Bad Grandpa
What’s it about?
After his wife Ellie passes, 86-year-old Irving Zisman’s (Johnny Knoxville) quest for a new, prime “piece of tail” is invigorated. This dream is short lived when he’s forced to deliver his grandson Billy to his father after Billy’s junkie mum is jailed. Queue the precocious kid/dirty old man road trip.
What did we think?
Elodie says: You would think that taking a small Jackass skit, adding a scripted storyline and combining it with the traditional Jackass hidden-camera pranks to make a full length movie would fail big time, but it doesn’t. This movie is not for the faint hearted or those who would despise a dude dressing up as an old man for shits and giggles. Bad Grandpa is crude, it’s daring, but most of all it’s hilarious!
Enough Said
What’s it about?
A middle-aged divorcee (Julia Louis Dreyfus) wrestles with the many relationships in her life and discovers that experience is a very different thing to wisdom.
What did we think?
Dan says: This delightfully funny film captures the heart of real relationship trials and tribulations. Imagine that you and your friends were slightly funnier than you are when you’re drunk and that you had a chance to do a second draft of everything you said and you’d almost have this film.
Story buffs will leave feeling unsatisfied but the real meat is in the relationships and the interplay between this extremely talented ensemble doing what they do best.
Disney’s Frozen
We’re SO excited about the next animated Disney movie! We cannot wait.
What do you mean you don’t know anything about it? Watch this now!
Insidious: Chapter 2
What’s it about?
After rescuing his son Dalton from the spirit world called “The Further”, Josh Lambert is suspected of the murder of family friend and spiritual guide Elise Rainier. But it appears the ghostly woman who once haunted Josh as a child may have returned to the real world with him with a deathly agenda.
What did we think?
Hilary says: For Halloween this year, I watched Insidious (1) to prepare for this sequel and thank god I did. Insidious: Chapter 2 picks up right where the first left off and hops back and forth between the two films towards the end, with little explanation about crucial elements such as “The Further” from the first film, which could turn fear into frustration. While a little slow to get going, I ultimately found Chapter 2 a more complex, stronger and scarier film than the previous one. The full return of the cast (including the excellent Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) was a definite win for famous Aussie writers James Wan and Leigh Whannell, of Saw fame.
Ender’s Game
One of my all-time favourite novels finally makes it to the big screen. I’m so excited I’m not sure I want to watch the trailer.
(but in case you do, here it is)
Mood Indigo
What’s it about?
A surreal love story centered around a woman (Audrey Tatou) who suffers from an unusual illness caused by a flower growing in her lungs.
What did we think?
Mood Indigo is a surreal but wonderful visual feast that delights the senses but occasionally fails to engage the heart. Definitely worth seeing if you appreciate foreign films but the unrelenting nature of the unfettered imagination will leave you exhausted by the end. When I say surreal I mean super surreal as director Michel Gondry truly lets loose. Apparently there’s a much longer director’s cut but I have to say that much surrealism may just be too much for the human brain.I found it both tiring and enchanting.
What’s Popular
Goosebumps
What’s it about?
When teenage Zach (Dylan Minnette) moves to a small town, he soon discovers that his new neighbour Hannah (Odeya Rush) and her father, novelist R.L. Stine (Jack Black) are keeping a spooky secret.
What did we think?
Amy Currie says: This adaptation of the popular Goosebumps series starts promisingly enough. The opening scenes are quite self-aware and genuinely funny in a family-friendly sort of way, and Jillian Bell’s Aunt Lorraine character is a standout. Sadly, it soon starts to turn into a Buzzfeed listicle of 15 Crazy Monsters You Might Remember From Goosebumps (Number Nine Will Shock You!). Nostalgia can’t keep it from lagging, Jack Black’s usual intense-eyes-wacky-voice shtick is as grating as ever and by the inevitable final confrontation I was bored. It’s worth pointing out that I’m not ten, though, and the kids in the audience seemed pretty into it. It’s not brilliant, but there are worse family films.
Sisters
What’s it about?
Two adult sisters return to their family home to clean out their room when they find out their parents have sold up. But instead of cleaning, they decide to have the party to end all parties. As you do.
What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: Sisters is like a massive bender: it starts out strong, full of promise of an electrifying night ahead. The kegs are full, the punch is spiked, your crazy friend Tiffany has already started dancing on the tables and someone has just found your old game of Twister under the couch; how could this night NOT be awesome? But by the end of the night, the party has run out of steam. There’s no more booze, Tiffany is passed out on said table sprawled over some random, and a guy just threw up over the Twister mat. But who cares? The party was still rad while it lasted.
The who’s-who of Saturday Night Live cast all bring some chuckles to the table, but were it not for the presence of my spirit animals aka Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, this could have been a lot less funny.
Point Break
What’s it about?
FBI rookie Johnny Utah (Luke Bracey) goes undercover to bring activist/criminal/extreme sportsman Bodhi (Édgar Ramírez) and his gang to justice in a loose remake of the original 1991 film.
What did we think?
Amy Currie says: JOHNNY UTAH is a COOL SPY. He is TROUBLED because EXTREME SPORT killed his BEST FRIEND. BODHI is a COOL GUY. He does EXTREME CRIMES but it’s KIND OF OKAY because he LOVES THE PLANET and is EXTREME. JOHNNY joins BODHI’S GANG to STOP the CRIMES. It is EXTREME and there is SNOWBOARDING and SURFING and PUNCHING and BASE JUMPING OR SOMETHING and EXPLOSIONS and PEOPLE DIE. JOHNNY is CONFLICTED but always EXTREME. Everyone is EXTREME. It is an EXTREME MOVIE and it is TERRIBLE.
Star Wars The Force Awakens
What’s it about?
Two orphans meet in an unlikely series of events that see them fighting forces of evil in the company of a charming smuggler and his giant hairy pet friend.
What did we think?
In a triumphant return to a galaxy far, far away we revisit the fine tradition of a fun space opera. There are a few problems with the story but frankly few will care once the familiar theme song starts and finishes what is a well-polished and entertaining new entry. The performances of Harrison Ford and Daisy Ridley are simply captivating and, with more humour this time around, the future looks bright for this beloved franchise. There’s a fine line between homage, respect and being derivative and there are times it appears Abrams is going out of his way to repeat scenes from A New Hope (both charming and a little irritating) but it makes you feel like you’ve come home even as you immerse yourself in new politics and adventures. A great romp.
Editor's Choice
Goosebumps
What’s it about?
When teenage Zach (Dylan Minnette) moves to a small town, he soon discovers that his new neighbour Hannah (Odeya Rush) and her father, novelist R.L. Stine (Jack Black) are keeping a spooky secret.
What did we think?
Amy Currie says: This adaptation of the popular Goosebumps series starts promisingly enough. The opening scenes are quite self-aware and genuinely funny in a family-friendly sort of way, and Jillian Bell’s Aunt Lorraine character is a standout. Sadly, it soon starts to turn into a Buzzfeed listicle of 15 Crazy Monsters You Might Remember From Goosebumps (Number Nine Will Shock You!). Nostalgia can’t keep it from lagging, Jack Black’s usual intense-eyes-wacky-voice shtick is as grating as ever and by the inevitable final confrontation I was bored. It’s worth pointing out that I’m not ten, though, and the kids in the audience seemed pretty into it. It’s not brilliant, but there are worse family films.
Sisters
What’s it about?
Two adult sisters return to their family home to clean out their room when they find out their parents have sold up. But instead of cleaning, they decide to have the party to end all parties. As you do.
What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: Sisters is like a massive bender: it starts out strong, full of promise of an electrifying night ahead. The kegs are full, the punch is spiked, your crazy friend Tiffany has already started dancing on the tables and someone has just found your old game of Twister under the couch; how could this night NOT be awesome? But by the end of the night, the party has run out of steam. There’s no more booze, Tiffany is passed out on said table sprawled over some random, and a guy just threw up over the Twister mat. But who cares? The party was still rad while it lasted.
The who’s-who of Saturday Night Live cast all bring some chuckles to the table, but were it not for the presence of my spirit animals aka Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, this could have been a lot less funny.
Point Break
What’s it about?
FBI rookie Johnny Utah (Luke Bracey) goes undercover to bring activist/criminal/extreme sportsman Bodhi (Édgar Ramírez) and his gang to justice in a loose remake of the original 1991 film.
What did we think?
Amy Currie says: JOHNNY UTAH is a COOL SPY. He is TROUBLED because EXTREME SPORT killed his BEST FRIEND. BODHI is a COOL GUY. He does EXTREME CRIMES but it’s KIND OF OKAY because he LOVES THE PLANET and is EXTREME. JOHNNY joins BODHI’S GANG to STOP the CRIMES. It is EXTREME and there is SNOWBOARDING and SURFING and PUNCHING and BASE JUMPING OR SOMETHING and EXPLOSIONS and PEOPLE DIE. JOHNNY is CONFLICTED but always EXTREME. Everyone is EXTREME. It is an EXTREME MOVIE and it is TERRIBLE.
Star Wars The Force Awakens
What’s it about?
Two orphans meet in an unlikely series of events that see them fighting forces of evil in the company of a charming smuggler and his giant hairy pet friend.
What did we think?
In a triumphant return to a galaxy far, far away we revisit the fine tradition of a fun space opera. There are a few problems with the story but frankly few will care once the familiar theme song starts and finishes what is a well-polished and entertaining new entry. The performances of Harrison Ford and Daisy Ridley are simply captivating and, with more humour this time around, the future looks bright for this beloved franchise. There’s a fine line between homage, respect and being derivative and there are times it appears Abrams is going out of his way to repeat scenes from A New Hope (both charming and a little irritating) but it makes you feel like you’ve come home even as you immerse yourself in new politics and adventures. A great romp.