what to write for this. The story itself is very simple, 2 brothers life and work on their ranch, having learnt how to be "Ranchers" years before, from a man they both admire, "Bronco Henry".

The older brother Phil, is very much an aggressively natured man, with his brother George being a little more gentile and easy going. The story essentially focuses on George marrying a lady called Rose, and bringing her and her son Peter to live at the ranch.

What happens next is a showcase in how to maintain atmospheric tension for an extended period, sometimes the tension becomes almost unbearable, but it never does, there in lies the skill.

Whether it be the animosity between Phil and Rose, or the awkwardness between Phil and George, you are totally alert and focused on what is happening in each frame without distraction.

Phil doesn't much like this change, and psychologically terrorises Rose, although he does begin to warm to and build a bond with Peter. As the film goes on, secrets are revealed, toxic masculinity is replaced by pain, and conflicting emotions. In the end events take a turn, but I don't want to spoil it.

The haunting soundtrack and huge vistas, make the characters feel small against the vastness of the rough terrain. Whilst George still maintains a polished presence, Phil adapts to this harsh environment by embracing it wholeheartedly, almost admiring it.

The end is strangely satisfying yet heartbreaking, and is a wonderful examination and challenge of character stereotypes. It's not a film I could comfortably watch again and again, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it highly!

There is a lot to like about The Book of Boba Fett, the production value is high and there is a lot of subtle references and cameos to the wider Star Wars universe, some nostalgic some more current.

The plot however is a bit thin, and whilst The Mandalorian is great because its an original story, The Book of Boba Fett suffers because the character already has a lot of history and expectation that needs to be lived up to.

The back story isn't bad, and the first few episodes are very slow, but it does pick up pace in the second half, getting a lot better when The Mandalorian makes an appearance, which says a lot!

What bugged me the most was, Boba Fett never showed any of his cold menace which made him who he was in the original film trilogy. His deciding to become a crime lord, is not a bad story to explore, however it constantly shows him being doing so with about 4 people working for him...which is unbelievable and undermines his character.

No spoilers on the story, but whilst a lot of fun and easy watching, definitely a missed opportunity. Back to The Mandalorian...

Another wonderful Disney film, with the story centred on a South American family who are forced to flee their village, and are saved my a magical candle which hides them in the mountains to build a new life, but also provides one family with magical powers which they put to use for the benefit of the rest of the village.

The animation is fantastic and the soundtrack is a bit more modern than typical Disney...which to be fair is hit and miss. The story is as you would expect, very heartwarming.

The message they convey is that you don't need to be special to be important, and that actually deep down everyone is special in their own way. There are other messages that touch on the importance of family, and doing what you feel is right, not what is expected of you.

Sometimes the film feels like it tries to push those messages at the expensive of the story, it's a little too obvious / forced at times, that's the only reason I am only giving it a 7. Otherwise, really fun and very funny family animation, well worth a watch!!

Adam McKay's films Vice and The Big Short, take a humorous look at past events, successfully balancing a fine line between being informative, compelling, challenging and also being very funny.

Don't Look Up, follows in the same vein however uses a highly fictitious situation as the backdrop. Massive comet coming to earth, the direct Impact of which will wipe out all life on the planet.

This film takes aim and delivers very successfully on satirising the absurdity of: Climate Change denial, The US Political System, media manipulation of information, the disconnected view of the super wealthy, and society's obsession with celebrity.

It fits a lot in, but delivers with aplomb, helped enormously by a fantastic grade A cast who put in some excellent performances! Very enjoyable to watch, hopefully people learn something from it as well as being thoroughly entertained!

This is a fast paced, action packed, fun family film which entertains all the way through!

There are some good plot twists as the movie progresses, but all in all, it relies on incredible CGI & visual settings along with witty / funny dialogue, as supposed to a complex or detailed plot!

Dwayne Johnson leads with a lot of charisma and soul, while Emily Blunt and Jack Whitehall are very funny and play their parts well.

Nothing to read too much into though with this film, just a fun excursion down the Amazon river in search of ancient relics...what could go wrong?

As with all Disney films, this was a warm and charming movie with some fun set piece sing songs, and your stereotypical big baffoon baddies and your clean cut and heroic good guys!

It's a family film and it doesn't get too hung up on being historically accurate. It does romanticise the tale of Pocahontas, and she is tied very much to the land and her people, and has a heroine's role at the end, as supposed to just being a Princess looking for Mr Right.

She does of course meet a man at the end, but it's not your typical Disney ending. Much like Mulan, this was a period when the role of Disney Princess was changing.

It's worth mentioning the animation, it is fantastic with the shape and movements of the key human characters, absolutely flawless.

This is your standard Disney Princess movie, however the role the "Princess" plays is different compared to a lot of the films that came before.

Mulan is not a helpless girl waiting for a man to save her, although that line is still shown by her inability to find herself a man to marry. Mulan takes on her Fathers responsibility and goes to fight the Huns who are invading China, demonstrating in the process she is more than capable of looking after herself (in disguise as a boy) as well as saving her fellow soldiers!

It is very easy watching and isn't as Sing-Song as some other Disney films, although of course singing does still take place. The voice casting is excellent with Eddie Murphy as the dragon Mushu being a stand out. It's essentially his audition for Donkey in Shrek!

The animation as you would expect is too notch. I'd happily watch this one again with the family anytime soon!

Whether you're a fan of The Beatles or not, this is a fascinating behind the scenes look at all the trials and tribulations that beset the band as they worked on their album "Let it be", ultimately ending with their final live performance on the roof of their Apple Corps offices in Savile Row.

The fly on the wall style captures everything and even though 50+ hours of footage have been condensed into just under 8 hours, there are times when it feels a little slow and mundane. But, therein lies some of the charm of this docuseries, watching the four band members talk about other musicians, eating toast, or just messing around with their instruments gives a great insight into how they worked and the enjoyment they got from it.

It's exciting when you see the embryonic beginnings of some of their most well known songs, and seeing the enjoyment they get when they do finally play together is heart warming.

The best part however is just watching the way they interact with each other and getting to see the different personalities of each Beatle, all in stunningly restored HD, it looks as if it was filmed yesterday. It's easy to forget that they achieved such incredible success all before they were 30yrs old...amazing!

Even when it seems slow and mundane, you think to yourself "this is The Beatles and I'm witnessing history"...that tied in to all the great music you hear is more than enough reason to watch this again and again!

This is pretty much your standard Hollywood easy watching movie. The key actors are big Hollywood names, and they all play their roles well, especially Ryan Reynolds, who spends all the movie being...basically Ryan Reynolds.

The story (about thieves who specialise in antiquities) is fun and does have some originality to it, there are plot twists but they are a touch predictable.

That being said the film is a lot of fun, the production levels are high, and there are some genuine chuckles along the way.

Side note, in one scene I genuinely feel like Spielberg handed over a lot of his props from Raiders of the Lost Ark...which was nice!

Villeneuve has really made a name for himself within the sci-fi genre for his work on Arrival, and Bladerunner 2049, both excellent films!

Now he has released Dune, and this is his best and most audacious film yet! It feels like a cross between Lawrence of Arabia, Game of Thrones and Bladerunner...and that's a compliment.

He delivers the intergalactic story of warring noble houses, with real style and doesn't over do any of the fantastical elements, keeping them and the story grounded.

The cast is A-list and their performances are to a person incredible, the cinematography is epic in style and scope, the sets have something about them that reminds of you Bladerunner but also ancient civilisations, the music is emotionally gripping yet haunting, and it's all just beautiful in how it's delivered. Perfect.

The film is an epic and that scale is demonstrated in abundance, however at the same time there is a very quiet personal focus on the main character Paul. That juxtaposition means you are enthralled by the scale of the epic, but emotionally pulled into the main character story arc...which keeps you grounded in the world in more than a superficial way.

This film sets up a lot of elements for the 2nd movie and I cannot wait to see what happens! (I haven't read the book yet...for my sins).

This is the first Bond film that genuinely closes out a story arc for 007, and shows an element of his life outside the world of espionage.

After 5 films Daniel Craig has pulled the pin on his time as James Bond. What does feel strange is that 3 out of the 5 films have addressed Bond being a bit old and past it...in No Time to Die he is genuinely retired, but gets pulled back in for one more mission. However within this story, there is more of a personal angle for both Bond, and his love interest Madeleine.

People who criticise this film will say that is doesn't have the usual suave, glitz and glamour of a James Bond film, but I think that's where it's strength lies, in that it has a lot of typical Bond elements but the story is a little more personal, giving Bond more to lose than just Queen and Country. Which seems to some a bit unconventional.

One of the stand out characters is Ana de Armas' CIA agent Palermo, but it's a shame she only gets about 10mins screen time because she is fantastic and encapsulates everything that a Bond girl should have, juxtaposed with brilliant skills in a shoot out and a wonderfully disarming naive humour to her.

Rami Malek's Safin is very much the typical Bond villain, but unfortunately, despite a brilliant performance from Malek, he just seems to be missing some of the menace that other villains have. Even in his short appearance as Blofeld, Christopher Waltz is utterly captivating, every inch the perfect Bond villain.

If I could I would score it 7.5, definitely a strong film which should be given credit for rounding out Bonds story with aplomb and not pulling any punches for the sake of sentimentality.

Squid game feels like it's a mixture of the game show Takeshi's Castle, and the films Hunger Games, and Battle Royale!

A bunch of people down on their luck playing a number of childrens games for the chance to win a large sum of money. Sounds very basic but the series is anything but, there are twists and turns all the way through, and the penalty for losing a game is....severe.

There are a number of sub plots, and whilst some of those events are slightly predictable, the vast majority are not. Squid Game is like Game of Thrones in that no matter which characters you like, it's probable that they aren't going to make it to the end alive.

The series maintains a high level of intrigue and tension throughout as you eagerly wait to find out what the next challenge is, and learn more about the operation behind the games. It is highly stylised and quite a few of the scenes come across as they've been taken straight out the pages of a graphic novel...all this means is that it looks great!

Situations bring out the worst in people mostly, but also sometimes the best in people, as characters choose to work together or betray each other to make it to the end. Sometimes you don't want to watch, but somehow you can't look away.

The climax was quite satisfying if not perfect, and it leaves the series open to a second season....can't wait!

Fascinating insight into the mind and creative process of Paul McCartney through his time with The Beatles, Wings and as a solo artist.

Still enthusiastic and as engaging as ever, this is a wonderfully enjoyable series for the music fans out there. Rick Rubin is incredibly knowledgeable but is evidently a huge fan of Paul's work, often demonstrating genuine wonder, joy and admiration at some of the creative decisions taken as they listen to key songs from Paul's career.

Beatles fans will want more emphasise on the band, and everything discussed is understandably through the eyes of McCartney, but from start to finish it is enjoyable, nostalgic and all in all, just a satisfying series. Highly recommended!

This is a film that stays with you long after you've finished watching it. I still find myself thinking about some of the dialogue, realising there were little hints in dialogue and nuanced character actions that I missed the first time round.

The story of a family of impoverished con artists infiltrating the lives of a wealthy upper class family in South Korea, but with a few unexpected twists and turns along the way!

The story is a clever but straight forward black comedy, however everything about it is appealing. The sets, lighting and cinematography, especially in the house of the wealthy Park family are beautiful, and the actors playing the family of con artists are just brilliant.

You want them to succeed even though you know what they're doing is wrong, at at times they're just terrible people.

It's an absorbing film, you're either on the edge of your seat or chuckling as events unfold. At the same time, some of the social commentary is quite jarring which gives the film some depth and gives it more impact than a straight out and out comedy.

Best film out of Korea since Old Boy, loved it!

This documentary deals with the Beatles social and musical impact within India, as the country started to open up in the 60's. At the same time it explains and discusses the Beatles interest in Indian music, and their experience at a spiritual retreat run by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

It's mostly anecdotal stories told by people that were there with a few historical Beatles interviews sliced in, alongside a bit of historical footage from the actual location.

Some of the stories are told by people within the now dilapidated ruins of the retreat, which does add a level of sentiment to it, however despite briefly mentioning George Harrison's genuine love for India after being introduced to it by his friend Ravi Shankar, it never really shares in detail the Beatles view on India in their own words.

Interesting to watch, but could have delved a little deeper and offered up more.

This is genuinely a heart warming film for all the family. The film is an adaption of the children's story by Roald Dahl, so the choice of stop motion filming is very apt as it makes it look very child friendly, plus there isn't any curse words, with the characters all saying "cuss" instead.

The colour palette is just warm and cozy with lots of autumnal and natural colours...which just adds to the heart warming nature of the story. Whilst it does deviate from the source material, the story is still fairly true to the book, and even though it is a family film, there is still the snappy and witty dialogue that Wes Anderson films are famous for.

It's worth adding that the contemporary soundtrack is excellent and the voice cast is A-Class and brilliant as you would expect! Some of the scenes are hilarious and show set creativity at its very best!

Who knew Wes Anderson made great children's films! Definitely one for a Sunday afternoon with the whole family!

Finally we get to learn more about Black Widows past. It's a typical Marvel movie, with lots of dramatic action sequences, a lot of CGI, explosions, and all that jazz.

The new cast members are fantastic, especially Florence Pugh as Yelena, Natasha's sister. That dynamic, is by far the most enjoyable and best part of this movie... it's a shame they didn't spend more time focusing on the family dynamic because that part of the story was rich and entertaining.

The rest of the plot was a little lightweight, and just an excuse for lots of action. So despite an excellent opening, the film begins to lag once you get towards the end...which was a bit predictable.

Don't get me wrong it's a hugely enjoyable and easy watching film, but there have been better from the MCU.

This film is bright, colourful, action packed and enjoyable, but it also has a lightweight plot, too many cliches, and a story that isn't particularly compelling.

The cast in this film are great, and the immersion in the 1980's is brilliant, the outfits, props, music all hit the right notes and doesn't feel forced.

However, you just don't buy into the story like the first Wonder Woman film. The dialogue is quite poor, and for such a long run time the character development feels rushed.

If you want to be entertained by something easy watching that doesn't take much brain power, this is for you. To be honest though it feels like a wasted opportunity.

This film feels like a mash up of The Truman Show, Ready Player One, Groundhog Day, and Wreck-It Ralph... which isn't a bad thing, because this is just a fun popcorn movie where you can sit back, not think too hard and just chuckle your way through the movie.

Ryan Reynolds, is just being Ryan Reynolds, and as the main character "Guy" he does carry the movie through what is a pretty simple storyline. Visually appealing, and with a lot of decent cameos and pop culture references, it's an enjoyable 2 hours.

Really enjoyed seeing the Star Wars universe displayed through a slightly different lens to normal. I've long been a fan of anime and it's unique cartoon style, so seeing that used was fantastic.

The collection of short stories are a little hit and miss, but some of them are really great fun. The animation is fantastic and there is a lot of creativity on display in the unique stories told. Lots of mention of Sith, Khyber crystals and lightsabers...not all of it canon, but all of it well thought out.

There are some contemporary themes in there, along with the good vs evil narrative, but anyone who is a fan of anime and Star Wars will love this. Very easy to watch, all I'm thinking now is wouldn't it be great if Studio Ghibli did a full length Star Wars feature....