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.
Focus
What’s it about?
Elite con-man Nicky (Will Smith) agrees to tutor Jess (Margot Robbie) on the ways of deception and money-making, beginning an affair in New York that brings them hurtling back together years later in Argentina.
What did we think?
Dominic says: Smith and Robbie are exactly the charismatic couple you want, and it’s easy to watch them pull off big steals together in grand locales such as Buenos Aires and the American Super Bowl. It’s less easy to remember the plot, not because it’s too complicated but because the constant lies and illusions fail to distract from the fact that they’re playing uninteresting characters. It’s sort of funny, sort of pretty, but in the end sort of not very good.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
What’s it about?
Greg is a typical millennial with a knack for getting himself into trouble. His loving mother forces the family on a road trip to Grandma’s house.
What we thought
Dan says: The problem with road trip films is that they end up feeling like a bunch of sketches all lined up. Only four of the scenes in the film are required to understand the story and the rest could be shuffled or removed and it wouldn’t be noticed. Some of these scenes are funny. Some are needlessly scatological. Perhaps vomiting on someone’s face is funnier on the page than in full technicolour. At the end of the day this just doesn’t feel like proper movie.
The Mummy
What’s it about?
Welcome to a world of gods and monsters! It’s Tom Cruise and ‘our’ Rusty helming Universal Studios own interpretation of a “Marvel Universe” cash-cow using the old (classic horror aka the curse of the mummy) and the new (shit-loads of CGI).
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: Just like a one-night-stand, you get exactly what you expect: a good time that’s quickly forgotten. Tom is Indiana Jones reincarnated as a sledgehammer that’s been born into a Michael Bay wet dream of ACTION ACTION ACTION! It’s a great way to spend a couple of hours (the plane flight sequence is worth admission alone) with some fun twists, and plot holes as large as the archeological pits they skip over.
The Promise
What’s it about?
WWI saw many atrocities, but the Armenian genocide is one that is fading from history. That story is told via the romantic rivalry between a medical student and a renowned journalist with Anna, an Armenian freshly returned from France.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: A poignant and timely reminder of where racism / intolerance / bigotry leads to. Luckily the love triangle doesn’t drag you in completely or the heartbreak of what happens to their families would tear you apart. Genocide is brutal and horrific, and The Promise pulls no punches in that regard, at times the stark brutal reality of war borders on traumatising. The romance is a sugar coating to attract audiences, which hopefully works, because this is a story that deserves to be seen by the masses. Continue Reading
Wonder Woman
What is it about?
Amazon princess Diana (Gal Gadot) lives on an island paradise hidden from the world, where she trains as a warrior. When Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes and tells Diana of the war raging in the outside world, she joins him, believing she is destined to bring it to an end.
What did we think?
Francesca Percy says: “Well,” I said hopefully, as we walked into the cinema, “it can’t be any worse than Batman vs Superman!” And let’s all breathe a sigh of relief, because not only is it better than that best-forgotten shambles, Wonder Woman is actually really very good. Director Patty Jenkins has created a world with well-rounded characters, a clear, well-developed plot (hallelujah!), action, drama, comedy and heart.
Editor's Choice
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
What’s it about?
Greg is a typical millennial with a knack for getting himself into trouble. His loving mother forces the family on a road trip to Grandma’s house.
What we thought
Dan says: The problem with road trip films is that they end up feeling like a bunch of sketches all lined up. Only four of the scenes in the film are required to understand the story and the rest could be shuffled or removed and it wouldn’t be noticed. Some of these scenes are funny. Some are needlessly scatological. Perhaps vomiting on someone’s face is funnier on the page than in full technicolour. At the end of the day this just doesn’t feel like proper movie.
The Mummy
What’s it about?
Welcome to a world of gods and monsters! It’s Tom Cruise and ‘our’ Rusty helming Universal Studios own interpretation of a “Marvel Universe” cash-cow using the old (classic horror aka the curse of the mummy) and the new (shit-loads of CGI).
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: Just like a one-night-stand, you get exactly what you expect: a good time that’s quickly forgotten. Tom is Indiana Jones reincarnated as a sledgehammer that’s been born into a Michael Bay wet dream of ACTION ACTION ACTION! It’s a great way to spend a couple of hours (the plane flight sequence is worth admission alone) with some fun twists, and plot holes as large as the archeological pits they skip over.
The Promise
What’s it about?
WWI saw many atrocities, but the Armenian genocide is one that is fading from history. That story is told via the romantic rivalry between a medical student and a renowned journalist with Anna, an Armenian freshly returned from France.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: A poignant and timely reminder of where racism / intolerance / bigotry leads to. Luckily the love triangle doesn’t drag you in completely or the heartbreak of what happens to their families would tear you apart. Genocide is brutal and horrific, and The Promise pulls no punches in that regard, at times the stark brutal reality of war borders on traumatising. The romance is a sugar coating to attract audiences, which hopefully works, because this is a story that deserves to be seen by the masses. Continue Reading
Wonder Woman
What is it about?
Amazon princess Diana (Gal Gadot) lives on an island paradise hidden from the world, where she trains as a warrior. When Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes and tells Diana of the war raging in the outside world, she joins him, believing she is destined to bring it to an end.
What did we think?
Francesca Percy says: “Well,” I said hopefully, as we walked into the cinema, “it can’t be any worse than Batman vs Superman!” And let’s all breathe a sigh of relief, because not only is it better than that best-forgotten shambles, Wonder Woman is actually really very good. Director Patty Jenkins has created a world with well-rounded characters, a clear, well-developed plot (hallelujah!), action, drama, comedy and heart.