Is it holiday fun? Or “sno good”?

What’s it about?
A teenage superhero team who dream of Hollywood stardom match wits against a supervillian intent on destroying the world.

What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: Anyone familiar with the Teen Titans Go TV show is aware of the wacky and zany adventures that frequently slide into sly self-deprecation and meta references. The movie kicks that into overdrive. The surprisingly intelligent script combines flatulence jokes for the kids and adult jokes about comics (both DC and Marvel universes) and moviemaking that parents will laugh along too. I chuckled a lot. Well-layered and constructed, the movie gets a bit loud and obviously focuses a touch more on the younger audience as its main demographic, however if you like superheroes as an adult then this will a bit of fun for you too.

What’s it about?
The Rock reimagines Die Hard by saving his family from terrorists in a locked-down skyscraper.

What did we think?
It’s time to put aside the Chuck Norris jokes and declare that gravity doesn’t affect The Rock; The Rock affects gravity. Skyscraper walks a fine line between homage and plagiarism but if you just want to see Dwayne Johnson saving the day amidst explosions and eye-rolling stunts then you will love this mindless action film. There are actually a few good scientific tidbits and accuracies in here as well as an interesting motive. It’s a shame that there are also flaws that render any credits from them immediately worthless. It’s highly predictable but to be honest, Liz and I had a blast predicting lines and cliched incidents (it even had a Rocky shout out) so would be fun slightly intoxicated. At the end of the day there’s one sentence that will decide whether you’ll see it or not: it’s The Rock.

What’s it about?
Scott/Ant Man (Paul Rudd) is struggling with the fallout of answering the Civil War call. He’s not legally allowed to have contact with Hank (Michael Douglas) or Hope (Evangeline Lilly), but they need him for a mission so…

What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: It’s the characters who make this movie enjoyable, which is lucky because a strong story line is nowhere to be found. It’s a sequel that doesn’t really know what it wants to be, and that leaves the audience clinging to the quips of our heroes and waiting for something to really invest in. Interestingly, this movie was meant to be released BEFORE Avengers: Infinity War. I won’t say whether they do or don’t address that but it’s worthwhile noting.

What’s it about?
A young Han Solo escapes a hard life to meet a friendly wookie and become a pilot and smuggler in a galaxy far, far away.

What did we think?
Anthony says: I have to admit I had a bad feeling about this, and while it isn’t a masterpiece, nor is it the disaster I was half-expecting. After an uneven and stuttering start that just doesn’t work, Solo finally finds a rhythm when it becomes a simple heist movie.  Donald Glover’s Lando threatens to steal the show though he ends up underutilised. It’s not going to be remembered as a classic but it ticks most of the boxes for Star Wars fans looking to a young Han Solo’s life. The characters are fun even if the storyline lacks intense depth.

What’s it about?
An anti-hero tries to protect a young boy from a time-travelling half-robot… wait, isn’t that the Terminator? #RipOff

What did we think?
Anthony says: It was always going to be difficult to follow up such a successful and original first movie, and it has to be said Deadpool 2 doesn’t have the same impact as its predecessor. However, the jokes are funnier – both in intelligence and irreverence – and there’s a little more pathos. Unfortunately, there are a few pacing issues with an odd lull or two breaking up the quips, but to be frank they’re soon forgotten. It truly excels with its music choice; not only in the cool-song-I-loved-this-one way, but the subtleties that add another layer of humour (I can’t go into detail without spoiling it so I won’t). And the early-credit scene is not only hilarious but has upped the stakes on how stories could be told. <redacted-spoiler-redacted>

At the end of the day it’s a great movie and I’m not just saying that because Ryan Reynolds has a gun and apparently knows my address.

What’s it about?
A flash look of the life of legendary showman and salesman PT Barnham told in the style of a larger-than-life musical (of course).

What did we think?
Visually sumptuous, The Greatest Showman embraces chasing dreams, love and acceptance and anyone with joy in their heart will be swept away.

A stellar cast put in incredible performances and the soundtrack is both truly stunning and catchy. Audiences unfamiliar with the musical device of having periods of time pass during songs may feel the story is rushed and light, but with so much to tell the choice is a strong – albeit unusual – one.

Similarly, the promotion of aspiration over historical narrative provides a feel-good story. It’s not perfect and certainly different but there’s just so much to love about this musical spectacular that it’s easy to overlook the flaws. It’s fitting that a film about Barnham is more style than substance. After all, sometimes the entertainment is more important than the art.

What’s it about?
A couple decide to embrace mankind’s newest invention to combat overpopulation – a shrinking process that will see them not only become small but insanely rich.

What did we think?
The producers and marketers of this film should be locked up for fraud. The trailer was fresh, original, entertaining and exciting: exactly everything the film is not. In actuality, it is a depressing story that meanders morbidly around while wasting its truly talented cast. The second half of the movie doesn’t even utilise the whole shrinking premise; it’s wasted beyond some early laughs.