Run All Night
What’s it about?
A former mob hitman gets caught in a web of conflicting loyalties and goes on the run trying to protect his estranged son from his good friend and boss.
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: Run All Night is edgy, gritty, character driven and fun – everything you want in an action thriller. But despite a solid Liam Neeson performance he’s actually the biggest problem with it. His very presence robs the film of any unpredictability turning it into a by-the-numbers Neeson film (albeit an interesting one). The exploration of loyalty and the complexity of friendship and family is probably worth the price of admission but with someone else in Neeson’s role you’d truly be on the edge of your seat. Great performances and intriguing plot are let down by an eventual lack of tension.
Chappie
What’s it about?
In presumably the not too distant future, crime is patrolled by a robotic police force. When one droid, Chappie, is stolen and reprogrammed, he becomes the first machine with the ability to think and feel for himself.
What did we think?
Casey Moon-Watton says: As a 120-minute music video for Die Antwoord its not great, as a movie exploring the potential of a learning robot, its even worse. The visual effects that bring Chappie to life are amazing, and visually the film is quite pretty to watch. It has some good one liners and showcases a solid performance by Dev Patel. Overall though I didn’t care about any of the characters, just felt like a platform for Neil Blomkamp’s mates (Ninja and Yo-landi) to show off. It’s a shame… There is a good movie burried in here somewhere.
Inherent Vice
What’s it about?
Set in the 1970s, a drug-fueled LA detective Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend alongside a star-filled cast.
What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: You know when you get invited to a party at a really swanky looking house – I’m talking super stylish – with all these “it” people and you’re thinking, “This is gonna be a helluva night”, but then everyone else proceeds to get really high except you, and while everyone else is uncovering the mysteries of the world hidden in their navels, you’re looking at your watch wondering when it would be polite to leave? Yeah. That.
Tinkerbell and the Neverbeast
What’s it about?
When the scout fairies grow fearful that the mysterious NeverBeast will destroy Pixie Hollow, friendly Fawn must convince Tinker Bell and the rest of the locals that the creature is in fact a gentle giant.
What did we think?
Despite the title this movie centres around Fawn the animal fairy and it’s a welcome change of focus for a franchise that can do both light and heavy in it’s increasingly growing canon. It may lack the clever Peter Pan referencing that The Pirate Fairy had but instead provides a heartfelt tale about not judging a book by its cover. At a short 67 minutes there’s no concern over wandering attention and Executive Producer John Lasseter’s influence shines through as you’d expect. What you wouldn’t anticipate however is the bittersweet and almost too honest ending which might leave parents answering a few tough questions. But don’t deny your kids an enjoyable, emotional film that they will want to rewatch.
Top Five
What’s it about?
Celebrity comedian Andre Allen (Chris Rock) yearns to be taken more seriously. With a new film to promote, he spends a day with reporter Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson) – and the interview quickly gets personal.
What did we think?
Amy Currie says: Written and directed by Rock, Top Five feels very autobiographical. The film is very funny, and somehow even its most wildly anecdotal scenes manage to stay just on the side of believability. Things get quite Woody-Allenish-in-a-good-way as Rock wanders the streets of New York cracking wry jokes and having feelings – and after watching, you’ll feel like you’ve just spent a weekend there yourself. A string of excellent cameos adds to the appeal. See it.
That Sugar Film
What’s it about?
Actor Damon Gameau goes all Super Size Me and eats the equivalent of 40 teaspoons of sugar a day in a doco that warns of the dangers of excessive sugar consumption.
What did we think?
Despite the fact it looks like he stole Morgan Spurlock’s idea and ran with it, this still has a lot of good things to say. The major difference between the two docos is that Gameau chooses to eat his sugar through a variety of foods most of us would consider healthy. Innovative in it’s storytelling methods, this flick will make you not only rethink that chocolate bar, but that low-fat yoghurt too.
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20th Century Women
What’s it about?
Two women, a man, a boy approaching manhood and a girl becoming a woman face their own crisis of confidence in that short burst of creativity during the late 70’s when punk flared then disappeared as quickly as it came. At its core, a 55 year-old mother is frustrated at her perceived inability to raise her 15 year-old son into manhood.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: Coming of age isn’t only for pre-pubescents. The revelations of this share-house-moulded, psuedo-intergenerational family prove it. An endearing exploration of how an individual’s response to the realisation of “this is as good as it gets” changes – with a sharp focus on the pivotal point of puberty via 15, 17 & 24 year-old perspectives.
It’s vexing pinpointing what is so enthralling about this nebulous reflection on everything and nothing. Perhaps it’s best left to the bohemian Abbie’s wistful explanation of the musical ineptitude of punk musicians: “it’s really interesting what happens when your passion is bigger than the tools you have to deal with it. It creates this energy that’s raw. Isn’t it great?”.
Baywatch
What’s it about?
Mitch Buchanan (Dwayne Johnson) is the ultimate boy scout of lifeguards. But when illegal drugs threaten the sanctity of his bay, he and his team take it upon themselves to expose the criminal plot.
What did we think?
Lisa Clifford says: I really wanted to like this one. I used to love watching the cheesy 90s original and I even appreciate the genial charms of Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. But by the mid-way mark, I was ready to raise an arm and call for somebody to ‘saaaaaaaaaaave me’ (*cue theme song*).
Despite a few laughs and a LOT of gratuitous (but equal opportunity!) body shots, Baywatch suffers a MAJOR identity crisis that causes a lack of cohesion. Is it a re-boot? A parody of the original? Or an awkward continuation of the original Baywatch universe, where the ‘new class’ of lifeguards have the have the exact same names as their predecessors for some bizarre reason? Good luck trying to figure it out, because I doubt anyone involved with the movie has yet.
The Sense of an Ending
What’s it about?
Tony (Jim Broadbent) leads a reclusive, curmudgeonly existence until a letter from his past resurfaces and forces him to confront his flawed recollections of his past in the film adaptation of Julian Barnes’ Man Booker Prize-winning novel.
Editor's Choice
20th Century Women
What’s it about?
Two women, a man, a boy approaching manhood and a girl becoming a woman face their own crisis of confidence in that short burst of creativity during the late 70’s when punk flared then disappeared as quickly as it came. At its core, a 55 year-old mother is frustrated at her perceived inability to raise her 15 year-old son into manhood.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: Coming of age isn’t only for pre-pubescents. The revelations of this share-house-moulded, psuedo-intergenerational family prove it. An endearing exploration of how an individual’s response to the realisation of “this is as good as it gets” changes – with a sharp focus on the pivotal point of puberty via 15, 17 & 24 year-old perspectives.
It’s vexing pinpointing what is so enthralling about this nebulous reflection on everything and nothing. Perhaps it’s best left to the bohemian Abbie’s wistful explanation of the musical ineptitude of punk musicians: “it’s really interesting what happens when your passion is bigger than the tools you have to deal with it. It creates this energy that’s raw. Isn’t it great?”.
Baywatch
What’s it about?
Mitch Buchanan (Dwayne Johnson) is the ultimate boy scout of lifeguards. But when illegal drugs threaten the sanctity of his bay, he and his team take it upon themselves to expose the criminal plot.
What did we think?
Lisa Clifford says: I really wanted to like this one. I used to love watching the cheesy 90s original and I even appreciate the genial charms of Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. But by the mid-way mark, I was ready to raise an arm and call for somebody to ‘saaaaaaaaaaave me’ (*cue theme song*).
Despite a few laughs and a LOT of gratuitous (but equal opportunity!) body shots, Baywatch suffers a MAJOR identity crisis that causes a lack of cohesion. Is it a re-boot? A parody of the original? Or an awkward continuation of the original Baywatch universe, where the ‘new class’ of lifeguards have the have the exact same names as their predecessors for some bizarre reason? Good luck trying to figure it out, because I doubt anyone involved with the movie has yet.
The Sense of an Ending
What’s it about?
Tony (Jim Broadbent) leads a reclusive, curmudgeonly existence until a letter from his past resurfaces and forces him to confront his flawed recollections of his past in the film adaptation of Julian Barnes’ Man Booker Prize-winning novel.