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.
Seventh Son
What’s it about?
An evil witch (Julianne Moore) seeks revenge in a war between supernatural and humankind. The only hope of her demise lies with the Seventh Son – an inexperienced boy who soon becomes a chosen apprentice.
What did we think?
Elodie says: Good, not great. There’s a decent storyline and convincing CGI dragons help with special effects. However, all this only hits the mark if you can understand the mumbling of drunkard “Spook” and trainer of the apprentice, Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges). If you can’t, you’ll scratch your head wondering what on Earth is happening. I left wishing I’d read the book instead.
What’s Popular
All Eyez on Me
What’s it about?
The story of successful nineties gangster rapper Tupac Shakur before he became a hologram.
What did we think?
Dan Beeston says: The tale told here is so one-sided it feels like the other two sections of the Rashomon went missing. Tupac is portrayed as a cultural leader for whom butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, and then justifying his abuse of the trappings of his success. Like that one kid who’d plead “I was hanging out with the bad kids sure, but I’ve never done anything bad myself”.
There’s a lot of information and swearing to get through. Tonally it often feels cartoonish. You could almost cast Samuel L. Jackson in every single part and it would only make it slightly more comical. But the viewers job isn’t to cast judgement. It’s to delight in the tale of this version of Tupac. To revel in his heroism. Add an extra star if you’re West Coast 4 EVR.
Rough Night
What’s it about?
A bachelorette weekend turns nasty when someone accidentally kills a stripper.
Elizabeth Best says: A female take on the bromance Hangover-style films that falls mostly flat as the talented actresses are relegated to playing stereotypes whose intelligence is seriously flawed. The saving grace is Kate McKinnon playing an Aussie expat whose accent is impeccable… 90 per cent of the time; the other 10 per cent is full of bung words but honestly, our accent is bloody difficult, so props to her. I’d love to see McKinnon lead a movie one day, but for now I’m content to see her steal it.
Despicable Me 3
What’s it about?
After losing his job, Gru meets his long-lost charming, cheerful, and more successful twin brother Dru who wants to team up with him for one last criminal heist.
What did we think?
Fans of the minions will be a bit disappointed in DM3 as the banana-loving yellow henchmen don’t feature as much as previous instalments. Most adults will also be disappointed as that means the weak storyline has to be carried by a two-dimensional version of Gru. The best parts of a movie (from an adult perspective) is 80s jokes and a wicked 80s soundtrack but there’s not much else to talk about. Perhaps having three directors is to blame for the lack of a central theme but there’s still mindless fun on show as the kids laughed and were left happy and that is the primary audience. The Minions sequel (due 2020) will need to be better than this for the franchise.
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.
Editor's Choice
All Eyez on Me
What’s it about?
The story of successful nineties gangster rapper Tupac Shakur before he became a hologram.
What did we think?
Dan Beeston says: The tale told here is so one-sided it feels like the other two sections of the Rashomon went missing. Tupac is portrayed as a cultural leader for whom butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, and then justifying his abuse of the trappings of his success. Like that one kid who’d plead “I was hanging out with the bad kids sure, but I’ve never done anything bad myself”.
There’s a lot of information and swearing to get through. Tonally it often feels cartoonish. You could almost cast Samuel L. Jackson in every single part and it would only make it slightly more comical. But the viewers job isn’t to cast judgement. It’s to delight in the tale of this version of Tupac. To revel in his heroism. Add an extra star if you’re West Coast 4 EVR.
Rough Night
What’s it about?
A bachelorette weekend turns nasty when someone accidentally kills a stripper.
Elizabeth Best says: A female take on the bromance Hangover-style films that falls mostly flat as the talented actresses are relegated to playing stereotypes whose intelligence is seriously flawed. The saving grace is Kate McKinnon playing an Aussie expat whose accent is impeccable… 90 per cent of the time; the other 10 per cent is full of bung words but honestly, our accent is bloody difficult, so props to her. I’d love to see McKinnon lead a movie one day, but for now I’m content to see her steal it.
Despicable Me 3
What’s it about?
After losing his job, Gru meets his long-lost charming, cheerful, and more successful twin brother Dru who wants to team up with him for one last criminal heist.
What did we think?
Fans of the minions will be a bit disappointed in DM3 as the banana-loving yellow henchmen don’t feature as much as previous instalments. Most adults will also be disappointed as that means the weak storyline has to be carried by a two-dimensional version of Gru. The best parts of a movie (from an adult perspective) is 80s jokes and a wicked 80s soundtrack but there’s not much else to talk about. Perhaps having three directors is to blame for the lack of a central theme but there’s still mindless fun on show as the kids laughed and were left happy and that is the primary audience. The Minions sequel (due 2020) will need to be better than this for the franchise.
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.