RED 2
What’s it about?
Retired C.I.A. agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to… well, does it really matter why?
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: There’s always an inherent risk in making a sequel to a quirky surprise movie. Can they sustain the charm without the unexpected character twists of the first film?
Well RED 2 starts off well as a jaunt that doesn’t take itself seriously. The action is fun, the premise of the character development is plausible and the laughs are present. However a flat middle means the movie drags a bit and the ending is bland. But Helen Mirren steals the show whenever she’s onscreen, mitigating the damage somewhat. We’re left with a movie that’s entertaining enough I suppose but it really lacks depth, emotion and re-watchability.
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
What’s it about?
A New York teenager (Lily Collins) recovers memories that open her eyes to a supernatural world mere ‘’mundane’’ mortals can’t see, dragging her into a centuries-long battle between good, evil and everything in between.
What did we think?
Lisa says: This is the latest in the line of supernatural teen romance flicks aimed at the post-Twilight audience – and yes, it’s also based on a popular book series. Fortunately, it stacks up pretty well against Twilight and others of its ilk with a stronger plot, less angst, better special effects, some great action sequences and a prettier, much more charismatic cast who exhibit actual chemistry. Established actors Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Lena Headey and Jared Harris add authority to the film, which is well-paced and easy to watch. BUT, while the movie is a vast improvement on others in its genre, it’s still a supernatural teen romance flick. Recommended for fans of the original books, and those with a weakness for the genre, like me.
Stoker
What’s it about?
A girl becoming a woman finds that her father has become a corpse. A stranger arrives and turns into her creepy uncle while her mother again turns into the bottle. Skittish old ladies know more they they are letting on and a tiny key doesn’t have a lock. Oh, so much gothic whimsy I want to cake my face in pancake and wear black and white polkadots!
What did we think?
Dan says: Every shot in this film is a piece of art unto itself. Like the cinematographer saw the surgical perfection of Nicole Kidman’s new face and felt he had to up his game. Everything has had so much care put into it you feel that Chekov’s guns are being loaded at every moment.
Sadly, in the third act many of them misfire wildly. The dramatic reveal is that the film turns out to be much less interesting than it set out to be. It’s not Poison Ivy (1992) but it feels like it would get played at the same movie marathon.
We’re The Millers
What’s it about?
A long-time drug dealer (Jason Sudeikis) has to create a fake family (including Jennifer Aniston as a stripper) to move a huge shipment of weed into the U.S. from Mexico. Unsurprisingly it goes wrong and weird.
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: I can’t quite say it’s bad but it’s a little sad that the best laugh is actually a prank in the credits. It’s a pretty run-of-the-mill comedy and despite the quirkiness of the plot, the promised potential never quite eventuates. In fact the characters end up cliched and the whole thing becomes mundanely predictable.
It features good acting and even a minor surprise or two but the laughs are a little lacking. Overall it’s okay-ish but wait for the DVD if you must see it.
Kick-Ass 2
What’s it about?
Nebbish high-schooler Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has sparked a masked-vigilante craze as Kick-Ass. But wannabe supervillain Chris D’Amico (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is still fuming over the death of his criminal dad at Kick-Ass’s hands (and bazooka). Orphaned freshman Mindy Macready (Chloe Grace Moretz) is kicking street-thug butt as spunky lone-wolf Hit Girl but her adolescence is fast blooming and catty teen bitches are much tougher to crack than crooks.
What did we think?
Ben says: OK, so it’s teenage Watchmen meets Mean Girls, with McLovin’ in emo. Like its tighter prequel, this hyperactive comic-book adaption is laden with irony (no lumbering Christopher Nolan-esque existential brooding here), with crunching ultra-violence erupting often and hilarious X-rated dialogue that would have Tarantino blushing. Bonus points: The naughty c-word is not just said but spelt out on screen; a hulking Russian she-woman wreaks carnage as a remix of the Tetris theme plays; and it’s a modern superhero flick in which NO SKYSCRAPERS TOPPLE. Halle-motherf’n-lujah to that.
Elysium
What’s it about?
In the year 2154 the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the over-populated Earth resides on a ruined planet. A desperate ex-con (Matt Damon) takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds.
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: It’s grim and gritty. Impressive visually and with interesting characters. Its themes are universally relevant (have/have-nots, sustainability, and asylum seekers). And the action is wonderfully brutal. But the longer the movie wears on, the more it becomes formulaic unfortunately. It’s still a very good flick and one of the better ones of the year but you’re left feeling that it didn’t quite reach the mark of greatness despite its strengths.
Most sci-fi fans will enjoy it. As long as they don’t think about the ending too much.
What’s Popular
The Intern
What’s it about?
A 70 year-old retiree (Robert De Niro) gains an internship at an online fashion store run by a harried young woman (Anne Hathaway). Hijinks and life lessons ensue.
What did we think?
Lisa says: On paper, The Intern sounds like simple, inoffensive fun. It’s a cute concept, helmed by an accomplished (in this genre) director and has a great cast.
Disappointingly the end result is far less than the sum of its parts. The tone is incredibly uneven, varying from sweetly sad, to zany, to hackneyed and borderline offensive.
The second half of the film is especially a drag, weighed down by preachy dialogue and plot points that seem both improbable and clichéd at the same time.
Only tolerable if you’re home alone with nothing better to watch.
The Martian
What’s it about?
During a fierce storm on a mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is impaled by debris and left behind by his crew, assumed dead. When Watney wakes up, his mission becomes one of survival, where he must think out of the box and “science the shit” out of his limited supplies to contact NASA and let them know he is alive.
What did we think?
Francesca Percy says: First things first: unlike the vast majority of movies, this is absolutely worth seeing in 3D. Every detail is stunning and utterly convincing – 99 per cent of the time I forgot I was watching a film – I was completely immersed in the story unfolding. This was also due to the pitch perfect direction from Ridley Scott, central performance from Matt Damon as Watney and the wonderfully-cast supporting actors.
The story really never lost my attention – I was on the edge of my seat for much of it, but that was balanced by the ingenuity and enthusiasm of Watney and the people trying to find a way to bring him home, the surprising moments of humour, and the genuine moments of joy that must come from being a pioneer on another planet.
Pan
What’s it about?
When Harry Potter met Neverland. An orphan is spirited away to the magical Neverland where he meets Han Solo James Hook and embarks on an adventure of flight, fantasy and fairies.
What did we think?
Pan is oozing with over-the-top charm and is actually a good fun film but you’re left feeling it could – and should – have been so much more.
It’s whimsically wonderful, a visual feast that boasts an amazing cast and effects, using colour and contrast delightfully. But while the individual facets are impressive, it falls a little short in the story. Normally a slow-build is balanced by depth of character – but this doesn’t quite eventuate.
Take James Hook, who IS Han Solo (down to the American accent) with a bit of Indy thrown in. One of the dangers of the dreaded prequel is the unexplained tangents and here it feels particularly discordant.
Everest
What’s it about?
Based on the true story of a freak weather event in 1996 that lead to to several climbers’ deaths, the film follows two expeditions who attempted to make the summit of Everest, but were thwarted in their descent. Starring Jason Clarke, Jake Gylenhaal, Emily Watson, Josh Brolin and Keira Nightley.
What did we think?
Angela Young says: The word epic can, for once, be rightly used here. Director Baltasar Kormakur should be very proud of producing such a powerful, accurate and dignified memorial to those who lost their lives on the mountain that day. Strong, but not over dramatised performances (how refreshing!) from a superb cast, along with stunning visual effects, brought the hideous chill, frightening winds and sheer adrenalin mixed with fear pouring through the screen. Moving and enlightening (why the HELL do people want to do climb that thing??), you should see Everest – and preferably in 3D.
Editor's Choice
The Intern
What’s it about?
A 70 year-old retiree (Robert De Niro) gains an internship at an online fashion store run by a harried young woman (Anne Hathaway). Hijinks and life lessons ensue.
What did we think?
Lisa says: On paper, The Intern sounds like simple, inoffensive fun. It’s a cute concept, helmed by an accomplished (in this genre) director and has a great cast.
Disappointingly the end result is far less than the sum of its parts. The tone is incredibly uneven, varying from sweetly sad, to zany, to hackneyed and borderline offensive.
The second half of the film is especially a drag, weighed down by preachy dialogue and plot points that seem both improbable and clichéd at the same time.
Only tolerable if you’re home alone with nothing better to watch.
The Martian
What’s it about?
During a fierce storm on a mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is impaled by debris and left behind by his crew, assumed dead. When Watney wakes up, his mission becomes one of survival, where he must think out of the box and “science the shit” out of his limited supplies to contact NASA and let them know he is alive.
What did we think?
Francesca Percy says: First things first: unlike the vast majority of movies, this is absolutely worth seeing in 3D. Every detail is stunning and utterly convincing – 99 per cent of the time I forgot I was watching a film – I was completely immersed in the story unfolding. This was also due to the pitch perfect direction from Ridley Scott, central performance from Matt Damon as Watney and the wonderfully-cast supporting actors.
The story really never lost my attention – I was on the edge of my seat for much of it, but that was balanced by the ingenuity and enthusiasm of Watney and the people trying to find a way to bring him home, the surprising moments of humour, and the genuine moments of joy that must come from being a pioneer on another planet.
Pan
What’s it about?
When Harry Potter met Neverland. An orphan is spirited away to the magical Neverland where he meets Han Solo James Hook and embarks on an adventure of flight, fantasy and fairies.
What did we think?
Pan is oozing with over-the-top charm and is actually a good fun film but you’re left feeling it could – and should – have been so much more.
It’s whimsically wonderful, a visual feast that boasts an amazing cast and effects, using colour and contrast delightfully. But while the individual facets are impressive, it falls a little short in the story. Normally a slow-build is balanced by depth of character – but this doesn’t quite eventuate.
Take James Hook, who IS Han Solo (down to the American accent) with a bit of Indy thrown in. One of the dangers of the dreaded prequel is the unexplained tangents and here it feels particularly discordant.
Everest
What’s it about?
Based on the true story of a freak weather event in 1996 that lead to to several climbers’ deaths, the film follows two expeditions who attempted to make the summit of Everest, but were thwarted in their descent. Starring Jason Clarke, Jake Gylenhaal, Emily Watson, Josh Brolin and Keira Nightley.
What did we think?
Angela Young says: The word epic can, for once, be rightly used here. Director Baltasar Kormakur should be very proud of producing such a powerful, accurate and dignified memorial to those who lost their lives on the mountain that day. Strong, but not over dramatised performances (how refreshing!) from a superb cast, along with stunning visual effects, brought the hideous chill, frightening winds and sheer adrenalin mixed with fear pouring through the screen. Moving and enlightening (why the HELL do people want to do climb that thing??), you should see Everest – and preferably in 3D.