Guardians Of The Galaxy
What’s it about?
A thief, assassin, prisoner and a pair of bounty hunters form a bunch of misfits and attract the attention of an intergalactic terrorist.
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: Guardians of the Galaxy doesn’t take itself too seriously so neither should you. More comedy than sci-fi, it is little more than a fun romp with cool fight scenes. Despite the lack of true gravitas, the only real criticism I can offer (and it’s a minor quibble) is that the characters all compete for the cool witty one-liners and the lack of a real straight man (or woman, racoon or tree) probably dilutes the overall impression. Still it was highly entertaining and I’m already planning a second viewing.
It’s really a 3.5 star movie that scored extra points for great music and one of the most bizarre and unexpected cameos in the post-credits bonus scene. But it’s just soooo much fun.
Hector and the search for happiness
Simon Pegg! But if you’re expecting a clever comedy then look again. This looks like an intelligent commentary on life philosophies. Awesome.
Deliver Us from Evil
What’s it about?
A New York police officer (Eric Bana) investigates a series of crimes joining forces with an unconventional priest, schooled in the rites of exorcism, to combat weird occurrences.
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt: An interesting thriller that turned out to be less horror and more of a gritty detective piece with supernatural themes. Slightly discordant pacing actually added to the atmosphere and kept you on your toes. Director Scott Derrickson teases the story out well never quite giving you everything you want and the attention he draws to victims gives it a pathos not often seen in this genre.
The dark gritty feel of the city is always evident and the shadowy promise of evil lurking ever present. A better than average flick that true horror fans will appreciate.
Final Girl
<3 Abigail Breslin
Expendables 3
You want some good mindless action fun? Well it’s hard to go past the Expendables franchise. And number three looks just as much fun! Who are they adding this time? Antonio Banderas and Harrison Ford for starters. Throw in Mel Gibson and we can almost overlook Bruce Willis’ absence.
This looks rollicking.
These Final Hours
What’s it about?
In the titular final hours of Earth, as a fiery asteroid crashes into our doomed planet and the Mayans look set for a belated last laugh, an initially flaky young man attempts to help a lost girl find her father before the blast reaches Australia.
What did we think?
Alex says: It’s not often an apocalypse film doesn’t slot into the sci-fi genre but writer/director Zak Hilditch keeps the focus very much on human drama as James (Nathan Phillips) navigates the chaotic streets of suburban Perth with young Rose (Angourie Rice). Hilditch and the cast sustain the tension most of the way and create a hopeless, anarchic environment where most citizens turn to hedonistic partying, descend into insanity or take their own lives. There’s no Hollywood mission to avert the disaster and David Field’s world-weary, unseen car-radio announcer, who keeps us informed of the impending destruction, is a nice touch.
The ending didn’t sit quite right for me but I shan’t give anything away. It’s nonetheless a competent local effort and well worth a look.
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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
What's it about?
It is a period of civil war.
Rebel spaceships, striking from a
hidden base, have won their first victory
against the evil Galactic Empire.
During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret
plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an
armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.
What did we think? Stephen Scott says: Where Return of the Jedi was let-down due to 'alleged' toy company requirements, Rogue One seems let down by a meddling committee. Too many cooks dilutes a terrific premise (4 stars) and muddies great characters (3½ stars) thanks to an overly-convoluted introduction (minus 2 stars) and dollops of unnecessary spoon-feeding (minus 7 stars).
But make sure you see it on the big screen for the final battle sequence - it's basically a 21st Century version of the ROTJ final act (5 stars in all its glory - wow it's good).
Epilogue: If you recall, we all loved Star Wars for George's ground-breaking "used universe" and the mythical unanswered questions (Jedi, Clone Wars, why there is no underwear in space). Edwards delivers a gloriously dirty reality, but the committee let the movie down by interrupting him, and providing us with too many answers to questions we didn't ask. A Star Wars movie doesn't require title cards to tell the audience where we are, that's part of the charm. Drop us in and let us swim!
Passengers
What’s it about?
When a spaceship malfunctions, two passengers on a 120-year voyage to a new home planet wake up from their sleep state 90 years too early.
What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: Take a sci-fi flick, throw in some romance, a few major (and kind of messed up) ethical dilemmas, and a healthy dose of tension and you have a movie that will almost certainly promote robust discussion of that “what would you do?” variety after the credits roll. In what seems to be a trend in movies these days, the trailer for Passengers is a little misleading. Without spoiling things, the premise of this movie is a LOT darker than we are led to believe.
La La Land
What’s it about?
An aspiring actress (Emma Stone) and a jazz musician (Ryan Gosling) meet and fall in love in Los Angeles, musical style.
What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: La La Land is simultaneously a loving homage to the golden age of cinema and completely uncharted filmic territory; nostalgic and new all at once. It delivers the feelings of falling in love in a heady, melodic rush that’s absolutely captivating. It channels films such as Singin’ in the Rain and An American in Paris while navigating the modern pitfalls of romance. But it’s so caught up in the quirky and magical “newness” of its concept that towards the middle it seems to rely solely on that. Unfortunately, this means the pacing feels at odds with the gloriousness of the rest of the film. But the magic returns for a finale guaranteed to take your breath away.
Editor's Choice
The best of 2016 – Anthony edition
The highlights of 2016 according to Anthony
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
What's it about?
It is a period of civil war.
Rebel spaceships, striking from a
hidden base, have won their first victory
against the evil Galactic Empire.
During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret
plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an
armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.
What did we think? Stephen Scott says: Where Return of the Jedi was let-down due to 'alleged' toy company requirements, Rogue One seems let down by a meddling committee. Too many cooks dilutes a terrific premise (4 stars) and muddies great characters (3½ stars) thanks to an overly-convoluted introduction (minus 2 stars) and dollops of unnecessary spoon-feeding (minus 7 stars).
But make sure you see it on the big screen for the final battle sequence - it's basically a 21st Century version of the ROTJ final act (5 stars in all its glory - wow it's good).
Epilogue: If you recall, we all loved Star Wars for George's ground-breaking "used universe" and the mythical unanswered questions (Jedi, Clone Wars, why there is no underwear in space). Edwards delivers a gloriously dirty reality, but the committee let the movie down by interrupting him, and providing us with too many answers to questions we didn't ask. A Star Wars movie doesn't require title cards to tell the audience where we are, that's part of the charm. Drop us in and let us swim!
Passengers
What’s it about?
When a spaceship malfunctions, two passengers on a 120-year voyage to a new home planet wake up from their sleep state 90 years too early.
What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: Take a sci-fi flick, throw in some romance, a few major (and kind of messed up) ethical dilemmas, and a healthy dose of tension and you have a movie that will almost certainly promote robust discussion of that “what would you do?” variety after the credits roll. In what seems to be a trend in movies these days, the trailer for Passengers is a little misleading. Without spoiling things, the premise of this movie is a LOT darker than we are led to believe.
La La Land
What’s it about?
An aspiring actress (Emma Stone) and a jazz musician (Ryan Gosling) meet and fall in love in Los Angeles, musical style.
What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: La La Land is simultaneously a loving homage to the golden age of cinema and completely uncharted filmic territory; nostalgic and new all at once. It delivers the feelings of falling in love in a heady, melodic rush that’s absolutely captivating. It channels films such as Singin’ in the Rain and An American in Paris while navigating the modern pitfalls of romance. But it’s so caught up in the quirky and magical “newness” of its concept that towards the middle it seems to rely solely on that. Unfortunately, this means the pacing feels at odds with the gloriousness of the rest of the film. But the magic returns for a finale guaranteed to take your breath away.