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Mortal Engines Review

Dystopian YA novel adaptations seem to be a trend that will not go away, The Hunger Games set a precedent that most fail to live up to and as each year passes the imagination disintegrates into dust. The latest that falls into that category comes from the Lord of the Ring’s Peter Jackson and first time director Christian Rivers...

Bliss Review

BLISS

You would have thought Director Mike Cahill would be the best qualified to bring a mind-bending sci-fi caper to life with the likes of ‘I’ Origins’ under his belt, but while trying to emulate the dizzying heights of the Matrix, Owen Wilson and Selma Hayek are left floating through the void of a derivative mess.Wilson takes on the role...

The Grinch Review

It’s an age-old story that just keeps coming back to the silver screen. From the makers behind Despicable Me and The Minions, Illumination brings to life the green misery guts for a third screen outing. The first came in 1966 as a TV special but in 2000 Jim Carrey stole Christmas as the lonely miser. This year’s Christmas treat...

Jungle Cruise Review

Jungle Cruise

The man-mountain that is Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt team up for this whimsical adventure based on a Disneyland theme park ride. Instead of hitting those racing rapids with excitement, you’re left feeling a little jaded and just a bit damp when the thrills never quite emerge.Set in the early 1900s, the story follows Blunt’s upper-class Lily Houghton, a...

A Star is Born Review

Now on its fourth remake, A Star is Born heads into a new generation with Bradley Cooper not just at the helm of this gut-wrenchingly emotional and epic version but also having a hand in co-writing the script and taking a rough and mentally damaged role. The history of this story goes as far back as 1937, it later...

Captain Marvel Review

captain marvel review

A no-nonsense, punchy and fierce introduction to Captain Marvel - Who runs the world? GIRLS! Finally, The MCU has followed Warner Bros DC lead with delivering its first female lead superhero film despite the dummy throwing of certain fanboys for this particular comic book adaptation. Leading the charge with our own real-life feminist hero in Brie Larson, a woman who...

An Evening with Beverly Luff Lynn Review

Bizarre is quite an understatement for filmmaker Jim Hosking’s An Evening with Beverly Luff Lynn. The Greasy Strangler director has made insane his comfort zone, giving frat boy humour an edge of credibility with his latest which quite frankly takes bizarre originality and bewilderment to new levels.The story focuses on Lulu (Aubrey Plaza), a coffee shop worker, married to...

The Hate U Give Review

It’s a subject all too common in our world headlines, young black men and women being slain down by maverick cops with a trigger happy finger. Filmmaker and Notorious director, George Tillman Jr. adapts Angie Thomas’s 2017 bestselling YA novel, The Hate U Give, with a knockout gut punch that resonates with poignant tenacity, a sobering reality and a blistering performance from Amandla Stenberg.Stenberg takes on the role of the conflicted Starr. Living in a predominately black community; drug dealers are scattered on each corner with the youth thinking they have no other choice...

A Quiet Place 2 Review

It’s been a long time coming, in fact, it’s just over a year since John Krasinski’s horror baby and sequel to the critical and audience acclaimed A Quiet Place was originally due to hit the big screen. To say it was worth the wait would be an understatement, who says we need Christopher Nolan and his twisty turny theatrics to...

What Men Want Review

Except for ticking the right diversity boxes and a few funny moments, this isn't even what women want let alone what men want. In the wake of our current climate, the gender flip movie is becoming ever more prevalent. The latest in this unoriginal trend, What Men Want, takes Mel Gibson’s 2000 What Women Want in which, after an accident...

Capture The Flag Review – You Can’t Go Wrong with An Animation Lizard Can You?

When you think of Spanish animation films not many will jump to mind, not highly known for their animation skills, you might, however, remember Justin and the Knights of Valour back in 2013 so by rights you wouldn’t expect much from Capture the Flag, a Spanish 3D computer animated sci-fi adventure but you’ll be pleasantly surprised. With Capture the Flag...

Tully Review

Post-natal depression is no laughing matter. Even in 2018 we hardly hear the cries of those mothers finding it a struggle to cope with day to day life after the birth of their bundle of joy. It’s a struggle many men dismiss as poppy-cock (as experienced from a fellow male critic at this particular screening); as they turn a blind eye to carry on with their conventional lives without the upheaval to their...

Bohemian Rhapsody Review

Marred by creative differences and challenges, Bryan Singer’s Bohemian Rhapsody has taken a few knocks to its iconic status. More a respectful nod to the Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury, than a band biopic, the anthem epic soaring renditions and the frivolous birth of iconic songs play out like a playful puppy than hard-hitting, in-depth drama. This one is unashamedly...

Black Panther Review

Since Ryan Coogler burst onto the scene with his debut, Fruitvale Station he has set the precedence in his affecting and hard-hitting storytelling; cementing his name as one to watch in delivering films that communicate to audiences who have rarely been given the chance to shine. It’s been a long time coming but Coogler’s POC cinematic revolution is finally upon us in Marvel’s Black Panther. Not just a celebration of black excellence in an arena...

Journey’s End Review

RC’ Sheriff’s poignant war story has been adapted for the stage and film on numerous occasions over the years. In Saul Dibbs latest adaptation for the big screen, we are engulfed in a deeply affecting era of hope and despair on a personal and emotionally charged level. Stripping back to just the essentials and delving deep into the souls of those forced onto the front...

Johnny English Strikes Again Review

There comes a time when filmmakers and studio’s alike need to make that decision, enough is enough. The latest comes from Rowan Atkinson’s haphazard calamity spy, Johnny English in the third film in the franchise. What we have here – yet again – is Mr Bean dressed up in an abundance of confidence, a flash suit with as much...

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip Review – is it time for the boys to hang up their dancing shoes?

Alvin and his cute furry brothers are back for another mischief filled journey of misunderstandings and mishaps in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, but what we once loved about this all singing, all dancing little creatures may just be the thing that turns us all away as the lack of entertainment value really starts to grate on...

On The Basis of Sex Review

This is in no way groundbreaking stuff but it does rile up frustration on behalf of women everywhere with a clenched fist. Deep Impact’s Mimi Leder follows the trend in the latest biopic that turns real-life struggles of women at the front line of fundamentally crucial work into a fascinating introduction to modern history. We’ve recently seen it in ‘A Private...

Phantom Thread Review

It’s almost criminal that Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread is Daniel Day-Lewis’s swansong. The award winning actor has taken method to levels of extremity and immersed himself into character after character with a passionate realism that embroils audiences to his pictures. In his final bow, Lewis brings to life Reynolds Woodcock’s 1950’s style and grace with an artist’s flair of confidence and disdain; giving a master class in believability in...

Sorry To Bother You Review

Just five months after the US release of Boot’s Riley’s brash anti-capitalist Sorry To Bother You it has finally arrived in the UK. Due to the weariness from overseas distributors this film has been a long time coming, whatever the reason you wish to believe, once seen, it’s not hard to understand why this completely surreal, marmite movie took...

Brotherhood Review

Noel Clarke’s Brotherhood is being dubbed as the first British trilogy, the third and final film in the Hood series of films, Kidulthood and Adulthood. A film that has been 10 years in the making which see’s the film evolve into more of a gangster genre film than an actual Hood movie, proving the script has come of age...

The Tomorrow War Review

The Tomorrow War review

The Lego Movie filmmaker Chris McKay teams up with Chris Pratt on his latest generic sci-fi time travel, alien assassination actioneer that puts the fate of the world into the hands of a doting father. A two-headed popcorn filler that is part sentimental family fodder, part save humanity from the evil ancient aliens, it won’t be winning any awards...

Robinson Crusoe Review – 3D Animation at its best.

Robinson Crusoe has had an animation make-over to bring to life the classic age-old story.  This time, it’s the animals of the island that tell this tale, with the aid of vibrant and eye-popping 3D – the kids are going to love this. This version of the shipwrecked Robinson Crusoe however, isn’t told from his viewpoint but those of the...

Dead in a Week (Or Your Money Back) Review

Suicide isn’t usually a laughing matter but for his feature film directorial debut, writer and director Tom Edmunds delves into the subject with a respectful nod and light-hearted dark humour full of quintessentially British problems.William (Aneurin Barnard) is a struggling writer, essentially cut off from the world, lonely and failing to see the purpose of his life. Having made...

Chaos Walking Review

Chaos Walking

Filmmaker Doug Liman is back with a sci-fi YA adaptation that should have been firmly left on the bookshelf. A dull plodder where misogynistic men rule results in an empty husk of a story that should have kept its thoughts to itself. Set on a planet, colonised by human’s, every man is betrayed by the mere fact their thoughts are...

Smallfoot Review

There is a lesson to be learnt in Warner Animation’s newest cutesy animal caper, well not just one, but at least two that the youngest of audiences can take away with them. On the one hand, it delivers the message of diversity in communities, one in which we need to accept those who are different to us despite what...

Cold Pursuit Review

Overacted and at times and patronising in it’s over explanation of its own jokes teeters on the edge of its enjoyability for the popcorn munchers. So much for Liam Neeson retiring from his bread and butter action film, the foot in mouth actor returns to the fold in a remake of the black comedy, In Order of Disappearance.  It’s kept...

Ralph Breaks The Internet Review

Five years after Ralph wrecked all animations in its path, Disney has returned the muscular meathead head and his best friend Vanellope for an overstuffed exploration inside the internet with smile-inducing humour and heart with a dash of social relevance.John C. Reilly returns as the voice of bad-guy turned good, Ralph, along with Sarah Silverman’s Vanellope. Where Ralph is...

Mission: Impossible – Fallout Review

There is absolutely no doubt as to why Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible is the strongest franchise Hollywood has to offer. In a world where CGI rules the roost, Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie perform their high aerial stunts in the real world. Delivering a thrilling ride proving every mission they undertake is certainly possible whilst not scrimping on its entertainment value.Events escalate no sooner as the picture opens; Ethan (Cruise) and his merry men, Simon Pegg’s Benji and the man-made wall,...

The Colony Review

1973 saw Chile in the midst of a Chilean Coup; under the leadership of the fascist regime of General Pinochet, the Chilean People were ready to take a stand. The Colony, which is based on true events, sets itself smack bang in the middle of this uprising with horrendous outcomes but does it try just a little too hard? The...